27. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom1
85529. Subject: Letter From the Secretary to Lord Carrington.
1. Secret–Entire text.
2. Please convey immediately the following message from the Secretary to Lord Carrington.
3. Begin text:
Dear Peter,
I know that the Falkland Islands was one of the first issues you raised with us as Foreign Secretary.2 The situation which has developed in the last few days on South Georgia Island is indeed serious, and I want you to know that we will do everything we can to assist in its [Page 52] resolution. I am instructing our Ambassador in Buenos Aires to convey my concern to the Argentine Foreign Minister3 and to urge that his government take no steps which would aggravate the present crisis. Furthermore, I am urging the Argentine Government to abide by existing arrangements and understandings concerning regularizing the status of foreign residents on South Georgia Island.
We will, of course, have a greater chance of influencing Argentine behavior if we appear to them not to favor one side or the other. We will continue quietly to try and move the Argentines away from taking further steps which would make a peaceful resolution more difficult to achieve. I believe that you know Tom Hayward, our Chief of Naval Operations. He arrives in Buenos Aires on March 31 on a long-standing invitation, and will do what he can to be helpful.
Let me know, Peter, if you have any suggestions on how we might help defuse the immediate crisis through the use of our good offices.
I admire your patience in this situation.
Sincerely,
Al.
End text.
4. Instruction to Ambassador Schlaudeman in Buenos Aires sent septel.
- Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Cable File, Falkland File 03/31/1982–04/01/1982. Secret; Sensitive; Immediate; Exdis. Sent for information Immediate to Buenos Aires.↩
- See Document 3.↩
- See footnote 4, Document 29.↩