Office of the Historian

330. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Armitage) to the Director of the Joint Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Carter)1

I–35382/85
Washington, September 4, 1985

SUBJECT

  • Tunisia Security Situation (U)

(S/S) I appreciate your response to my memorandum regarding US support to Tunisia in its current crisis with Libya.2 However, your response regarding the third scenario—conventional Libyan attack—is incomplete in that it does not address possible unilateral US actions, other than visits and providing specific security assistance articles.

(TS) While one aspect of the problem does involve working with our allies, such as France, we also should be prepared to address this problem if we have to do it alone. Therefore, I request you provide more specific unilateral military actions that could be considered if events in the region take an unexpected turn for the worse. For example, what role would you envision for the US Navy CVBG off the Tunisian coast—just “show the flag” to intimidate or actively engage in reconnaissance or other activities; should joint/combined exercises be included in the spectrum of responses; do we provide air cover/combat air patrol in order to free limited Tunisian air assets? Because of his comments on this subject to President Bourguiba during his June visit,3 the Secretary has expressed an interest in your response.

(S) Regarding contingency planning in conjunction with our allies, I intend to ask State to chair a meeting on this.4 In the interim I would appreciate your response as soon as possible, not later than 9 September 1985.5 The ISA point of contact for this request is LTC Jim Carney, NESA, x75173.

Richard L. Armitage6
Assistant Secretary of Defense
(International Security Affairs)
  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files, FRC 330–88–0058, 1985 Official Records (Top Secret) of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, and the Executive Secretary to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, Box 2, Tunisia 1985. Top Secret.↩
  2. See Document 329.↩
  3. See Document 327.↩
  4. No record of such a meeting has been found.↩
  5. The response was not found.↩
  6. Armitage wrote: “Many thanks” below the last paragraph of the memorandum and signed “Rich Armitage” above this stamped signature.↩