331. Letter From Secretary of Defense Weinberger to Secretary of Commerce Baldrige1
(C) I am writing to express my strong interest in the imminent negotiations with the Government of Iceland on the issue of scientific whaling, and my concern that a rigid US position could undermine important security arrangements.
(S) As you know, the US base at Keflavik, Iceland, is of vital importance to US and NATO security. Its geographical location makes Keflavik the linchpin of our efforts to defend our North Atlantic sea lines of communication between North America and Europe, as well as an invaluable forward position for the defense of the US. Without unhampered ability to operate US air and naval forces from Keflavik, we would be very hard-pressed to reinforce Western Europe in crisis or war, and to defend the US from Soviet nuclear ballistic missile submarines in the Atlantic Ocean. Even in peacetime, Keflavik is an unrivalled location for daily surveillance and monitoring of Soviet air and naval activity in the Atlantic. It would be extremely difficult to conduct these operations from any other possible location.
(C) At present we are able to use this facility on favorable terms and without paying any base rent. Our cooperation with the last Icelandic Government was among the very best we have had, and great progress was made to modernize and improve our defense posture at Keflavik. Under normal circumstances, the new Icelandic government would be likely to continue along the same lines.
(C) I am concerned now, however, that our position in Keflavik, our freedom of operations there, and perhaps even our presence itself, may be jeopardized if we pursue inflexible positions with Iceland on scientific whaling. While clearly we want Iceland to bring its program into conformity with International Whaling Commission (IWC) regulations, I hope that we can be flexible in the ways that we pursue this goal, and give the Icelanders the opportunity to work with us rather than present them with ultimata that may force them to choose between sacrificing their national dignity or being certified under the Pelley Amendment. Based upon the history of the very difficult US-Icelandic Rainbow shipping controversy between 1984 and 1987,2 I would expect the Icelanders to harden rather than sacrifice their national dignity, at [Page 930] considerable expense to friendly bilateral relations now and in the future.
(S) At risk is the US base at Keflavik, as that is the only lever that Iceland can use to apply pressure upon the US. The result could be serious damage to US defense, and the loss of a most important Ally, without achieving our objectives with regard to whaling.
(C) DoD has previously expressed its concern about this situation to the Departments of Commerce and State, and to the NSC. I would be glad to discuss it with you at your convenience.3
Sincerely,
- Source: Reagan Library, NR002 Natural Resources Classified, (504883–510000). Secret. Copies were sent to Shultz and Carlucci.↩
- See footnote 2, Document 324.↩
- In an August 7 reply to Weinberger, Acting Secretary of Commerce Brown wrote: “The Secretary [Baldrige] took a firm position, not because of any failure to appreciate the strategic importance of Iceland, but because U.S. law and Administration policy required it.” (Department of State, Dumping; Arctic; Whaling; Antarctic; Scientific Research, 1976–1987, Lot 94D419, Whaling Iceland—Aug–Sept ’87)↩