96. Memorandum From the Acting Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (Fisher) to Secretary of State Rusk 1

SUBJECT

  • Latin American Nuclear-Free Zone

In the light of my recent conversation with you I am attaching herewith for your approval a position paper on the Latin American nuclear-free zone which discusses at some length the relation of Cuba to the proposed zone.2

The paper calls for me to urge the inclusion of Cuba, which is a sine qua non for some other states in the area and which would involve Cuba’s consent to a multilateral verification system in place of our unilateral surveillance to which it now objects; but the paper calls for us to support creation of the zone even if Cuba ultimately refuses to join, since establishment of a zone by other states would exert pressure on Cuba to [Page 245] join it and since the zone would generally be valuable in halting nuclear proliferation.

We will shortly be approached in New York by representatives of the Latin American working groups on a nuclear-free zone, who are not perfectly satisfied with the limited statements of our views that we have so far made to them. Your approval of this paper will enable us to expand on those statements.

Recommendation:

That you approve the attached position paper.3

Adrian S. Fisher 4
  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 383, ACDA/D Files: FRC 77 A 52, Memoranda to the Secretary of State, 1965. Secret. Drafted by Peter S. Bridges (ACDA/IR) on September 28. The source text was transmitted through Acting Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thompson.
  2. Not printed.
  3. The source text bears the typewritten approval of Secretary Rusk on November 10, 1965.
  4. Printed from a copy that indicates Fisher signed the original.