Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXII, Panama, 1973–1976

93. Minutes of Secretary of State Kissinger’s Principals and Regionals Staff Meeting¹

Washington, August 7, 1975, 8 a.m.

[Omitted here is a list of attendees.]

PROCEEDINGS

Secretary Kissinger: Bob.

Mr. Ingersoll: Bill Rogers and I would like to see you on this.

Secretary Kissinger: No—I am not going to be rushed.

Mr. Ingersoll: On this trip by DOD—

Secretary Kissinger: There will be no DOD trip to Panama.² Having held us up for three months, we are not going to act like a bunch of schoolboys who have been given a special deal. First we are going to get in touch with Torrijos. Then after a decent interval, we are going to send someone down there. We are not going to vacillate between stalling and drooling.

Mr. Ingersoll: They were talking about doing this this week. And I said not until—

Secretary Kissinger: They are not going to do it this week. They can’t hold us up for three months, and then suddenly send a whole huge delegation down there.

Mr. Ingersoll: Well, I think we ought to talk about it.

Secretary Kissinger: It will not happen. We will not talk about it, because it will not happen.

Mr. Ingersoll: No. I mean the process.

Secretary Kissinger: The process will be the one I told Bill. We first inform Torrijos. And then after about two weeks or so, we start. We are not going to go like a bunch of maniacs.

I am the one that got this thing through. But we are not going to vacillate between stalling and over-eagerness.

What’s the hurry? Can anyone explain to me why, having held things up for three months, we now must send a team down this week?

Mr. Rogers: Clements just wants to go down and see the real estate.

Secretary Kissinger: Clements can go down and look at the real estate after we have taken—I am against a trip down there. I want an exchange with Torrijos. And then Clements can go down there.

Mr. Rogers: Bob said that to Clements yesterday—that was an essential first condition, before they could even consider a trip; that the message has to get back to Torrijos directly.

Secretary Kissinger: We have to have a little exchange with him first. Then he can go down. It doesn’t make any difference whether he goes down at the end of August or the end of next week.

Mr. Ingersoll: I don’t know why they chose next week, except they can get three fellows together—Brown and Weyand and Clements.

Secretary Kissinger: Come on—you can’t sit on a thing for three months, leak us all to death, and then suddenly go. You know what impression that is going to make in Latin America. It is just not possible.

Mr. Ingersoll: Clements did a good job, because he really had to beat those people over there.

Secretary Kissinger: I’m delighted. Now, nothing is going to happen until we get the memo to the President.³

Mr. Rogers: Last night we worked out a joint Defense-State position, really something of a minor miracle.

Secretary Kissinger: Is that going to come through me, or will I find it on the President’s desk?

Mr. Rogers: I will tell you exactly the procedure. It is going to you, from Ingersoll and Clements.

Secretary Kissinger: Okay.

Mr. Rogers: It will be there tomorrow, no later than noon, because Clements is going to sign tomorrow morning, assuming Bob signs it this evening.

Secretary Kissinger: After that we will send the message.

Mr. Rogers: That should clear the way for the message.

Secretary Kissinger: And then we will get an answer.⁴ And then we will decide about a trip. If we are going to follow that strategy, we are not going to start picking up the pace now.

[Omitted here is discussion of unrelated matters.]

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Transcripts of Secretary of State Kissinger’s Staff Meetings, 1973–1977, Lot 78D443, ES177, Secretary’s Staff Meeting, August 7, 1975. Secret.
2. Telegram 4809 from Panama City, August 7, summarized the PRC meeting during which Lieutenant General McAuliffe reported that Clements might visit the Canal Zone in early September. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D750273–0676) See Document 97.
3. See Document 94.
4. Telegram 189243 to Panama City, August 10, transmitted a message for the Ambassador to deliver to Torrijos “on behalf of the Secretary” that the Canal negotiations would resume. In telegram 4844 from Panama City, August 11, Jorden reported that he had delivered the message and that Torrijos “expressed great pleasure” that Bunker would be returning soon. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D750276–0309 and D750276–1087)