293. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Bush to Secretary of State Kissinger1

SUBJECT

  • Additional Information Concerning PLO Desire to Enter Political Negotiations with the United States Government

1. The following provides additional background supplementing my memorandum [1½ lines not declassified]

2. [1 line not declassified] Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasir ’Arafat has been thinking for almost a year of attempting to establish a totally secret “pre-dialogue” channel to the United States (U.S.) Government. [less than 1 line not declassified] disillusionment with the Syrian relationship has made the PLO far more ready to compromise than it was in the past. The mood within the PLO leadership is definitely one of trying to resolve its own problems through compromise and to resist exploitation of the PLO by other Arab states for their own purposes.

3. [8 lines not declassified] Nevertheless, [less than 1 line not declassified] ’Arafat has political negotiations with the U.S. very much in mind, if they can be arranged.

4. Finally, [less than 1 line not declassified] ’Arafat is suspicious of the tendency of some Arab states, such as Egypt and Tunisia, to project themselves as intermediaries between the PLO and the U.S. ’Arafat judges that such efforts are patently self-serving and should be avoided.

5. A copy of this memorandum is being sent to the Honorable Brent Scowcroft, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. No other dissemination is being made.

George Bush2
  1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Executive Registry, Job 79M00467A, Box 23, Folder 427. Secret; Sensitive. A copy was sent to Scowcroft.
  2. Printed from a copy that indicates Bush signed the original.