343. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1 2
SUBJECT:
- Guatemala Item for 40 Committee
Nachmanoff states that ARA agrees [text not declassified] release the names of the Guatemalan terrorists to the Government of Guatemala and that they are preparing a message authorizing this action. State has expressed concern that delay of the item for consideration by 40 Committee now Wednesday may be too late.
Arnie and I both felt that your reasons for suggesting 40 Committee may be your concern that State would not authorize the exchange of information. On the other hand, it may also be that you want to have a review of the situation regardless of this specific issue. In any event, I told Nachmanoff to tell State to go ahead and process the cable to us for clearance and that we would decide subsequently on the 40 Committee issue. As of now, it is included on the agenda and can stay there regardless of the action taken on the cable if you wish.
Keep 40 Committee agenda item on Guatemala.
Keep only if affirmative cable is not received from State.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 785, Country Files, Latin America, Guatemala, Vol. I. Secret. In paragraph 1, the word “tomorrow” was crossed out and replaced with the hand-written notation: “(now Wednesday)”. Option 2 was approved, but a line was drawn through the memorandum and the letters “OBE” were written at the bottom of the memorandum.↩
- Haig reported that the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs supported providing the Government of Guatemala with the names and locations of FAR leaders, noting that consideration by the 40 Committee might delay action until too late.↩