577. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon1 2
Subject:
- Your Memorandum of February 1, 1969 on Peru
The name of the Peruvian Ambassador is Dr. Fernando Berckemeyer Pazos. He was Peru’s Ambassador to Washington between 1949 and 1963 and was just accredited here again on January 3.
Berckemeyer is returning to Lima for consultations this week. He is not well informed on his government’s current thinking on the IPC case. I will talk to him when he comes back from Lima.
Secretary Rogers and Under Secretary Richardson have become personally involved in the IPC issue and I am in close touch with them on this matter. We have initiated an intensive review of the problem, including an assessment of the options available to us.
The State Department recommends that you see Ambassador Jones, who is now here on consultation. He briefed the Secretary and Under Secretary yesterday afternoon, and meets with the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Executive Session this morning. I think it would be useful for you to hear Jones’ assessment of the current situation, at which time I could be present. Alternatively, I will be glad to receive him in your stead.
Recommendation
I recommend that you grant an appointment to Ambassador Jones.
Approve
Prefer you see him
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 794, Country Files, Latin America, Peru, 21 January–31 March 1969, Vol. 1, IPC Hickenlooper Amendment. Confidential. Nixon checked the option “Prefer you [Kissinger] see him” and wrote “and bring him in to say hello at end of conversation.” In a February 5 memorandum to Kissinger, Haig wrote: “I have little doubt that this is going to be one of President Nixon’s first major crises.” (Ibid.)↩
- Kissinger wrote President Nixon about a possible meeting with Ambassador Jones.↩