310. Memorandum of Conversation1
PARTICIPANTS
- President Ford
- Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State
- Brent Scowcroft, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to Cuba.]
Kissinger: I think sooner or later we have to crack the Cubans. I talked to Yamani last Friday and even the Iranians are worried about the Cubans getting into the Middle East countries. I think we have to humiliate them. If they move into Namibia or Rhodesia, I would be in favor of clobbering them. That would create a furor and we might have to come out for Black rule. But I think we might have to demand they get out of Africa.
The President: What if they don’t?
Kissinger: I think we could blockade. But I think we need a WSAG and maybe an NSC. But I don’t think we have to identify where they might move—just examine contingencies for wherever they might act.
The President: I am for that. Can we do it right away?
[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to Cuba.]
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Summary: Kissinger and Ford discussed possible action against Cuba if Cuban forces expanded their activities overseas.
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Memoranda of Conversations, 1973–1977, Box 18, March 15, 1976—Ford, Kissinger. Secret; Nodis. All brackets are in the original except those indicating text omitted by the editors. The meeting took place in the Oval Office. According to a March 13 memorandum of a conversation with Saudi Petroleum Minister Ahmad Zaki Yamani, referred to in this document, Kissinger stated that the “next time Cuba attempts something like Angola, they will get into massive trouble. The War Powers Act gives us 60 days to do something and I think we could take care of Cuba in that period.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P820117–1608) According to a February 26 memorandum of conversation, Kissinger told Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto that he firmly believed “that the Cubans have to be taught a lesson.” (Ibid., P860112–0876)
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