362. Letter From Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld to Secretary of State Kissinger, Washington, December 29, 1976.1 2
THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
WASHINGTON DC 20301
29 DEC 1976
Honorable Henry A. Kissinger
Secretary of State
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Henry:
For political, financial, and strategic reasons, the United States Government has historically maintained that we will not pay “rent” for the use of bases on allied territory. That policy and unfaltering adherence to it are of prime importance to the Department of Defense because of its world-wide defense responsibilities. You expounded the US position on rent with great skill and clarity to Secretary Romulo last April when you told him that it is a question of principle—of fundamental relations between allies—which we would neither surrender nor abandon; but that we were prepared to look at a stable security assistance package which would contribute to the shared security interests of both our countries.
In a major public foreign policy address December 11, President Marcos is widely and apparently reliably reported to have requested rent for continued use of the bases. Marcos’ emphasis on this concept, which is unacceptable to us, distorted what was otherwise a reasonable presentation of current Philippine views on the status of base negotiations. If the Philippine President persists in publicly putting the defense relationship between the two governments on a pecuniary footing, he is almost certain to jeopardize the mutual defense relationship with the Philippines by prejudicing the US Congress and the American people. Moreover, public repetition of this theme is certain to interject a troublesome issue in our defense arrangements elsewhere around the world. It is my belief that, in the long term interests of both the US and the Philippines, Marcos should be warned.
As soon as the opportunity presents itself Bill Sullivan should, I believe, discuss the December 11 speech frankly with Marcos. It would probably be better if Sullivan portrayed himself as speaking personally rather than making a demarche. This would be an occasion to encourage Marcos to continue to take the constructive position which characterized the bulk of his remarks, to point out the hazards of pushing the rental concept, and to suggest instead the desirability of [Page 2] emphasizing the military and economic cooperation theme which you developed in your excellent remarks on April 12 to Secretary Romulo.
Your subordinates have expressed understandable reluctance, given the imminent change in administration in Washington, about asking Sullivan to reiterate those considerations directly to Marcos. Undoubtedly Sullivan would have to select with care the right moment for approaching Marcos. However, I firmly believe the US can ill afford to allow Marcos public espousal of rent to go uncontested until the new Administration has established its negotiating position and negotiations have resumed. That could be a little while.
But the passage of time begs the point. There has been a broad consensus in this country that the US should not pay rent to its allies for bases which serve the common weal, the political principle which you stressed to Romulo and which Marcos appears to have rejected. The American forces stationed in the Philippines serve both US and Philippine national interests. Either there is a shared interest, which is perceived as such by both parties, or there is no basis for a mutual security treaty. Most Americans, in my experience, adhere to this view.
Our bases in the Philippines are an integral element in our worldwide basing posture. It would be unfortunate if continued Philippine rhetoric on rents were to undermine the current negotiations. But it is of paramount importance that we discern the inherent risk to our worldwide basing system and that we alert the Philippine President to the consequences of what may have been bad advice or simply an unfortunate choice of words. In any event I see no harm in our doing so.
I would appreciate your further consideration of this matter and would like to have your views.
Sincerely,
[signed]
Donald Rumsfeld