Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–14, Part 1, Documents on the United Nations, 1973–1976

98. Memorandum From Robert S. Smith of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft), Washington, November 12, 1976.¹ ²

Washington, November 12, 1976

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

November 12, 1976

MEMORANDUM FOR: BRENT SCOWCROFT
FROM: Robert S. Smith [RSS initialed]

SUBJECT: Angolan Membership in the United Nations

The question of Angola’s admission to the United Nations is coming up again late next week or the following week in the Security Council. Governor Scranton, IO, AF and L are all prepared to recommend to the Secretary that our representative on the Security Council abstain rather than veto this application. The recommendation will probably go to the Secretary early next week. At this time, the Secretary is reported still to be “thinking about it.” He will presumably consult the President before making a final decision. I take the liberty of bringing this to your attention in advance.

The case being made by Governor Scranton and by State for an abstention is fairly strong:

--We shall need to veto a string of resolutions in the Security Council in the near future, presumably including Vietnam’s membership application early next week and several resolutions on South Africa and apartheid. To add an Angola membership veto to these will increase our difficulties in getting support on other United Nations issues in the final few weeks of the 31st General Assembly. Even our friends in Africa are pushing us not to veto.

--The legal grounds for a veto are thin. Angola is as “able and willing” as many member states to carry out the obligations of the United Nations Charter.

--As far as we know, no other Permanent Member of the Security Council will veto this application.

-- Angola is one of the “front-line” states concerned with Rhodesian and Namibian negotiations and might be less inclined to radical solutions there if it were not kept out of the United Nations.

--We made the case against Angolan membership primarily because of the presence there of massive numbers of Cuban troops. While they are still there, they have not so far operated against any other southern African country. An abstention is not an endorsement of their continued presence, but an acceptance of the inevitable.

RECOMMENDATION:

That you sign the attached memorandum to the President at TAB I recommending that he support a United States abstention in the United Nations Security Council on the admission of Angola to UN membership.

1. Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser Files, Presidential Country Files for Africa, Box 1, Angola (2). Confidential. Sent for action. Tab I is not attached. On November 22, the United States abstained from the vote in the Security Council, thereby enabling Angola to attain U.N. membership. Scranton’s statement explaining the abstention is published in Department of State Bulletin, December 20, 1976, p. 742.
2. Smith recommended that the United States abstain on the question of Angolan admission to the United Nations.