Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1973–1976
181. National Security Decision Memorandum 321
Summary: Scowcroft communicated President Ford’s approval of a set of instructions for the U.S. delegation to the sixth round of PNE negotiations in Moscow.
Source: Ford Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files—NSDMs, Box 69, Originals—NSDM 316 to NSDM 330. Secret. Copies were sent to Brown and Bush. NSDM 297 is Document 150; NSDM 304 is Document 161. The sixth round of negotiations began on January 27 and ended on April 8. See Document 192.
182. Memorandum From the Administrator of the Energy Research and Development Administration (Seamans) to President Ford
Summary: Seamans informed Ford of his and Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance Maw’s recent discussions with the Shah of Iran on the subject of negotiating a U.S.-Iranian nuclear agreement. Seamans offered several recommendations regarding the negotiation of the nuclear agreement. He indicated that the Department of State would also submit its recommendations to Ford.
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, NSC Program Analysis Staff Files, Convenience Files, Box 31, Iran, Mar. 76. Secret. The tabs are not attached. Tab A is Document 172. Tab B, a copy of Ford’s February 21 letter to the Shah, is in the Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Correspondence With Foreign Leaders, Box 2, Iran—The Shah, (1). On March 26, Kratzer and Atherton sent Kissinger an action memorandum regarding alternatives for nuclear negotiations with Iran; the memorandum is printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XXVII, Iran; Iraq, 1973–1976, as Document 167.
183. Memorandum From the Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (Iklé) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft)
Summary: In light of uncertainties in the interpretation of the U.S. position on the Threshold Test Ban Treaty as stated in NSDM 256, Iklé recommended to Scowcroft two steps for consideration before the conclusion of PNE negotiations in Moscow.
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Agency Files, Box 1, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency March 30, 1976–May 9, 1976. Secret; Exdis. Iklé signed “Fred Iklé” above his typed signature. The Marcum-Rochlin memorandum of conversation is not attached. In a May 4 letter to Scowcroft, Seamans, at Marcum’s request, stated ERDA’s position on a 150 kiloton yield design standard. (Ibid., Presidential Subject File, Box 15, Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty (1)) NSDM 256 is Document 54. Stoessel’s October 1974 oral understanding with the Soviets was presumably reached during the first round of the PNE/TTBT negotiations in Moscow.
185. Telegram 5117 From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State
Summary: The Embassy noted that Pravda, on April 3, reported on the U.S. statement regarding the PNE negotiations.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760126–0505. Limited Official Use; Priority. The March 31 statement on the PNE negotiations is printed in the Department of State Bulletin, April 19, 1976, p. 507; Special Assistant to the Secretary for Press Relations Robert Funseth read the statement to news correspondents that day.
186. Telegram 85198 From the Department of State to the Mission in Geneva
Summary: The Department instructed U.S. Representative to the CCD Martin to make a statement “presenting current U.S. thinking” on chemical weapons issues before the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760134–0578. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Einhorn and Robert Mikulak (ACDA/NTB); cleared by James Montgomery (C), Glassman, J. Salmon (PM/DCA), Elliott, J. Wade (DOD), and Ortiz (S/S). Repeated for information to Moscow, USUN, and the Mission to NATO. Telegram 100008 to Geneva, April 29, 1975, and telegram 135881 to Geneva, June 11, 1975, are ibid., D750152–1030 and D750203–0136. The text of the Soviet draft treaty of August 1974 is in telegram 100009 to Geneva, April 29, 1975. (Ibid. D70151–0278). The text of Martin’s April 13 statement before the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament is printed in Documents on Disarmament, 1976, pp. 211–221.
187. Telegram 5682 From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State
Summary: Ambassador Stoessel provided a summary of his April 12 call on Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko, during which they discussed the conclusion of the PNE negotiations, the Soviet new weapons of mass destruction proposal, and a comprehensive test ban.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760143–0740. Secret; Exdis. All brackets are in the original except those indicating garbled text. Telegram 5681 from Moscow, April 13, and telegram 5686 from Moscow, April 13, are ibid., D760139–0577 and D760139–0298. The negotiations on the PNE agreement ended successfully on April 8. See Document 192.
188. Telegram 2926 From the Mission in Geneva to the Department of State and the Embassy in the Soviet Union
Summary: The mission reported that the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament had, at Soviet request, held three informal meetings of experts in Geneva, April 7–8, concerning the Soviet new weapons of mass destruction proposal. After summarizing the three meetings, the Mission commented that the sense of the Western and non-aligned groups was that the MDW proposal “still lacked essential definition and substance.”
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760143–0213. Limited Official Use; Priority. Repeated to Bonn, London, New Delhi, Ottawa, Rome, The Hague, Tokyo, ERDA, the Mission to the IAEA at Vienna, the Mission to NATO, the U.S. delegation to the SALT II talks in Geneva, and USUN. Telegram 81986 to Geneva, April 6, is ibid., D760128–0656.
189. Telegram 92577 From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union
Summary: The Department indicated that Soviet Minister-Counselor Vorontsov had met with Armitage on April 13 and provided him with the text of a note on venting of nuclear tests, in response to Hartman’s démarche to Vorontsov on December 23, 1975. The Department also transmitted the informal translation of the Soviet note.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760145–0563. Confidential; Immediate. Drafted by Glassman; cleared by McNeill, Davies, Montgomery, Baker, and Ortiz; approved by Armitage. Repeated for information to the Mission to the IAEA at Vienna, the Mission in Geneva, USUN, and the Embassies in London and Paris. Telegram 301860, which transmitted the text of the December 23, 1975, U.S. note, is Document 168.
190. Memorandum from the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to President Ford
Summary: Scowcroft summarized recent discussions among ERDA, Department of State, and Iranian officials on a nuclear agreement. Scowcroft recommended that Ford approve an option for the U.S. position in upcoming talks with the President of the Iranian Atomic Energy Commission and approve Scowcroft’s signing of an implementing memorandum.
Source: Ford Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files—NSDMs, Box 64, NSDM 324—Negotiation of Nuclear Agreement with Iran. Confidential. Sent for action. A stamped notation on the first page indicates that Ford saw the memorandum. Tab A, as signed, is Document 191. Tab B, the Shah’s March 4 response to the President, is not attached and not found. Tab C is Document 182. Tab D is Document 172. Tab E is not attached and not found. Ford approved the recommendation. Also printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XXVII, Iran; Iraq, 1973–1976, as Document 172.
191. National Security Decision Memorandum 324
Summary: After reviewing ERDA Administrator Seamans’s report and agency recommendations regarding U.S. nuclear negotiations with Iran, President Ford approved a negotiating position for the forthcoming U.S.-Iran talks on nuclear issues.
Source: Ford Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files—NSDMs, Box 64, NSDM 324—Negotiation of a Nuclear Agreement with Iran. Confidential. Copies were sent to Brown and Bush. Also printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XXVII, Iran; Iraq, 1973–1976, as Document 173.
192. Telegram 95986 From the Department of State to the Mission in Geneva and the Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Summary: The Department transmitted the text of a briefing paper on the PNE treaty, protocol, and agreed statement, noting that the three documents “establish a comprehensive system of provisions governing underground nuclear explosions of the U.S. and the USSR.”
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760150–0160. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Corden and Givan; cleared by Sloss, Marcum, Robert Martin, John Hawes (EUR/RPM), Kelly, and Jerome Hoganson (S/S); approved by Davies. Repeated for information to Moscow.
193. Memorandum From Secretary of State Kissinger to President Ford
Summary: Kissinger informed Ford that the Soviet negotiators stated that they would like to see the PNE agreement signed at the Presidential level. Kissinger agreed, noting that a “high visibility signing coupled with a statement by you reaffirming our interest in resolving differences with the Soviets by negotiation would be well received domestically.”
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Subject File, Box 15, Peaceful Nuclear Explosions (PNE) Treaty (1). Secret. Sent for action. Published from a copy that does not show Ford’s approval of the recommendation, but see Document 197. Boverie sent the memorandum to Scowcroft under a May 5 memorandum, indicating that Kissinger had signed the memorandum “in a rush” before departing for Africa and noting that the NSC Staff did recommend that the memorandum be sent to Ford.
194. Telegram 3110 From the Mission in Geneva to the Department of State
Summary: The mission transmitted a summary of the spring Conference of the Committee on Disarmament’s spring session, emphasizing developments related to chemical weapons, the Soviet proposal on new weapons of mass destruction, and procedural issues.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760156–0150. Confidential. Repeated for information to Bonn, London, Moscow, Rome, The Hague, Tokyo, ERDA, the Mission to the IAEA at Vienna, the Mission to NATO, the U.S. delegation to the SALT II talks in Geneva, and USUN. For the April 13 U.S. statement, delivered at the CCD plenary meeting, see telegram 2884 from Geneva, April 14. (Ibid., D760141–0612) The Japanese working paper is referenced in telegram 2093 from Geneva, March 25, 1975. (Ibid., D750104–0275) The German working paper is referenced in telegram 6154 from Geneva, August 5, 1975. (Ibid., D750270–0497) The Swedish working paper and a record of the April 22 plenary meeting are in telegram 3095 from Geneva, April 23, 1976. (Ibid., [no film number]) A record of the informal meetings on April 7 and 8 regarding the Soviet proposal on new weapons of mass destruction is in telegram 2926 from Geneva, April 15, 1976. (Ibid., D760143–0213)
195. Telegram 6464 From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State
Summary: Ambassador Stoessel reported on his April 26 meeting with Chief of the International Relations Division of the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs Israelyan, during which they discussed a potential CTB agreement and Soviet positions on other disarmament initiatives.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760158–0587. Confidential. In telegram 95642 to Moscow, April 20, the Department provided points to raise in response to disarmament questions Gromyko had raised with Stoessel. (Ibid., D760149–1018)
196. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to Secretary of State Kissinger, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, the Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (Iklé), and the Administrator of the Energy Research and Development Administration (Seamans)
Summary: Scowcroft noted that the agency positions and previous negotiating record concerning the TTBT oral understanding on slight unintentional breaches of the threshold had been reviewed. As a result, he stated, the administration had approved three positions regarding the oral understanding.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, OP 10 (Executive Registry Subject Files (DCI Area), Job 79M00467A, Box 25, Folder 472, NSC Under Secretaries Committee, 010176–311276. Secret. Copies were sent to Brown and Bush. NSDM 319, “Underground Nuclear Test Program for the Second Half of FY 1976 and the Transition Quarter (1),” March 2, is in the Ford Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files—NSDMs, Box 63, NSDM 319. NSDM 256 is Document 54. For the “oral understanding,” see Document 183.
198. Letter From the Administrator of the Energy Research and Development Administration (Seamans) to President Ford
Summary: Seamans recommended that the United States pursue a “major initiative” regarding the nuclear fuel cycle, noting that such an initiative could constitute a “central feature” of a major Presidential message.
Source: Ford Library, James M. Cannon Files, Issues File, 1972–77, Box 24, Nuclear Policy Statement, June-July 1976. Confidential. A copy was sent to Richardson. Attached as Tab A to Document 200. Seamans signed “Bob Seamans” above his typed signature. Seaman’s May 13 letter to Kissinger was not found.
199. Memorandum from David Elliott of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft)
Summary: Elliott informed Scowcroft that the Department of Defense had requested a special interagency review of issues related to the draft environmental modification treaty prior to the U.S.-Soviet negotiations and the summer session of the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament.
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Files of NSC Logged Documents, IF/NS File for the President, Box 40, 7603369, ENMOD (Environmental Modification) Negotiations. Confidential. Sent for action. Tabs A and B are not attached and not found. Scowcroft highlighted the last sentence of the memorandum, underlined “accede to their request for a rapid,” and wrote “bull” at the end of the paragraph.
200. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) and the President’s Assistant for Domestic Affairs (Cannon) to President Ford
Summary: Scowcroft and Cannon sent ERDA Administrator Seamans’s recommendation for a program to provide nuclear fuel processing in the United States to Ford. They recommended that Ford direct that work begin immediately to “develop and evaluate” the initiatives Seamans proposed, issue a statement or a message to Congress on nuclear matters, and assign responsibility to Cannon and Scowcroft to develop a plan to carry out the work, in cooperation with the various agencies.
Source: Ford Library, James M. Cannon Files, Issues File, 1972–77, Box 24, Nuclear Policy Statement, June–July 1976. No classification marking. Sent for action. Ford did not approve or disapprove any of the recommendations. Tab A is Document 198. Tab B is Document 201. Tab C is not attached and not found.
201. Paper Prepared by the Domestic Council and National Security Council Staffs
Summary: The paper summarized the themes ERDA Administrator Seamans had raised in his and Cannon’s memorandum to President Ford and underscored the need for a Presidential message on nuclear themes.
Source: Ford Library, James M. Cannon Files, Issues File, 1972–77, Box 24, Nuclear Policy Statement, June–July 1976. Attached as Tab B to Document 200.
202. Minutes of Secretary of State Kissinger’s Staff Meeting
Summary: Kissinger discussed nuclear proliferation with his senior staff and expressed doubts about multilateral reprocessing vis-à-vis bilateral reprocessing with regard to the Iranian-Pakistani Cooperative Agreement.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Executive Secretariat, Transcripts of Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s Staff Meetings: Lot 78D443, Box 10, Secretary’s Staff Mtg, 0/7/26/76. Secret. All brackets are in the original except those indicating text omitted by the editors. There is no indication as to where the meeting took place. On July 12, Elliott and Oakley sent Scowcroft a memorandum informing him of Kissinger’s decisions after Pakistani rejection of the President’s request that Pakistan not acquire a reprocessing plant from France, inlcuding Kissinger’s comments on multinational reprocessing facilities; see Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume E–8, Documents on South Asia, 1973–1976, Document 232.
203. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to President Ford
Summary: Scowcroft informed Ford that the Soviet Union had conducted underground nuclear explosions in July.
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Files of NSC Logged Documents, IF/NS File for the President, Box 43, 7604476, Threshold Test Ban/Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Refresher. Secret. Sent for information. The tabs are not attached and not found. All brackets are in the original except those indicating text that remains classified. Boverie sent the memorandum to Scowcroft under an August 11 covering memorandum, recommenting that Scowcroft sign the memorandum and send it to Ford. A handwritten notation by Scowcroft on the covering memorandum reads: “discussed with President.” Another notation in an unknown hand reads: “No need to send Tab I fwd.” For the text of the note delivered to Dobrynin on August 5, see Document 204.
204. Telegram 196181 From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union
Summary: The Department transmitted the text of a note delivered to Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin the evening of August 5 that underscored the U.S. commitment to observing the yield limits contained in the TTB and PNE treaties.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760304–0833. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Drafted by Fuerth; cleared by Marcum, Phelps, and Peter Bridges (S/S); approved by Armitage. All brackets are in the original except those indicating text that remains classified.
205. Telegram 12672 From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State
Summary: The Embassy reported on an August 10 dinner conversation between the Embassy’s Political Counselor and Deputy Chief of the International Organizations Department of the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs Timerbayev, which concerned the recent Soviet nuclear explosions.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760309–0904. Confidential. Repeated for information to the consulate in Leningrad.
206. Paper Prepared in the Department of State
Summary: The paper discussed the Department of State’s positions on the nuclear policy report prepared by the interagency Nuclear Policy Review Group.
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, NSC Middle East and South Asian Affairs Staff Files, Convenience Files, Box 37, Nuclear Policy Review and Non-Proliferation Initiatives. Confidential. Attached to Document 207. For a summary of the report, see Document 208.
207. Memorandum From Secretary of State Kissinger to President Ford
Summary: Kissinger presented the Department of State’s positions on nuclear policy and nonproliferation initiatives as well as his own policy recommendations to Ford.
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, NSC Middle East and South Asian Affairs Staff Files, Convenience Files, Box 37, Nuclear Policy Review and Non-Proliferation Initiatives. Confidential; Exdis. The attached Department of State response to the nuclear policy report is Document 206.
208. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft), the President’s Assistant for Domestic Affairs (Cannon), and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Lynn) to President Ford
Summary: In light of the Nuclear Policy Review Group’s recent report, Scowcroft, Cannon, and Lynn highlighted for Ford major nuclear policy problems requiring attention and recommended four policy alternatives for decision.
Source: Ford Library, Presidential Handwriting File, Box 1, Atomic Energy, 9/8/76–9/30/76. Secret. Sent for decision. A stamped notation on the first page of the memorandum indicates that Ford saw it. Ford initialed his approval of alternative 3. Appendices I and II and Tab A are not attached and not found. Robert Fri, Deputy Administrator of ERDA, submitted the Nuclear Policy Report to the President on September 7; his memorandum and agency reviews of the report are in the Ford Library, White House Special Files Unit, Box 5, Nuclear Policy Review: September 7, 1976 (1). On October 28, the White House issued a Presidential statement on nuclear policy that underscored the actions needed to implement future policies; see Document 214.
209. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to President Ford
Summary: Scowcroft summarized for Ford the proposed nuclear agreements with Egypt and Israel that ERDA Administrator Seamans had forwarded, along with by congressional and agency views, for the President’s consideration.
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for Middle East and South Asia, Box 4, Egypt (14). Confidential. Sent for action. Oakley and Elliott sent the memorandum to Scowcroft under a September 15 covering memorandum, indicating that they had obtained the views of both Marsh and Friedersdorf and included them in the memorandum to Ford. Notations on the covering memorandum in an unknown hand indicate that the memorandum was sent to Ford on September 23. A stamped notation on the first page of Scowcroft’s memorandum indicates that Ford saw it. Ford initialed his approval of the fourth alternative. Tabs A and B are not attached and not found.
210. Telegram 4005 From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State
Summary: The mission reported that the Soviet delegation to the United Nations had introduced a memorandum covering various arms control initiatives in conjunction with Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko’s statement before the United Nations General Assembly on September 28.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760366–0640. Limited Official Use; Immediate. Repeated for information to Bonn, London, Moscow, Ottawa, Rome, The Hague, Tokyo, the Mission to NATO, the Mission in Geneva, the U.S. delegation to the SALT II talks in Geneva, the Mission to the IAEA in Vienna. In telegram 4008 from USUN, September 29, 0141Z, the Mission transmitted a summary of Gromyko’s September 28 statement. (Ibid., D760366–0811) An extract of the Soviet memorandum is printed in Documents on Disarmament, 1976, pp. 631–641. For the full text of the memorandum see telegram 4002 from New York, September 28. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760366–0669)