Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–15, Part 1, Documents on Eastern Europe, 1973–1976

78. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to the Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Wickham), Washington, September 22, 1975.¹ ²

Washington, September 22, 1975.

THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON

September 22, 1975

MEMORANDUM FOR

John A. Wickham, Jr.

Major General, U. S. Army Military Assistant to the Secretary Department of Defense

SUBJECT:

• Yugoslav Requests for U. S. Military Equipment

Your memorandum of September 6, 1975 (I-9463/75) providing a status report on U.S. supply of military equipment to Yugoslavia is appreciated. Judging from your report, while there have been initial contacts with the Yugoslav Government on the possible sale of a number of items of U. S. military equipment, approved sales and contracts have been limited by: the need for responses to U.S. offers from the Yugoslavs, the need for further clarification on items being proposed by the Yugoslavs, and the need for National Disclosure Policy exceptions on specific items of equipment.

You are aware of the President’s keen interest in insuring a cooperative response to the Yugoslav requests for military equipment. Pursuant to that interest, the President has asked that the Department of Defense, in coordination with the Department of State, give careful attention to Yugoslav requests for U.S. military equipment, obtaining responses where U.S. offers have been made, obtaining clarifications when required by the United States, and insuring that the review process for specific items of requested equipment is handled expeditiously so as to insure prompt approval of all appropriate sales.

The Department of Defense is requested to submit a further report on the status of the sale of U. S. military equipment to Yugoslavia by November 15, 1975.

[signed]

Brent Scowcroft
Lieutenant General, USAF
Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
cc: George S. Springsteen
Executive Secretary
Department of State

1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, Records of the Secretary of Defense, OSD Files: FRC 330-78-0058, Yugoslavia 091.3. Confidential. Wickham’s original September 6 report is Document 77. A copy was sent to Springsteen. The Department of Defense’s revised report, November 21, is Document 79.
2. Scowcroft instructed the Department of Defense to report on the status of the sales of U.S. military equipment to Yugoslavia and noted the President’s “keen interest” in the issue.