341. Letter From President Carter to Egyptian President Sadat1
Thank you for your letter of January 262 and for sending Vice President Mobarak on his most welcome visit.3
In the area of military assistance, we have worked closely with you and senior members of your Government in an effort to meet Egypt’s needs. We recognize the urgency of your requirements. At the same time, there are limits to what we can do in terms of timing and scope while meeting our other global commitments and the needs of our own armed forces. I ask for your understanding on these limits.
I was struck by the considerations Vice President Mobarak raised during our meeting. Even before he left Washington, I ordered a reexamination of our proposals to see how we might accelerate equipment deliveries. When Roy Atherton cabled your letter, I renewed and broadened that instruction. As a result of this review, I have decided to increase the U.S. effort to respond to your concerns. Within the context of this decision, I believe it is important that our military advisors intensify their examination of all the available options, in order to decide what is possible, when, and at what cost. I have asked Cy Vance and Harold Brown to send a mission, headed by David McGiffert, to Cairo later this month for this purpose. If you desire, this mission will be authorized to meet directly with any Egyptian military leaders whom you designate.
In view of the complexities of financing, ascertaining equipment availability, and selecting appropriate combinations of weapons [Page 1100] systems, detailed discussions might best await the arrival of the McGiffert team.
With warm regards,
Sincerely,
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, President’s Correspondence with Foreign Leaders File, Box 5, Egypt: President Anwar al-Sadat, 1–6/80. No classification marking. The letter was attached to a February 15 covering memorandum from Brzezinski to Carter, presenting the letter for his approval “[a]s agreed at the breakfast this morning.” At the bottom of the covering memorandum, Carter wrote: “Add sentence to last [paragraph] on p. 1. ‘If you desire, this commission will be authorized to meet directly with any Egyptian military leaders whom you designate.” Below this note, an unknown hand wrote: “(copy attached which includes the above).” Draper delivered the letter to Ghorbal on the evening of February 15. (Telegram 42471 to Cairo and Tel Aviv, February 16; Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 19, Egypt: 2/16–29/80)↩
- See Document 333.↩
- The memorandum of conversation of Carter’s January 17 meeting with Mubarak is printed as Document 330.↩