Office of the Historian

355. Memorandum From William Odom of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)1

Washington, September 3, 1980

SUBJECT

  • Vaught’s JTF

I attended a meeting with General Vaught and his intelligence staff, CIA, NSA, and DIA this morning. The following points will be of interest to you.

First, the lack of intelligence about the hostages’ whereabouts has stifled most of the JTF’s efforts. CIA has recently made a decision to drop almost every other Iran related activity and shift resources to the hostage problem. Even so, the promise of locating them appears small. There is strong feeling in the JTF that too little effort is being made by FBI, NSA, CIA, and State to solve the intelligence problem. They feel they may be asked to perform quickly this fall. Yet they see no way to get ready.

Second, Vaught reports that he has failed to get Harold Brown or Stan Turner to raise the issue with you and the President about public statements on the hostages’ whereabouts. It would be extremely helpful, in his view, if the President instructed State and Defense to: (a) avoid discussion of their whereabouts if possible; (b) when it is unavoidable, say that we do not know. Apparently, statements at the highest levels in State, and perhaps elsewhere, have led to stronger counterintelligence measures by the militants. Vaught said the President’s own record is perfect on this account.

Third, Turner will speak to you this afternoon about authority to use some special equipment for tracking locations. The JTF staff believes that we have delayed far too long in this effort. I see little danger to the hostages in the event of compromise, and therefore support Turner’s proposal.

Fourth, Vaught would like to show you one of the practice operations on the night of September 13th. If you want to attend, let me know.

  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, General Odom File, Box 27, Iran Activities 12/79–12/80. Top Secret; Sensitive; For Dr. Brzezinski Only. Sent for information. In the upper right corner, Brzezinski wrote: “WO: Status? ZB.”↩