273. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting1
SUBJECT
- Iran and Afghanistan
PARTICIPANTS
-
State
- Warren Christopher
- David Newsom
- Peter Constable
-
OSD
- W. Graham Claytor, Jr.
- Frank Kramer
-
JCS
- Lt. General John Pustay
-
Justice
- John Harmon
- Judge Charles Renfrew
-
Treasury
- Robert Carswell
- Robert Mundheim
-
CIA
- Admiral Stansfield Turner
- [name not declassified]
- Charles Cogan
-
ICA
- Robert T. Curran
-
White House
- Zbigniew Brzezinski
- Hedley Donovan
-
Office of the Vice President
- Denis Clift
-
NSC
- Gary Sick
- Marshall Brement
- Thomas Thornton
- Alfred Friendly
SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS
[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to Afghanistan.]
5. Public Information on Afghanistan. The Public Information Committee, which is responsible for insuring public awareness of Soviet activities in Afghanistan, presented a report on its activities and some recommendations. It has had more success recently in attracting media coverage. Nine recommendations were considered by the SCC, as follows:
—Strengthening the USG presence in Peshawar, having ICA send back an officer who, while technically charged with running the Cul [Page 732] tural Center, will be highly competent in helping newsmen obtain stories on Afghanistan and develop their own news networks inside and outside that country. (Approved)
—Systematically encourage editors at home offices in Europe and the U.S. to send reporters to tap the real resources available among the refugees in Peshawar. (Approved)
—White House and State Department spokesmen should repeatedly indict the Afghan Government and their Soviet mentors for refusal to allow in Western reporters. (Approved)
—Instruct Embassies Delhi and Islamabad to give regular background briefings to large U.S. and foreign press corps on Afghanistan, and to locate any local films and still pictures which can be channelled to European and U.S. TV. (Approved)
—CIA to organize having pictures taken on the ground in Afghanistan that can be circulated to the world media through refugee organizations in Peshawar. (Approved)
—The President, Vice President, and Secretary of State include statements on Soviet actions in Afghanistan in public statements (Secretary Muskie’s press conference May 20 offers a good opportunity). (Approved)2
—Immediate funding for six new positions for VOA so that within 90 days one-half hour in Dari language can be broadcast each day to Afghanistan. (This will be examined with OMB at a separate meeting tomorrow.)
—Encourage members of Congress and their staffs to make statements, and supply them with same background materials provided the press. (The Congressional Liaison staffs of State, NSC and CIA will cooperate in briefing the Hill.)
—Encourage the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees to hold hearings on Soviet actions in Afghanistan. (The SCC disapproved this recommendation on the grounds that hearings are too uncontrollable and would probably focus on U.S. clandestine activities rather than Soviet activities.) (S)
_______ Concur with SCC recommendations as indicated above.3
_______ Other
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Office File, Meetings File, Box 21, SCC Meeting #313, Held 5/15/80, 5/80. Secret. Presumably the Summary of Conclusions was filed in an incorrect folder or the folder was labeled with an incorrect date. Carter wrote: “Zbig” and initialed “J” in the upper right corner. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room.↩
- In his May 20 press conference, Muskie said that Gromyko provided no indication of a Soviet military withdrawal from Afghanistan during their meeting in Vienna, May 16. (John K. Cooley, “Muskie Targets Giscard, too,” Christian Science Monitor, May 21, 1980, p. 2) For the full press conference, see the Department of State Bulletin, June 1980, p. A.↩
- Carter checked this option.↩