Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XII, Afghanistan

299. Telegram From the Department of State to Secretary of State Muskie’s Aircraft¹

Washington, July 9, 1980, 2350Z

180876/Tosec 50009. Subject: Response to Gromyko’s June 27 Letter. For the Secretary From Warren Christopher.

1. (S—Entire text)

2. Below is a revision of the draft which I forwarded to you over the weekend. The paragraph in brackets has been added to take into account suggestions made by Zbig in his memo to the President on Gromyko’s June 27 letter. The revised text has been cleared by Marshall Brement.²

3. Begin text. Dear Mr. Minister:

In the interest of continuing our exchange on Afghanistan and U.S.-Soviet relations, I would like to comment on your letter of June 27.

We have carefully considered the implications of your announcement of the withdrawal of some Soviet military units from Afghanistan. Your letter indicates that there has been a reduction of the overall number of Soviet troops in Afghanistan, although neither your public announcement nor our own analysis indicate that this is necessarily the case. We will carefully watch for evidence of such a reduction.

As the Venice Summit communiqué makes clear, the U.S. and the other Summit participants would regard such withdrawals as a useful contribution to the solution of the Afghan crisis if they are permanent and continue until there is a complete withdrawal of the Soviet troops.³ We would welcome as a significant step an indication of your intention to undertake a process leading to complete withdrawal and a political settlement.

We recognize that the Soviet Union has legitimate interest in the security of its borders and in friendly relations with Afghanistan. In our view, an independent and non-aligned Afghan Government prepared to maintain friendly relations with all its neighbors would be consistent with Soviet interests. Such a government would have to be acceptable to the Afghan people, for otherwise there can be no restoration of peace and tranquility in Afghanistan. Any legitimate concern you may have regarding outside interference in Afghanistan could be met by mutual and reciprocal guarantees of non-intervention and non-interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan by all concerned parties.

Begin brackets. We have taken note of the Soviet position on a political settlement as set forth in your letter. In our view, that formulation leaves a number of important questions unanswered. For example, it offers no indication of what the Soviet Union would regard as satisfactory assurances of nonintervention, and it does not indicate whether and when all Soviet forces would withdraw if such assurances were provided. In addition, it does not address the problem created by the resistance of the Afghan people to the policies of the present regime. End brackets.⁴

I would like to reiterate our strong interest in an improvement in U.S.-Soviet relations based on reciprocity and mutual restraint. The key to an improvement in this relationship remains a political solution to the Afghan crisis which I believe can be achieved with the complete withdrawal of Soviet troops, pursuant to appropriate transitional arrangements. If you are prepared to discuss such a solution seriously, you will find us fully and immediately cooperative. Sincerely, Edmund S. Muskie. End text.

4. I am assuming that if the text is approved, you will hand it over to Dobrynin next Monday.⁵

Regards.

Christopher

1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Europe, USSR and East/West, Brement, Subject File, Box 46, Afghanistan: 7–12/80. Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Cherokee. Printed from a copy that was received in the White House Situation Room.
2. The revisions Brzezinski made were not found. For Gromyko’s letter, see Document 293.
3. See footnote 2, Document 281.
4. This paragraph was not included in the final text.
5. In telegram 185645 to London and other posts, July 14, the Department stated that the letter was handed to Dobrynin that day. The talking points included in the telegram indicate that the letter did not undergo subsequent revisions. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D800339–0177)