455. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter1
SUBJECT
- IMET for El Salvador (U)
As per your instructions,2 we are continuing US economic aid to El Salvador, but we are holding up the following new military commitments: helicopters; MTTs to go into El Salvador to train helicopter teams, PSYOPs, etc.; and the FY 81 FMS agreement. The pipeline (FY 80 FMS) military equipment (communications and transportation equipment) is going forward. A question has arisen about whether to [Page 1170] allow Salvadoran officers to begin training courses planned for early January (in Panama and the US). Specifically, the courses are for 9 Navy, 60 Army, and 18 Air Force officers in Panama, and 1 Navy and 1 Air Force officer in the US. These people have been taken out of assignment and are waiting to begin the courses. The courses for the Army officers were specially designed by us to get them to address the human rights and code of conduct problem. DOD and our mission feel they have been helpful in that regard. (S)
Secretary Muskie believes we should not go ahead with these courses until the rightist military officers are transferred as the military has promised. In effect, this condition would cancel the courses since the earliest we expect anyone to be transferred is December 31, and the officers will need to have orders to leave by then. Harold Brown thinks we ought to go ahead with these courses, especially since we designed them and have been encouraging the Salvadorans to send their military officers. Our suspension of the big items—helicopters, MTTs, and the FY 81 agreement—are the principal sources of leverage. Cutting the courses is only a gratuitous irritant. I agree with Harold. To cancel these courses is to tell all the military that we really don’t want any relationship at all at a moment when we need to keep pressing them to improve their performance. I think it’s fair to view these courses as the training equivalent of the pipeline equipment, which is continuing. (S)
RECOMMENDATION
That the training courses for Salvadoran officers in Panama and the US for January be permitted to go forward.3 (S)
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor Files, Country Files, Box 22, El Salvador: 12/20–31/80. Secret. Sent for action. Carter wrote at the top of the page: “Zbig—Let State make any announcements so that limits re military are made clear. J.” An unknown hand wrote on an another copy of the memorandum: “LDXed to President at Camp David 12/26/80.” (Ibid.)↩
- See Document 453.↩
- Carter indicated his approval.↩