255. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Tarnoff) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)1

SUBJECT

  • Airlift Support for the British in Rhodesia

The British Government has formally requested US airlift support to return a number of Puma helicopters from Salisbury, Rhodesia, to the UK early in March, after the February 27–29 pre-independence elections. The request is for two C–5A sorties. These helicopters were among the cease-fire monitoring materiel which we and the British [Page 735] airlifted to Rhodesia in December under an arrangement authorized by the President.2

In keeping with our policy of support for the British effort to resolve the Rhodesian problem, the Department of State recommends that the President approve the requested airlift support on a reimbursable basis in coordination with the United Kingdom. Also, since it is still unclear what the security situation in Rhodesia will be at that time, we recommend that our participation in the airlift be contingent on a stable security situation in which there will be no danger of harm to either the crew or the aircraft participating in the airlift.3

Peter Tarnoff
  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 89, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia): 1/80–1/81. Confidential.
  2. See Document 247.
  3. In a February 27 memorandum to Vance and Brown, Brzezinski wrote: “The President has directed that we provide requested airlift support to the United Kingdom, on a reimbursable basis, to return a number of Puma helicopters and associated material used in the Rhodesian cease-fire operation from Salisbury to the United Kingdom following the scheduled election process, contingent upon a stable security situation which precludes damage to participating USAF crews and aircraft.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 89, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia): 1/80–1/81)