312. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to Secretary of State Vance and Secretary of Defense Brown1
SUBJECT
- Cooperation with South Africa in Ocean Surveillance
The President has reviewed the respective positions of the Departments of State2 and Defense3 with regard to granting licenses for export of ocean surveillance equipment to South Africa and has disapproved granting further licenses. The President believes that a further expansion of intelligence sharing arrangements with the South African Government at this time is inconsistent with our interests and objectives in southern Africa. The potential value of the information that would be obtained from the surveillance system would be more than outweighed by the certain damage to United States interests that would follow from public knowledge of a new intelligence sharing arrangement with South Africa.
The Government of South Africa should be informed of this decision at an appropriate level and advised that the decision was taken subsequent to the recent repressive measures.4
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 70, South Africa: 10/77. Top Secret; Sensitive. Also sent to Turner.↩
- See Document 279.↩
- See Document 280.↩
- See Document 322.↩