314. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to Secretary of State Vance and Secretary of Defense Brown 1
The President has decided the United States should adopt the following position regarding the recent developments in South Africa.
1. The United States is prepared to support or take the initiative with regard to a UN Security Council Resolution which would, under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, require termination of the sale or transfer of military items to South Africa.2 The Chapter 7 finding should be based on the situation created by the importation of arms into South Africa in view of the recent action of that government. In support of this resolution, the United States would be prepared to terminate the sale of all items destined for use by the South African military or police. This would include all so-called “grey area” items.
2. The United States should be prepared to support a UN Resolution which calls upon all states to review their economic relations with South Africa and to consult regarding their future economic relationship with South Africa.
3. The United States should seek to have such resolutions limited to a six month period renewable upon further action by the Security Council.
[Page 952]4. In connection with these steps, the United States shall recall its Naval Attache from Pretoria and immediately summon home the Commercial Officer for consultations.3 Ambassador Bowdler should plan to stay in the United States for the next week at the minimum.
5. The United States should immediately undertake a review of its commercial and economic relations with South Africa. In this connection, the Department of Commerce should plan to meet with leading American business organizations active in South Africa to discuss the future economic relationship and the situation in South Africa. This meeting should take place only after NSC approval.
6. [1 paragraph (5 lines) not declassified]
7. Congressional leaders should be kept fully informed of the actions we are prepared to take consistent with protecting our negotiating position in the Security Council. In this connection, the Executive Branch should welcome, without specific endorsement, a Congressional resolution which supports our position.
8. Closest consultations should be maintained with our allies, particularly the British.
9. If the question of U.S. nuclear cooperation with South Africa should arise in the course of discussions at the United Nations, Ambassador Young is authorized to inform the delegations privately that the U.S. position is that there will be no consideration of further nuclear fuel supplies until such time as the South African Government has agreed to adhere to adequate full scope international safeguards.
The attitude to be adopted by the United States should reflect the Vice President’s presentation to Prime Minister Vorster in Vienna. We should stress that we are undertaking these actions regretfully, that we had hoped South Africa would begin to embark on a positive course to open a dialogue with all of its citizens and that we had made clear we would welcome such a development. However, we also explained to South Africa that our relationship would suffer without such positive steps, and in the light of recent actions which move South Africa backward in this regard, we are compelled to take action. It is still our hope nonetheless the South African Government will in time reverse its recent actions and general course so as to make it possible for our relationship to improve.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files, Box 66, PRC 041, 2/11/77, Southern Africa. Secret. Also sent to Blumenthal, Kreps, Young, and General Brown.↩
- UNSC Resolution 418 (1977), adopted unanimously on November 4, imposed a mandatory arms embargo against South Africa. For text of the resolution, see Yearbook of the United Nations, 1977, pp. 161–162.↩
- See Document 316.↩
- Aaron signed for Brzezinski above Brzezinski’s typed signature.↩