Office of the Historian

Sources

Sources for Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, Volume XVII, Part 3, North Africa

The Carter Presidential Library is the best source of high-level decisionmaking documentation on U.S. policy toward North Africa during the Carter administration. The National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East Subject File is a particularly rich source of documentation on the individual countries in the Maghreb and the administration’s policy toward North Africa in general. The Staff Material, Middle East Trips/Visits File provides documentation on congressional involvement in the region. Comprehensive documentation of bilateral and regional issues is also in the National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, especially the Country File, Country Chron File, President’s Correspondence with Foreign Leaders File, and the Subject File, which contains memoranda of conversation and the State Department Evening Reports. The National Security Council, Institutional Files contain documents crucial to understanding the policy and decisionmaking process with regard to Libya, Western Sahara and Morocco.

The National Archives and Records Administration facility in College Park, Maryland (Archives II), houses a variety of Department of State records. The Central Foreign Policy File is an invaluable resource for cables, providing a comprehensive record of day-to-day diplomatic activities and exchanges between the Department of State and diplomatic posts. Additionally, summaries of visits by congressional delegations, officials of other agencies and departments, as well as private citizens can be found here. Department of State Lot Files, particularly the records of Cyrus R. Vance, are another rich source of documentation on the development and implementation of Department policy.

The volume includes several Central Intelligence Agency documents. Files in the Office of Support Services, Directorate of Intelligence, Jobs 80T00071A, 82T00267R, 85T00287, and 82T00466R were useful.

In addition to the paper files cited below, a growing number of documents are available on the Internet. The Office of the Historian maintains a list of these Internet resources on its website and encourages readers to consult that site on a regular basis.

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Unpublished Sources

  • Department of State
    • Office of the Secretariat Staff
      • Lot 84D241, Cyrus R. Vance, Secretary of State—1977–1980
  • National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland
    • Central Foreign Policy File
  • Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, Atlanta, Georgia
    • National Security Affairs
      • Brzezinski Material
        • Country File
        • Country Chron File
        • President’s Correspondence with Foreign Leaders File
        • Subject File
      • Staff Material
        • Middle East File
        • Office, Unfiled File
    • National Security Council
      • Institutional File
  • Central Intelligence Agency
    • History Staff Files
    • Office of Support Services, Directorate of Intelligence
      • Job 80T00071A: Production Case Files (1976–1979)
      • Job 82T00267R: Production Case Files
      • Job 82T00466R: Intelligence Publications Files (1980)
      • Job 85T00287R: Production Case Files

Published Sources

  • Keesing’s Contemporary Archives. London, Keesing’s Publications Limited.
  • National Archives and Records Administration. Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Richard M. Nixon, 1969–1973. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1971–1975.
  • ____. Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Jimmy Carter, 1977–1981. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1978–1982
  • United Nations. Yearbook of the United Nations. New York: Office of Public Information, 1977–1980.
  • U.S. Department of State. Bulletin. Washington: 1970–1977.