Saudi Arabia


173. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron) to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 67, Saudi Arabia: 1–5/78. Secret. Sent for information. Carter wrote in the margin in the upper right-hand corner of the first page of the memorandum: “I’m not sure how much I want to push the Saudis to increase oil production. J.”


174. Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

[Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Support Services (DI), Job 80T00634A, Production Case Files (1978), Box 13, Folder 63, [folder title not declassified]. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]. 4 pages not declassified.]


175. Memorandum From Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 67, Saudi Arabia: 6–12/78. Secret. Sent for information. Inderfurth initialed the memorandum. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads: “ZB has seen.”


176. Report Prepared by the Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (West)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 67, Saudi Arabia: 6–12/78. Secret. West sent the report to Carter under a two-page handwritten letter dated December 31. In the letter, West praised Carter for his 1978 accomplishments and noted that the attached analysis “is not supposed to be an all-out comprehensive analysis, but a more or less personal appraisal of what I consider to be key points in our relationship.” (Ibid.)


177. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P850027–2567. Secret; Immediate; Exdis Distribute as Nodis. Sent for information Immediate to CHUSMTM Dhahran, USMTM/DCR Riyadh, USLO Riyadh, and Dhahran.


178. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P850027–2437. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by Saunders; cleared by Quandt and Richard Castrodale (S/S–O) and in draft by Secretary Brown; approved by Newsom. Sent for information Immediate to the White House.


179. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790034–1176. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Sent for information to Dhahran, USLO Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Amman, Damascus, Doha, Khartoum, Kuwait, Manama, Muscat, Moscow, London, Paris, Tel Aviv, USINT Baghdad, Department of Defense, and Sana.


180. Summary of Conclusions of a Presidential Review Committee Meeting

Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files, Box 72, PRC 088, 1/23/79, Saudi Arabia and Southwest Asia. Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. The minutes are not attached and were not found. Brzezinski sent the Summary of Conclusions to Carter under a January 29 memorandum, requesting that he approve it. Carter initialed the memorandum. (Ibid.)


181. Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Office of Research and Analysis for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, Program Files for Soviet Middle East materials 1960–1982, Lot 90D113, Box 6, Finished Intelligence. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]. Prepared in the Middle East Division of the Office of Political and Regional Analysis of the National Foreign Assessment Center.


182. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790047–0249. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis.


183. Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 67, Saudi Arabia: 1–3/79. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]. Prepared in the Middle East Division, Office of Regional and Political Analysis of the National Foreign Assessment Center. Carter wrote in the upper right-hand corner of the first page of the memorandum: “Cy—info JC.” Brzezinski sent a copy of the memorandum to Vance under a February 5 memorandum, in which he indicated that Carter wanted Vance to see the memorandum. Inderfurth signed the February 5 memorandum for Brzezinski. (Ibid.) Attached to another copy of the intelligence memorandum is a February 2 memorandum to Carter from Turner, in which Turner noted: “Attached is a thoughtful memorandum on the attitudes of Saudi leaders towards the United States which I think will be of interest to you at this time.” (Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 81M00919R, Executive Registry Subject Files (1977–1979), Box 14, Folder 22, C–382, Saudi Arabia)


184. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia and the United States Liaison Office in Riyadh

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P850027–2444. Secret; Niact Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by Bodine; cleared by William H. Marsh (T), Kreisberg, O’Donohue, Murray, Sick, and Leo R. Wollemborg (S/S–O) and in substance by John D. Forbes (P); approved by Saunders. Sent for information Immediate to Dhahran, the White House, Department of Defense, CHUSMTM Dhahran, and USMTM Riyadh.


185. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P850027–2604. Secret; Immediate; Nodis.


186. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790090–0851. Secret. Sent for information to the Department of Defense, Amman, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Kuwait, Manama, Sana, and Tel Aviv.


187. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

Source: National Security Council, Carter Administration Intelligence Files, Box I020, Minutes-SCC 1979. Secret. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. The minutes are not attached and were not found. Dodson sent the Summary of Conclusions to Mondale, Vance, Brown, Jones, and Turner under a March 19 memorandum signed by Carolyn Cleveland (NSC).


188. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Donated Material, Subject File, Box 33, Memcons: Brzezinski, 3–6/79. Secret. The meeting took place in Prince Saud’s office in Riyadh. Sick sent the memorandum of conversation to Brzezinski under a March 28 memorandum requesting Brzezinski’s approval. Brzezinski neither approved nor disapproved the request. (Ibid.) Brzezinski, Christopher, and Jones visited Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan during their trip. For Carter’s instructions for the mission to Saudi Arabia and Jordan, see Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, vol. IX, Arab-Israeli Dispute, August 1978–December 1980, footnote 2, Document 215.


189. Draft Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

[Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Support Services (DI), Job 82T00150R, Production Case Files (1979–1981), Box 6, Folder 141, [folder title not declassified]. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]. 14 pages not declassified.]


190. Summary of Conclusions of a Presidential Review Committee Meeting

Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files, Box 74, PRC 102, 4/27/79, Saudi Arabia. Secret. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. The minutes are not attached and were not found. Brzezinski sent the Summary of Conclusions to Carter under a May 1 memorandum recommending that Carter approve it. Carter approved and wrote in the margin: “Zbig—Enumerate for me items of leverage we might exert on S[audi] A[rabia]. J.” The President added: “p.s. Supplication is fruitless.” Tarnoff forwarded two undated Department of State background papers prepared for this meeting, covering a range of U.S.-Saudi issues, to Brzezinski under an April 25 memorandum. These papers are in the National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P790064–1310. A portion of the paper on oil and other economic issues is printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. XXXVII, Energy Crisis, 1974–1980, Document 202.


191. Memorandum From William Quandt and Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 67, Saudi Arabia: 4–7/79. Secret. Sent for information. Brzezinski wrote the following note in the upper right-hand corner of the memorandum: “DA please give me your comment. This is troublesome. ZB.” Attached but not printed is a handwritten note to Quandt from Brzezinski that reads: “Bill Q, We need to have a better strategy than this. How can we press them? E.g. on F–5s? ZB.” Quandt added a note to Sick: “GS—any need to develop this further? BQ.”


192. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 81B00112R, Subject Files, Box 16, Folder 34, (SCC) Middle East. Secret. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. Brzezinski initialed the Summary of Conclusions on the last page. Dodson sent it under a May 14 memorandum to Mondale, Vance, Brown, Schlesinger, Seignious, Jones, and Turner. The minutes of this meeting are printed as Document 23.


193. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790255–0376. Secret; Niact Immediate. Sent for information to the Department of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, USCINCEUR Vaihingen, Dhahran, USLO Riyadh, CHUSMTM Dhahran, CHUSEOPE Riyadh, DCR Riyadh, DIVENGER Riyadh, PM SANG Riyadh, CDR DARCOM Alexandria VA, and Chief US Army Engineers.


194. Memorandum From Secretary of the Treasury Blumenthal to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files, Box 74, PRC 102, 4/27/79, Saudi Arabia. Secret.


195. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Brown to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 67, Saudi Arabia: 4–7/79. Secret. A notation in an unknown hand reads: “To GS for file. No further action necessary.”


196. Report Prepared by the Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (West)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 67, Saudi Arabia: 4–7/79. Confidential. Carter initialed the first page of the report, indicating that he saw it. West sent the report to Carter under a 2-page handwritten letter dated July 22. In it, he commended the President on his recent personnel moves and noted Robert Strauss’s trip to Saudi Arabia. Brzezinski forwarded both the letter and the report to Carter under an August 10 memorandum, noting: “The summary on the first page of the assessment provides a good synopsis of the contents.” (Ibid.) Strauss made his first trip to the Middle East July 1–7, during which he met with Fahd in Riyadh. See Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, vol. IX, Arab-Israeli Dispute, August 1978–December 1980, Document 271.


197. Memorandum From Gary Sick and Robert Hunter of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 67, Saudi Arabia: 8–11/79. Secret. Sent for information. Hunter initialed for Sick. In the upper right-hand corner of the first page of the memorandum, Brzezinski wrote: “push this—maybe PRC? ZB.”


198. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Brown to Secretary of State Vance and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 67, Saudi Arabia: 8–11/79. Secret. Brzezinski wrote Kimmitt’s and Sick’s initials in the upper right hand corner of the memorandum and drew an arrow pointing to the initials.


199. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 67, Saudi Arabia: 8–11/79. Confidential. Brzezinski sent Vance’s memorandum to Carter under a November 6 memorandum, in which he outlined the F–5 munitions package and recommended that Carter approve Vance’s recommendation to authorize “notification to Congress of a $120 million F–5 air munitions package for Saudi Arabia.” Carter initialed the November 6 memorandum. (Ibid.)


200. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Brown to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 67, Saudi Arabia: 8–11/79. Secret. Brzezinski’s November 15 covering memorandum transmitted Brown’s memorandum and requested Carter’s approval of the full complement of Mavericks and LGBs. In a November 13 memorandum to Brzezinski, sent through Albright, Sick and Kimmitt recommended that Brzezinski “support the Brown reclama.” Aaron added the following handwritten notation on Sick and Kimmitt’s memorandum: “ZB—Do you want to add that this is a particularly good time to get this issue resolved in a way most reassuring to the Saudis who are nervous about the Iran situation in general and the asset freeze in particular. DA.” A handwritten notation indicates that Brzezinski’s November 15 memorandum to Carter was retyped to include Aaron’s suggested language. (Ibid.)


201. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State and Multiple Diplomatic and Consular Posts

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790536–0257. Secret; Niact Immediate; Exdis. Sent Niact Immediate to Dhahran and USLO Riyadh. Sent Immediate to Amman, Abu Dhabi, USINT Baghdad, Muscat, Damascus, Doha, Kuwait, Manama, Sana, Cairo, and London.


202. Memorandum From Robert Hunter and Gary Sick of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Chron File, Box 142, Sick: 11/16–30/79. Secret; Sensitive. Outside the System.