110. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)1
MEMORANDUM FOR
- The Secretary of State
- The Secretary of Defense
- The Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
ALSO
- The Chairman, Joint Cheifs of Staff
- The Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT
- Indian Ocean: Next Steps
The President has discussed with Mr. Warnke the results of the initial Indian Ocean talks in Moscow, June 22–27.2 The President expressed his satisfaction with the seriousness shown by the Soviets and his encouragement at the prospect for further progress on arms control arrangements in this area.
The President has directed that the SCC proceed to develop a proposal on Indian Ocean arms control which can be presented to the Soviets in September. The Indian Ocean working group, under the chairmanship of the Department of State, should prepare a discussion paper outlining alternative proposals which the United States could table in September. This paper should concisely identify in each case the elements of a U.S. presentation to the Soviets, consider the likely Soviet response, and discuss fully the potential risks and benefits of each approach in terms of its ramifications for U.S. political and security interests.
The paper should be available for the NSC Staff for distribution no later than August 1 for an SCC meeting tentatively scheduled for August 4, 1977.3
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Subject File, Box 23, Indian Ocean: 1–12/77. Secret.↩
- See Documents 108 and 109.↩
- The SCC met on August 24 to discuss Indian Ocean arms control. See Document 111.↩