Office of the Historian

291. Presidential Review Memorandum/NSC–141

Washington, January 26, 1977

TO

  • The Vice President
  • The Secretary of State
  • The Secretary of Defense

ALSO

  • The Secretary of the Treasury
  • The United States Representative to the United Nations
  • The Director, Office of Management and Budget
  • The Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • The Director of Central Intelligence

SUBJECT

  • Philippine Base Negotiations (U)

The President has directed that the Policy Review Committee, under the chairmanship of the Department of Defense, review our policy with respect to the Philippine base negotiations. The review should be completed by March 7, 19772 and should:

1. Review briefly the record and current status of the negotiations.

2. Identify U.S. interests at stake in the base negotiations and, in particular, analyze the utility of U.S. facilities in the Philippines in terms of their importance to U.S.-Philippine security relations and our broader regional and global interests, including an indication of alternative means of performing major functions, and the possible impact of relinquishing certain facilities upon our position in the Pacific, Indian Ocean, and elsewhere.

3. Analyze GOP strategy and objectives in future base negotiations in the light of the Philippine internal situation and prospects, and its evolving foreign policy orientation; and assess probable impact on our flexibility in exercising base rights.

4. Examine alternative courses of action for dealing with the following issues:

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(a) Future level of U.S. forces and base requirements in the Philippines, including the option of terminating the agreement and relinquishing our bases;

(b) The scope of the mutual defense relationship;

(c) Financial compensation to the Philippines for continued base access rights;

(d) Major base rights issues, e.g. operational control, privileges and immunities, tenure, etc.; and

(e) Timing and approach to the resumption of negotiation.

Zbigniew Brzezinski
  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files, 1977–1980, Box 2, PRM/NSC 1–24 [1]. Secret.↩
  2. See Document 293.↩