Office of the Historian

68. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter1

Washington, September 4, 1979

SUBJECT

  • Cuba Report

I enclose a statement which I might make tomorrow,2 as a commentary on Castro’s speech.3 Alternatively, Vance has a press conference scheduled for tomorrow and he could make such a statement; and you might wish at some point to top all of this with some general observations.4

Subject to your direction, we will proceed as indicated, though Cy has strong reservations about going public. I will bring this matter up at the PRC this afternoon, and report to you tomorrow morning.

I also attach a top secret background paper from the CIA, containing a basic summary of Castro’s dependence on the Soviet Union.5

  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 15, Cuba, Soviet Brigade, 10/2/79–5/80. Confidential. At the top of the page, the President wrote, “Zbig—I’ve talked to Cy. His press conference Wed. will be great.”↩
  2. Not attached. Brzezinski added the following handwritten footnote here, “or even later today.”↩
  3. In Castro’s speech at the opening of the NAM Summit on September 3, he attacked the United States and reaffirmed Cuba’s loyalty to the Soviet Union. (Telegram 8072 from Havana, September 3; National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790402–0857)↩
  4. In his September 5 press conference, Vance stressed that the Soviet military presence in Cuba “runs counter to long-held American policies,” and that the “status quo” was not acceptable. He also maintained, however, that the Soviet unit lacked the airlift and sealift accompaniment to give it the “assault capability” it would need to attack the United States. (Department of State Bulletin, October 1979, p. 14) President Carter’s September 7 remarks to reporters reiterated Vance’s language, stressing “we consider the presence of a Soviet combat brigade in Cuba to be a very serious matter and that this status quo is not acceptable,” while also emphasizing, “It [the brigade] is not an assault force. It does not have airlift or sea-going capabilities and does not have weapons capable of attacking the United States.” (Public Papers: Carter, 1979, Book II, pp. 1602–1603) Brzezinski, in his September 7 statement, remarked that “Castro is a puppet of the Soviet Union and we view him as such,” adding, “Militarily, Cuba is entirely dependent on the Soviet Union.” (Martin Schram, “President Pledges ‛Firm Diplomacy’ Talks Planned on Soviet Unit,” The Washington Post, September 8, p. A1)↩
  5. Not attached. At the bottom of the page, Carter wrote, “Zbig, Tone down any anti-Soviet rhetoric & emphasize Cuban aspect, as underlined & on my memo—J.”↩