Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XXVI, Arms Control and Nonproliferation

10. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Slocombe) to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)¹

Washington, September 22, 1977

SUBJECT

• ASAT

Dave—

Normally, I’d pass this through Bob Rosenberg, but he’s out today:

As you know, Secretary Brown would prefer to have an NSC meeting prior to final decision on the ASAT issue. I believe the principal point he would want to have discussed at such a meeting is the verifiability of comprehensive ASAT prohibitions, taking into account the scale of violation necessary to have a significant military capability, etc. Our suggestion to include in the PD a sentence saying in effect that there would be a review of verification problems before the idea of a comprehensive ban was broached with the Soviets in any detail was to provide a mechanism for appropriate high-level consideration of the issue without pressing for a meeting now. If you feel that such language can’t be included in the PD, I think I should advise him and give him a chance to seek an NSC meeting, or talk to you, Zbig or the President.

Walter Slocombe
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
International Security Affairs

1. Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Harold Brown Papers, Box 82, ASAT Arms Control. Top Secret. The salutation is handwritten.