Soviet Union, January 1981–January 1983
91. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Reagan Library, Clark Files, Haig/Gromyko Meetings 9/23/81 and 9/28/81. Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place at the Soviet Mission to the United Nations.
92. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting
Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: NSC Meeting File: Records, 1981–88, NSC 00022 13 Oct 81. Top Secret. According to the President’s Daily Diary, the meeting was held in the Cabinet Room. (Reagan Library, President’s Daily Diary)
93. Letter From Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev to President Reagan
Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: Head of State File, USSR: General Secretary Brezhnev (8106115). Secret. A typewritten note at the top reads: “Unofficial translation.” In a covering memorandum to Reagan, October 16, Haig wrote: “Ambassador Dobrynin delivered the attached letter from Leonid Brezhnev to me tonight. The letter is in response to your letter to him of 22 September. We are studying the letter now and will have a considered analysis of it for you.” Allen forwarded both Haig’s memorandum and Brezhnev’s letter under a separate covering memorandum to Reagan, October 17, who wrote in the margin: “Do you suppose he really believes all that crud—or did he even write it? RR.”
94. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting
Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: Meeting File: Records, 1981–88 NSC 00023 16 Oct 81 (2/3). Secret. The meeting took place in the Cabinet Room at the White House. All blank underscores and without text are omissions in the original.
95. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Haig Papers, Department of State, Day File, Box 56, October 16, 1981. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Bremer. An unknown hand circled the date and wrote next to it: “Day & Gromyko meet file.”
96. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State
Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: Country File, USSR (10/21/1981–10/27/1981). Confidential; Immediate; Nodis; Sensitive.
97. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S-I Records: Haig and Shultz Memcons, Lot 87D327, SEC/Memcons, October 1981. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Pendleton on October 28; cleared by Niles, Goldberg, and McManaway. The meeting took place in the Secretary’s Conference Room at the Department of State.
98. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Casey to President Reagan
Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: Country File: USSR 10/29/1981 (2). Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]. Also sent to Bush, Haig, Weinberger, Meese, Baker, Deaver, and Allen.
99. Memorandum From Secretary of State Haig to President Reagan
Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: Country File, USSR (11/03/1981–11/05/1981). Secret. The President’s Daily Diary indicates that the National Security Planning Group met on November 5 from 4:08 to 5:45 p.m. (Reagan Library, President’s Daily Diary) No minutes were found. Reagan wrote in his diary: “A long afternoon N.S.C. meeting. We plan to talk to the world via T.V. just prior to Brezhnev’s visit to Germany to announce that in the I.N.F. arms limit talks we’ll ask for total elimination of Theatre Nuclear weapons in Europe.” (Brinkley, ed., The Reagan Diaries, vol. I, p. 81)
100. Memorandum From Secretary of State Haig to President Reagan
Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: Country File, USSR (11/6/1981–11/6/1981). Secret.
101. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Haig Papers, Department of State, Day File, Box 58, November 11, 1981. Secret; Sensitive. An unknown hand wrote in the upper right-hand corner: “Day & Cuba.”
102. Special National Intelligence Estimate
Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: Country File, USSR (11/21/1981–11/28/1981). Secret. Issued by the Director of Central Intelligence. Concurred with by the National Foreign Intelligence Board. The CIA, DIA, NSA, the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State and the Treasury, the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence of the Department of the Army, the Director of Naval Intelligence of the Department of the Navy, the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence of the Department of the Air Force, and the Director of Intelligence of the Marine Corps participated in the preparation of the Estimate. Casey sent the SNIE to the President under cover of a November 21 letter stating: “Knowing your interest in the ability of the Soviet economy to stand up under the massive military burden it is carrying, I thought you might like to read, as you fly west, this Estimate on ‛Dependence of Soviet Military Power on Economic Relations With the West.’” An unknown hand crossed out “as you fly west.” Allen forwarded the SNIE to the President under cover of a November 21 memorandum stating: “Attached is the Special National Intelligence Estimate which I mentioned in today’s Daily Report. It is an extremely important assessment of the Soviet economy and its ability to support its massive military build-up. I commend it to your attention.” In the upper right-hand corner of Allen’s memorandum, Reagan wrote: “RR.”
103. Letter From President Reagan to Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev
Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: Head of State File, USSR: General Secretary Brezhnev (8106607). No classification marking. Allen sent a draft of the letter, based on a draft by State, to Reagan under cover of a November 16 memorandum. The President substantially redrafted the letter with numerous corrections, additions, and subtractions (including striking a reference to Sakharov and Shcharanskiy), and wrote on Allen’s covering memorandum: “Dick—I felt it should be shortened so forgive my slashing. Also I tried to give it something of the tone of my 1st letter. Ron.”
104. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Department of State, Lot 90D397, Ambassador Nitze’s Personal Files 1953, 1972–1989, November 1981. Secret. Nitze signed the memorandum and forwarded copies to Eagleburger and Rostow under cover of a November 20 memorandum. (Ibid.)
105. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Allen) to President Reagan
Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: Country File, USSR (11/18/81–11/19/81). Secret. Sent for information. Copied to Bush, Meese, Baker, and Deaver. Reagan wrote “RR” in the upper right-hand corner. A stamped note reads: “The President has seen 11/19/81.”
106. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Eagleburger) to Secretary of State Haig
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Haig Papers, Department of State, Day File, Box 59, November 24, 1981. Confidential; Sensitive. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads: “AMH.”
107. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union
Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, N810009–0428. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Sent Immediate for information to Bonn and Madrid. Drafted by Simons; approved by Stoessel and Scanlan.
108. Letter From Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev to President Reagan
Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: Head of State File, USSR: General Secretary Brezhnev (8190038, 8190057). Secret. A typewritten note at the top of the letter reads: “Unofficial translation.” Bremer forwarded the letter to Nance under cover of a December 2 memorandum, in which he wrote: “Ambassador Dobrynin delivered to Ambassador Stoessel the attached letter from President Brezhnev to President Reagan this morning. (The attachment is the Soviets’ translation which we are checking against the original Russian.)” (Ibid.)
109. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (Nance) to President Reagan
Source: Reagan Library, Pipes Files, CHRON 06/28/1982–06/30/1982. Secret; Sensitive. Sent for information. Copied to Bush, Meese, Baker, and Deaver. Reagan initialed the memorandum in the upper right-hand corner. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “The President has seen 12/3/81.” Pipes attached this memorandum, along with its two attachments, to a June 30, 1982, memorandum to Clark. (Ibid.)
111. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union
Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, [no film number]. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Sent Immediate for information to Madrid for US Delegation to CSCE. Sent for information to the Secretary of State’s Delegation. Drafted by Schumaker (EUR/SOV/SOBI); cleared by Simons, Scanlan, and McManaway; approved by Stoessel. Haig was in St. Lucia December 2–4 for a meeting of the OAS General Assembly.
112. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Nance) to President Reagan
Source: Reagan Library, Matlock Files, Dissidents (6/23). No classification marking. Sent for action. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “The President has seen 12/4/81.” Reagan wrote at the top of the memorandum: “Isn’t this action by the Soviets in direct violation of the Helsinki pact? RR.” In a December 9 memorandum to Reagan, Nance replied that “it certainly violates their intent. Basket II, Section I, Sub-paragraph B of the Helsinki Final Act states: ‛Participating states will deal in a positive and humanitarian spirit with the applications of persons who wish to be reunited with members of their family.’ The Soviet Government could argue that Miss Alekseeva, having married Mr. Semionov by proxy in the United States, is by Soviet law not really a member of his family: but the only reason that a marriage-by-proxy had to be organized last summer is that Miss Alekseeva had been unable for over three years to secure an exit visa which would have enabled her to go through a regular marriage ceremony.” (Ibid.)
113. Information Memorandum From the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Holmes) to Secretary of State Haig
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Haig Papers, Department of State, Day File, Box 60, December 8, 1981. Confidential. Drafted by Simons on December 8; cleared by Scanlan. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “AMH.” Haig wrote in the upper right-hand corner: “will make statement tomorrow.” An unknown hand wrote “12/8/81” beneath Haig’s comment.
114. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Haig Papers, Department of State, Day File, Box 61, December 9, 1981. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Ward; cleared by Eagleburger; approved by Haig. The meeting was held at the residence of the French Ambassador to Belgium. Haig was in Brussels December 9–13 for a NATO Ministerial meeting.
115. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union
Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, [no film number]. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis. Also sent Immediate to Madrid and the U.S. Mission to NATO. Drafted by Simons; cleared by Matthews in P; approved by Scanlan.
117. Telegram From the Department of State to Secretary of State Haig’s Delegation in Brussels
Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, [no film number]. Secret; Niact; Immediate; Exdis. Sent Immediate for information to NATO capitals, Moscow, and Warsaw. Drafted by Vershbow; cleared by Scanlan; approved by Stoessel.
118. Telegram From Secretary of State Haig’s Delegation to the Department of State and the White House
Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, N810010–0084. Secret; Flash; Nodis. Sent from Haig’s airplane as he traveled from Brussels to Washington.
119. Memorandum From the President’s Acting Assistant for National Security Affairs (Nance) to President Reagan
Source: Reagan Library, NSC: Executive Secretariat, Country File, USSR (12/15/1981–12/17/1981). Confidential. Sent for information. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “The President has seen 12/17/81.” On the top right hand corner, Reagan wrote “RR.”
120. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S–I Records: Walter Stoessel Files, Lot 82D307, Memoranda for the Record. Confidential. Prepared by Stoessel.