37. Editorial Note
President Reagan convened a meeting of the National Security Council in the Cabinet Room of the White House on March 26, 1981. The meeting lasted from 2:05 to 3:05 p.m. and covered Poland, Nicaragua, and Central America. Secretary of State Haig noted that “the State Department had reached the independent judgment that we were witnessing the most serious crisis in Poland” since the coal miners’ strike of the previous summer. Citing a “confidential source who is a former White House official,” Haig declared there was a “strong possibility” of “an internal takeover by the Polish militia.” He informed the group that the Polish Central Committee was scheduled to meet on Sunday, March 29, and that the Polish Parliament was scheduled to meet in an emergency session on Monday, March 30. A “major move by Polish, and possibly Soviet forces, could occur on Monday,” according to Haig. (Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: NSC Meeting File: Records, 1981–88, NSC 0006 03/26/1981) The minutes of the meeting are scheduled for publication in Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, volume VII, Poland, 1977–1981.
Following the meeting of the National Security Council on March 26, Haig met with Executive Secretary Bremer, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Crocker, and Special Assistant Baltimore. According to Baltimore’s memorandum to the files, they agreed that Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs Hormats would draft a statement regarding the grain embargo and work with Senate Majority Leader Baker. “The statement should mention that the decision to lift the grain embargo and negotiate a new contract with the USSR depends upon Soviet international behavior.” Haig added that “the statement must not be released without conferring with the Allies and giving them a full explanation of what it is about,” and that the administration should wait until April 4, when the Soviet “Soyuz” exercise was scheduled to conclude. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Haig Papers, Day File Box CL 31, Day File, March 26, 1981)
On March 30, at approximately 2:30 p.m., President Reagan was shot in the chest by John Hinckley, Jr., on his way out of the Washington Hilton Hotel, where he had delivered a speech to the AFL–CIO. Later that day, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Allen sent Secretary of State Haig’s March 25 draft of a Presidential letter to Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev to Counselor to the President Meese and White House Chief of Staff Baker. “Given present circumstances,” Allen wrote, “I have no interest in locking horns with State over this issue, but I do not believe that the President should response [sic] to Brezhnev in the manner suggested by Al Haig.” (Reagan Library, [Page 99] National Security Affairs, Office of the Assistant to the President: Chron File)