Chapter 1, July 1981–January 1985
1. Memorandum From Richard Pipes of the National Security Council Staff to the Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (Rostow)
Source: Reagan Library, Matlock Files, USSR—START 1/2. Secret. Sent through Allen, who did not initial the memorandum.
2. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, P810120–2056. Secret.
3. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union
Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D810541–1005. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Sent Priority for information to Bonn, Brussels, Geneva, The Hague, London, Paris, Rome, the Mission to NATO, and MBFR Vienna. Drafted by Rostow; cleared in S/S; approved by Rostow.
4. Memorandum From Sven Kraemer and Robert Linhard of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark)
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR078, NSDD 33 [START Negotiations]. Secret. Sent for action. Sent through Reed. Attached but not printed are two February 19 papers, “Handling the Core Issues: Units of Limitation” and “General Outline of the Proposed Approach.”
5. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark) to President Reagan
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR—070, NSSD 3-82 3 MAR 82 START NEGOTIATION. Top Secret. Sent for action. Prepared by Linhard and Sven Kraemer. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum reads “Signed.” Sven Kraemer and Linhard sent the memorandum to Clark for his signature under cover of a March 1 memorandum in which they argued “Building upon work already completed by the START IG, the NSSD will provide the highest-level direction without which we believe it will be impossible to assure coordinated, timely presentation of options and recommendations to the NSC.” (Ibid.)
6. National Security Study Directive 3–82
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR—070, NSSD 3–82 3 MAR 82 START NEGOTIATION. Top Secret. Clark forwarded the NSSD to Bush, Haig, Weinberger, Casey, Jones, and Rostow, under cover of a March 3 memorandum (which McFarlane signed on Clark’s behalf): “The President has directed that the program of preparations for the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks be formalized by the issuance of NSDD 3–82, Subject: U.S. Policy and Negotiating Position for the Strategic Arms Reductions Talks, for NSC consideration. Building on prior interagency work, this effort will prepare the Government to establish U.S. policy, the U.S. negotiating position, and strategies for the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks. Resulting National Security Council decisions will be incorporated in a National Security Decision Directive. The attached National Security Study Directive (NSSD 3–82) provides the guidelines for the review.” (Ibid.)
7. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark) to President Reagan
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR—070, NSSD 3–82 3 MAR 82 START NEGOTIATION. Top Secret. Sent for information. Prepared by Sven Kraemer and Linhard. A stamped notation indicates Reagan saw the memorandum.
8. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR—101, NSC 00046 RWR 4/21/82 START. Top Secret. The meeting took place in the Cabinet Room.
9. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark) to Secretary of State Haig, Secretary of Defense Weinberger, Director of Central of Intelligence Casey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Jones), and the Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (Rostow)
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR—101, NSC 00046 RWR 4/21/82 START. Top Secret.
10. Memorandum From Secretary of State Haig to President Reagan
Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, National Security Council: Subject File: Records, 1981–1985, Nuclear-Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) (05/01/1982–05/07/1982). Secret.
11. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark) to President Reagan
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR—101, NSC 00049, RWR 5/03/82 START. Top Secret. Prepared by Kraemer and Linhard. An unknown hand wrote in the upper right-hand corner: “PRESIDENT HAS SEEN.”
12. Memorandum From the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy (Ikle) to Secretary of Defense Weinberger
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR—101, NSC 00049, RWR 5/03/82 START. Secret.
13. Notes of a National Security Council Meeting
Source: Ronald Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Meeting Files, NSC00049 05/03/1982 [START]. Top Secret. Drafted by Wheeler. Brackets and ellipses are in the original. The original text is handwritten. The editor transcribed the portion of the text here specifically for this volume. An image of the note is Appendix A. According to the President’s Daily Diary, the meeting took place in the Cabinet Room and ended at 10:52 a.m. No formal minutes of this meeting were found.
14. Memorandum From Robert Linhard and Sven Kraemer of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark)
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR—101, NSC 00049, RWR 5/03/82 START. Top Secret. Sent for action.
15. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark) to President Reagan
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR—078, NSDD 33 [START Negotiations]. Top Secret. Sent for action. Prepared by Linhard and Kraemer.
16. Letter From President Reagan to Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev
Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Head of State Files, USSR: General Secretary Brezhnev (8290289, 8290342). Secret. The letter is also printed in Foreign Relations, 1981–1988, vol. III, Soviet Union, January 1981–January 1983, Document 166.
18. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Library of Congress, Haig Papers, Day File, Box CL 77, May 11, 1982. No classification marking. Drafted by Schuette. Haig’s opening statement is in the Department of State Bulletin, June 1982, p. 44–45.
19. National Security Decision Directive 33
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR–078, NSDD 33 [START NEGOTIATIONS]. Top Secret. Clark distributed the decision directive to Bush, Haig, Weinberger, Stockman, Casey, Jones, Rostow, and Rowny, under cover of a May 25 memorandum: “The President has decided upon additional guidance on the U.S. approach to the START negotiations as incorporated in the attached National Security Decision Directive (NSDD–33). In view of the special sensitive of the details of the negotiating approach, it is directed that the NSDD–33 document be held by addressees. It is further directed that no copies are to be made, and that a record of authorized personnel who are provided access to the document be maintained by the office of each addressee.” (Ibid.)
20. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark) to President Reagan
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR—101, NSC 49A. Secret. Sent for information. Prepared by Kraemer and Linhard. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “The President has seen.”
21. Notes of a National Security Council Meeting
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR—101, NSC 49A. Secret. Drafted by Wheeler. The original text is handwritten. Brackets and ellipses are in the original text. The editor transcribed the portion of the text here specifically for this volume. An image of the notes is Appendix B. According to the President’s Daily Diary, the meeting took place in the Cabinet Room and ended at approximately 10:45 a.m. No formal minutes of this meeting were found.
22. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Bremer) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark)
Source: Reagan Library, Matlock Files, Head of State Correspondence (US—USSR) Jan.—May 1982. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Vershbow; cleared by Simons, Scanlan, Burt, and Stoessel.
23. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark) to President Reagan
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR 078, NSDD 36 [START Negotiations II]. Secret. Sent for action. Prepared by Kraemer and Linhard. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “signed.”
24. National Security Decision Directive 36
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR 078, NSDD 36 [START Negotiations II]. Secret. Clark distributed the decision directive to Bush, Haig, Weinberger, Stockman, Casey, Jones, Rostow, and Rowny under cover of a May 25 memorandum: “The President has decided upon additional guidance on the U.S. approach to the START negotiations as incorporated in the attached National Security Decision Directive (NSDD–36). In view of the special sensitivity of the details of the negotiating approach, it is directed that the NSDD–36 document be held by addressees. It is further directed that no copies are to be made, and that a record of authorized personnel who are provided access to the document be maintained by the office of each addressee.” (Ibid.)
25. Paper Prepared in the Soviet Foreign Ministry
Source: Department of State, Executive Secretary, S/S–I Records: Walter Stoessel Files, Lot 82D307, Memoranda of Conversation. Secret. A handwritten note in the upper right–hand corner reads: “From Soviet Charge Bessmertnykh to Stoessel, 5/25/82.” For a record of the conversation for the meeting at which Bessmertnykh stressed this document, see Foreign Relations, 1981–1988, vol. III, Soviet Union, January 1981–January 1983, Document 175.
26. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark) to President Reagan
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR–101, NSC 00052 RWR 6/25/82 START. Secret. Sent for action. Prepared by Linhard and Kraemer. A stamped notation at the top of the document indicates Reagan saw the memorandum.
27. Letter From President Reagan to the Chairman of the Delegation to the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks
Source: Reagan Library, Matlock Files, USSR—START 2/2. No classification marking.
28. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark) to President Reagan
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR 078, NSDD 0044 [START Negotiations III]. Secret. Sent for action. Prepared by Linhard and Kramer. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “signed.”
29. National Security Decision Directive 44
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR 078, NSDD 0044 [START Negotiations III]. Clark sent the decision directive to Bush, Haig, Weinberger, Stockman, Casey, Jones, Rostow, and Rowny under cover of a July 13 memorandum: “The President has decided upon additional guidance on the U.S. approach to the START negotiations as incorporated in the attached National Security Decision Directive (NSDD–44). In view of the special sensitivity of the details of the negotiating approach, it is directed that the NSDD–44 document be held by addressees. It is further directed that no copies are to be made, and that a record of authorized personnel who are provided access to the document be maintained by the office of each addressee.”
30. Memorandum From Robert Linhard and Sven Kraemer of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark)
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR–102, NSC 00059 RWR 8/09/82. Secret; Sensitive. Sent for action. Sent through Boverie.