Managing the Conflict, May 1–June 15, 1982


259. Telegram From the Department of State to Secretary of State Haig in Ankara

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Country File, Europe and Soviet Union, United Kingdom (04/01/1982–07/31/1982) (4). Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Printed from a copy that was received in the White House Situation Room.


260. Telegram From the Defense Intelligence Agency to [text not declassified]

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files, FRC 330–87–0067, Falkland Islands April 1982. Secret; Noforn.


261. Telegram From the Department of State to Secretary of State Haig in Ankara

Source: Department of State, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Miscellaneous Files, March 1981–February 1983, Lot 83D210, Falklands [Folder 1]. Secret; Niact Immediate; Nodis. In the right-hand margin of the telegram, Gompert wrote: “Enders thoughts on Falkland: Next Steps. Enders recommends you contact Pym; Eagleburger believes we should wait it out.” Haig wrote at the top and in the right-hand margin of the telegram: “Dave: It might be possible. However, I fear neither side is ready for final big steps required—what do you think? Larry should meet w/Henderson ASAP—review bidding and provide me refined thinking by mid-afternoon. Larry only w/Henderson.—He should discuss cautiously Option A (substance) thru modalities but only as (what if?).”


262. Telegram From the Department of State to Secretary of State Haig in Ankara

Source: Department of State, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Miscellaneous Files, March 1981–February 1983, Lot 83D210, Falklands [Folder 1]. Secret; Flash; Nodis; Stadis.


263. National Security Decision Directive 34

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC National Security Decision Directives (NSDD), NSDD 34 [South Atlantic Crisis]. Top Secret. Clark sent the NSDD to Haig, Regan, Weinberger, Baldrige, Stockman, Casey, Kirkpatrick, and Jones under a May 14 memorandum. (Ibid.) The NSDD was also sent to Bush.


264. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (Iklé) to Secretary of Defense Weinberger

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files, FRC 330–86–0042, UK 1982. Top Secret; Eyes Only.


265. Telegram From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Multiple Military Recipients

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files, FRC 330–86–0042, UK 1982. Top Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Releasable to UK. Sent to the Chief of Naval Operations, CINCMAC Scott AFB, NAVWPNSTA Yorktown, COMDR MAC Terminal Norfolk, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Ascension AAF, and NAVMTO Norfolk. Sent for information to the Department of Defense, Department of State, COMNAVSUPSYSCOM, NAS Norfolk, COM 21AFCP McGuire AFB, and AFLC WPAFB.


266. Memorandum From the Acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Hayward) to Secretary of Defense Weinberger

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files, FRC 330–84–0003, Argentina (Jan–15 May) 1982. Secret; Sensitive. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum indicates that Weinberger saw it on May 17. A note in an unknown hand at the top of the memorandum reads: “CC—hand-delivered to Bill Clark 5/17.”


267. Telegram From the Department of State to Secretary of State Haig in Athens

Source: Department of State, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Miscellaneous Files, March 1981–February 1983, Lot 83D210, Falklands [Folder 1]. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Haig initialed at the top of the telegram and wrote: “Dave [Gompert] see me.” The text of the telegram was marked extensively with a highlighter pen. Haig was in Athens May 15–16.


268. Telegram From Secretary of State Haig to the Department of State

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Cable File, Falkland File 05/18/1982. Secret; Sensitive; Immediate; Nodis. Sent from the Secretary’s aircraft. Haig was then en route from Luxembourg to Washington. Printed from a copy that was received in the White House Situation Room.


269. Message From the Embassy in Luxembourg to the White House

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Cable File, Falkland File 05/17/1982. Secret; Sensitive, Immediate. Sent via privacy channels.


270. Memorandum From Roger W. Fontaine and Dennis C. Blair of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark)

Source: Reagan Library, Roger W. Fontaine Files, Subject File, Argentina (May 1982). Secret. In a May 20 memorandum to Clark, Rentschler “reluctantly” took issue with points raised by Fontaine and Blair and outlined his objections to their characterization of the Rome démarche, of Argentina’s perceived flexibility, of Italian actions regarding the EC sanctions, and of the extent to which Reagan could go to further encourage flexibility on both sides. (Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Country File, Latin America/Central, Argentina (05/05/1982–05/20/1982))


271. Telegram From Secretary of State Haig to the Department of State

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Haig Papers, Department of State, Day File, May 17, 1982. Secret; Alpha; Flash; Nodis. Drafted by Gompert; approved by McManaway. Haig initialed the first page of the telegram.


272. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S Special Handling Restrictions Memos 1979–1983, Lot 96D262, ES Sensitive May 6–18 1982. Confidential; Limdis. Drafted by Middendorf. Copies were sent to Haig, Stoessel, Eagleburger, Clark, Enders, Briggs, Bosworth, Service, Kirkpatrick, and Walters.


273. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Stoessel to President Reagan

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, Very Sensitive Correspondence Files of Alexander M. Haig, Jr., 1981–1982, Lot 83D288, Evening Reading—May 1982. Secret; Sensitive.


274. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State and the White House

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Cable File, Falkland File 05/19/1982. Secret; Sensitive; Flash; Nodis. Printed from a copy that was received in the White House Situation Room.


275. Letter From the British Ambassador (Henderson) to Secretary of State Haig

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S Special Handling Restrictions Memos 1979–1983, Lot 96D262, ES Sensitive May 19–24 1982. UK Secret and Personal. A notation in an unknown hand at the bottom of the letter reads: “Rec’d in ‘S’ 5/19/82 5:05 p.m.”


276. Paper Prepared by the National Security Council Staff

Source: Reagan Library, Latin American Affairs Directorate Files, NSC, Falkland/Malvinas: NSC & State Memos, 1982. Secret. Rentschler, Blair, and Fontaine sent the paper to McFarlane under a May 19 covering memorandum that reads: “Attached as you requested are our collective judgments concerning the issues you have raised vis-à-vis the South Atlantic crisis, cast in the form of a contingency paper.” A stamped notation at the top of the covering memorandum indicates that Clark saw it. McFarlane requested the paper in a May 19 note to Rentschler and Fontaine. (Reagan Library, Dennis C. Blair Files, Country File, United Kingdom 1982 (05/01/1982–07/31/1982))


277. Memorandum From the Special Assistant for Warning (Cochrane) to the Chairman of the National Intelligence Council (Rowen)

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, National Intelligence Council, Job 83T00966R: Chronological Files (1982), Box 1, Folder 4: C/NIC Chronological. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified].


278. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (Iklé) to Secretary of Defense Weinberger

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files, FRC 330–86–0042, UK 1982. Top Secret; Sensitive. An attached note from Cormack to Iklé, dated May 24, returned the memorandum to the latter with instruction to note Weinberger’s guidance.


279. Minutes of a Meeting of the Special Situation Group

Source: Reagan Library, Latin American Affairs Directorate Files, NSC, Falklands/Malvinas: Special Situation Group (SSG) Meeting on the Falklands, 5/20/1982. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. The minutes were forwarded to Clark by Fontaine under a covering memorandum, July 14. (Ibid.)


280. Memorandum From Oliver L. North of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (McFarlane)

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Country File, Latin America/Central, Falklands War (05/20/1982–05/24/1982). Top Secret. Sent for information. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum indicates that McFarlane saw it.


281. Memorandum From Vice President Bush to President Reagan

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Country File, Latin America/Central, Falklands War (05/20/1982–05/24/1982). Secret. Reagan initialed at the upper right-hand corner of the memorandum, indicating that he saw it. Another notation on the memorandum indicates that Reagan saw it.


282. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, Files of Alexander M. Haig, Jr., 1981–1982, Lot 82D370, (3) Falklands Crisis 1982. Confidential. Drafted by Kirkpatrick. A handwritten time of 1:30 p.m. is in the upper right-hand corner of the memorandum. A notation in an unknown hand in the bottom right-hand corner indicates the memorandum was received in S at 1:50. The date of the receipt is unclear.


283. Information Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State-Designate for European Affairs (Burt) to Secretary of State Haig

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S Special Handling Restrictions Memos 1979–1983, Lot 96D262, ES Sensitive May 19–24 1982. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by J. Campbell (EUR/NE) on May 21; cleared by Blackwill, R. Morris (EUR/NE), and Smith. Campbell initialed for the clearing officials. Bremer’s stamped initials appear on the first page of the memorandum. The memorandum bears an erroneous stamped date of March 21. Burt had been nominated Assistant Secretary on May 10, although his nomination was not yet acted upon by the Senate. He would not formally enter on duty until February 18, 1983.


284. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (Iklé) to Secretary of Defense Weinberger

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files, FRC 330–86–0042, UK 1982. Top Secret. At the bottom of the memorandum, Weinberger wrote: “Fred: We support the UK in this conflict.—As long as we do not get our troops involved—we shouldn’t try to guess when and for what reason they might want limpet mines, airport matting, etc.” Weinberger’s note was also transcribed in an attached May 24 typewritten note from Cormack to Iklé.


285. Memorandum From Secretary of State Haig to President Reagan

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Country File, Latin America/Central, Argentina (05/21/1982–06/15/1982). Confidential. Reagan initialed at the top right-hand corner of the memorandum, which was received in the White House at 11:41 p.m.


286. Information Memorandum From Robert E. Service of the Department of State Falklands Working Group to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Eagleburger)

[Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, P820074–2373. Secret; Exdis; Noforn. 2 pages not declassified.]


287. Memorandum for the Record by the Deputy Director of Operations, National Military Command Center (Tobin)

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files, FRC 330–86–0042, UK 1982. Top Secret. A stamped notation at the bottom of the memorandum indicates that Carlucci saw it on May 24.


288. Letter From Secretary of Defense Weinberger to British Defense Secretary Nott

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files, FRC 330–86–0042, UK 1982. Top Secret. A copy was sent to Henderson. Iklé sent a draft of the letter to Weinberger under an undated action memorandum, requesting that Weinberger sign the letter. Both the draft of the letter, with Weinberger’s handwritten revisions, and the action memorandum are ibid.