Managing the Conflict, May 1–June 15, 1982


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

Source: Department of State, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Miscellaneous Files, March 1981–February 1983, Lot 83D210, Falklands [Folder 2]. Secret; Flash; Nodis.


290. Information Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs (Howe) to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Eagleburger)

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 T. Miller (PM/P). An unknown hand initialed for Miller. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum indicates that Eagleburger saw it on May 25. A notation in the top left-hand corner of the memorandum reads: “CC to DCG [David Gompert] 5/25.”


291. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Command (Train) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Jones)

Source: National Archives, RG 218, CJCS Files, FRC 218–92–0030, Message Traffic May 82—CINCLANT May 82. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Sent for information to USEUCOM.


292. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Cable File, Falkland File 05/26/1982. Secret; Sensitive; Immediate; Nodis. Printed from a copy that was received in the White House Situation Room.


293. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Cable File, Falkland File 05/25/1982. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Sent for information Immediate to Buenos Aires and London and for information to all UN Security Council capitals. Printed from a copy that was received in the White House Situation Room.


294. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

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


295. Telegram From the Embassy in Brazil to the Department of State

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Country File, Latin America/Central, Falklands War (05/27/1982). Secret; Flash; Nodis. Sent for information Immediate to the White House. Printed from a copy that was received in the White House Situation Room. Clark wrote “President has seen” at the top of the telegram. In a May 26 memorandum to Reagan, Haig stated that the démarche decision was reached during a May 24 discussion between the two; see Document 298.


296. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Enders) and the Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (Middendorf) to Secretary of State Haig

Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, P820078–0673. Secret. Drafted by Johnson; cleared by Thompson, Bolton, and Morley. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum indicates that Haig saw it.


297. Message From British Foreign Secretary Pym to Secretary of State Haig

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, Files of Alexander M. Haig, Jr., 1981–1982, Lot 82D370, (3) Falklands Crisis 1982. UK Secret. A stamped notation at the top of the message indicates that Haig saw it.


298. Memorandum From Secretary of State Haig to President Reagan

Source: Reagan Library, Dennis C. Blair Files, Country Files, Falklands Crisis 1982. Secret. Eagleburger initialed the memorandum on behalf of Haig. McFarlane prepared an undated draft covering memorandum to Clark, summarizing Haig’s memorandum, stating Clark’s agreement with its contents, and suggesting that Clark could include it with Haig’s memorandum for submission to Reagan. A stamped notation indicates that Clark saw McFarlane’s draft memorandum; however, an attached handwritten note from Poindexter to Clark states that it was not sent to Reagan per Clark’s instructions. A further notation in an unidentified hand reads: “overtaken.” (Reagan Library, Latin American Affairs Directorate Files, Falklands/Malvinas: NSC & State Memos, 1982)


299. Memorandum From James M. Rentschler and Dennis C. Blair of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark)

Source: Reagan Library, Latin American Affairs Directorate Files, Falklands/Malvinas: NSC & State Memos, 1982. Top Secret; Sensitive. Sent for information. Sent through McFarlane. A stamped notation indicates that Clark saw the memorandum. On another copy of the memorandum, Poindexter wrote in the upper right hand corner: “5/26 Judge read and agrees. JP.” (Ibid.) According to a May 26 NSC routing slip, McFarlane sent the memorandum to Poindexter for delivery to Clark, who was in Santa Barbara, California. Poindexter wrote on the routing slip: “Have Jim Rentschler go see Jesse Helms on the Hill tomorrow and explain. JP.” (Ibid.)


300. Action Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs (Howe) and the Assistant Secretary of State-Designate for European Affairs (Burt) to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Eagleburger)

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S Special Handling Restrictions Memos 1979–1983, Lot 96D262, ES Sensitive May 25–31 1982. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Kanter; cleared by Blackwill. Kanter initialed for both Burt and Blackwill.


301. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Eagleburger 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.


302. Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, Files of Alexander M. Haig, Jr., 1981–1982, Lot 82D370, (3) Falklands Crisis 1982. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]. Prepared in the Directorate of Intelligence.


303. Telegram From the Embassy in Argentina to the Department of State

Source: Reagan Library, Roger W. Fontaine Files, Country Files, Argentina (May 1982). Confidential; Immediate. Sent for information Immediate to the South Atlantic Sitrep Collective and for information to Panama City, USCINCSO, USCINCLANT, and the Defense Intelligence Agency.


304. Memorandum From Secretary of State Haig to President Reagan

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S Special Handling Restrictions Memos 1979–1983, Lot 96D262, ES Sensitive May 25–31 1982. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Bremer; cleared by Eagleburger. A typewritten notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “LDX’d to Mr. McFarlane 1540 hours, 5/27.”


305. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S Special Handling Restrictions Memos 1979–1983, Lot 96D262, ES Sensitive May 25–31 1982. Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the office of the Argentine Air Attaché. Copies were sent to Haig and Enders.


306. 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. A copy was sent to Carlucci.


307. Memorandum From Secretary of State Haig 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.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, P900060–0778. Secret. A May 28 covering note by Enders indicates that the memorandum and its attachment had been prepared by Burt, Gompert, Gudgeon, and Enders. Enders also added two observations: “(a) We don’t want to participate if we do only the military part (i.e. let ICRC handle repatriation, which would be politically damaging to us). (b) We don’t want to present all of this to Henderson now, but only the military ideas, saying that of course the other aspects would have to be covered.” A stamped notation on the note indicates that Haig saw Burt’s memorandum. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, P900060–0777)


309. Memorandum From Roger W. Fontaine, Christopher C. Shoemaker, and Richard T. Childress 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 (05/27/1982). Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum indicates that Clark saw it.


310. Memorandum From Ambassador at Large Vernon A. Walters to Secretary of State Haig

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, Files of Alexander M. Haig, Jr., 1981–1982, Lot 82D370, (3) Falklands Crisis 1982. Secret; Sensitive. Not For the System. Haig initialed at the top right-hand corner of the memorandum and underlined the text of the memorandum extensively.


311. Note From the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Eagleburger) to Secretary of State Haig

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, Files of Alexander M. Haig, Jr., 1981–1982, Lot 82D370, (3) Falklands Crisis 1982. Secret. Haig initialed at the top of the note, indicating that he saw it. A stamped notation also indicates that Haig saw it.


312. 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 25–31 1982. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Blackwill.


313. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Casey to Secretary of State Haig, the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark), and the Permanent Representative to the United Nations (Kirkpatrick)

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Country File, Latin America/Central, Falklands War (06/08/1982–10/25/82). Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum indicates that Clark saw it. On his copy of the memorandum, Haig wrote: “Disaster!” (Department of State, Executive Secretariat, Files of Alexander M. Haig, Jr., 1981–1982, Lot 82D370, (3) Falklands Crisis 1982). A typed notation at the end of the memorandum indicates the information was received in FIRDB–312/0147–82.


314. Draft Proposal Prepared in the Department of State

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Haig Papers, Department of State, Day File, May 29, 1982 Falklands. No classification marking. No drafting information appears on the proposal, and the date is handwritten. At the bottom of the first page, Goldberg wrote: “Ideas presented to Henderson on 5/29/82 by AMH. As UK moves to milit[ary] victory—objective—avoid Argent[ina’s] humiliating surrender.” No U.S. record of Haig’s meeting with Henderson has been found. For a British account of the meeting and the FCO’s consideration of the proposal, see Freedman, Official History, vol. II, pp. 514–516. A British record of the meeting, as cabled by Henderson to London, is published on the Thatcher Foundation website.


315. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Reagan and British Prime Minister Thatcher

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Subject File, Memorandums of Conversation—President Reagan (May 1982). Secret. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Reagan telephoned Thatcher from the second floor Residence at the White House; their conversation took place from 6:03 p.m. to 6:20 p.m., May 31. (Reagan Library, President’s Daily Diary) Thatcher was speaking from London. An attached White House Situation Room routing slip indicates that copies were sent to Clark, McFarlane, and Poindexter; Poindexter also received the original. Poindexter forwarded a copy of the transcript to Bremer under a June 1 covering note, requesting that distribution be limited to Haig only. On his copy of the covering note, Goldberg wrote: “On 6/1/82, the Brits were concerned that Thatcher was too tough on RR on the call.” (Department of State, Executive Secretariat, Files of Alexander M. Haig, Jr., 1981–1982, Lot 82D370, (3) Falklands Crisis 1982) In his diary, Henderson recalled that Haig had proposed the telephone conversation. Haig “used his accustomed convoluted language: ‘It’s getting like duck soup down there.’” Henderson responded, “I said that normally I thought these heads of government telephone talks were apt to lead to trouble and acrimony as had occurred over a previous call from Reagan, but as the PM would have read in detail Haig’s ideas for a settlement I did not think a call could do any harm now. How wrong I was.” (Henderson, Mandarin, p. 466) For the previous call, see Document 257.


316. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Bremer) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark)

Source: Reagan Library, Latin American Affairs Directorate Files, Falklands/Malvinas: NSC & State Memos, 1982. Secret; Sensitive. Blair forwarded the memorandum and attached proposal to McFarlane under a June 3 covering memorandum, commenting: “Al Sapia-Bosch believes the proposal is worth a try, but doubts that it will work.” (Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Country File, Argentina (05/21/1982–06/15/1982)


317. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Weinberger to the Chief of Naval Operations (Hayward)

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files, FRC 330–86–0042, UK 1982. Top Secret; Eyes Only. At the bottom of the memorandum, Weinberger wrote: “This request was sent to us on May 8. We should have acted on it in no less than 1 week. 3 weeks is far too long in a wartime situation. I want all of these requests presented to me within 1 week of receipt. CWW.”


318. Information Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs (Howe) to Secretary of State Haig

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S Special Handling Restrictions Memos 1979–1983, Lot 96D262, ES Sensitive June 1–7 1982. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Clarke; cleared by Kanter and Haass.