Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XIII, Conflict in the South Atlantic, 1981–1984

173. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom¹

Washington, April 25, 1982, 0612Z

111214. London for Charge Eyes Only. Subject: Falkland Islands Dispute: Letter to PM Thatcher. Ref: State 110698.²

1. Secret, entire text.

2. The British response to our request as discussed reftel was provided by the British Embassy³ as follows:

Message to the Hon Alexander M Haig Jr from Prime Minister, the Right Hon Margaret Thatcher MP on 24 April 1982.

“Dear Al,

Thank you for your message giving your comments on your long discussions with Francis Pym. My colleagues most closely concerned and I have now had a full report from him. We remain most grateful to you for your continuing efforts.

You asked me to send you a reaction this evening. This whole business started with an Argentine aggression.

Since then our purpose together has been to ensure the early withdrawal by the Argentines in accordance with the Security Council resolution. We think therefore that the next step should be for you to put your latest ideas to them. I hope that you will seek the Argentine Government’s view of them tomorrow and establish urgently whether they can accept them. Knowledge of their attitude will be important to the British Cabinet’s consideration of your ideas.

With warm personal regards,

Yours ever

Margaret Thatcher”

3. Our response to the British Embassy is as follows:

Dear Prime Minister:

I have just received your message, and am grateful for your quick response.

In light of your reply I shall, tomorrow, present my ideas to Foreign Minister Costa Mendez⁴ in precisely the form given to Francis. I will tell the Foreign Minister that HMG has received the same ideas and is now considering them, but that I do not know whether they will prove acceptable to the British Cabinet. I will add that from the U.S. point of view what we have presented to both parties is a delicately balanced and reasonable proposal which we see no reason further to amend.

We will then await the Argentine reply; as soon as it is received I will be in touch with Francis.

Depending on the Argentine reply and the ultimate decision of HMG on the ideas I have presented, we here in Washington will then examine what appropriate next steps we might take.

Once again, I very much appreciate your prompt reaction. Let us all hope that the Argentine Government will react positively to this final effort to avoid bloodshed.

With warm regards, sincerely, Alexander Haig.

4. To ensure HMG’s receipt of our message precisely as we wish to have it read, we would appreciate your providing it to the Foreign Office as early as possible Sunday morning, your time.⁵

Haig

1. Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Country File, Latin America/Central, Argentina (04/24/1982–04/26/1982). Secret; Niact Immediate; Nodis. Sent for information Immediate to the White House.
2. See Document 169.
3. No copy of Thatcher’s message as provided by the British Embassy on April 24 has been found. However, the Thatcher Foundation has published online a copy of the text as cabled to Washington.
4. See footnote 2, Document 178.
5. April 25.