181. Telegram From the Embassy in Argentina to the Department of State1
2534. For the Secretary. Subject: Falkland Islands. Ref: State 112303.2
1. S–Entire text.
2. Galtieri alone received me at 0850 hours local (ARMA accompanied me). I went over the talking points in the reftel and called his attention to the explanatory annotations to the proposal.3 Galtieri [Page 398] seemed particularly struck by the statement that we are not4 prepared to describe the text as a U.S. proposal and will publish it if necessary. He made no other comment on the proposal but promised me a response before 2400 hours today.5
3. Galtieri did add that no one wanted war but that if the British attacked, Argentina would resist with all means at hand. He also said that the GOA could not understand why the USG with all its resources could not stop Mrs. Thatcher from launching this attack so that a peaceful solution could be found. I reiterated that you had done everything possible to achieve a peaceful solution and that this was the last chance. He seemed to accept that.
4. Galtieri is meeting now with the Junta and they have the proposal and the other documents before them. I have sent word that I am available for further consultation whenever they might wish.
5. Galtieri appeared tired but composed. I sensed an air of resignation6 about him.
- Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Country File, Latin America/Central, Falklands War (04/22/1982–05/17/1982). Secret; Flash; Nodis. A stamped notation on the telegram indicates that Clark saw it. Poindexter also initialed the telegram and indicated that Clark had seen it.↩
- See footnote 5, Document 179.↩
- The Department transmitted the latest draft texts of the Memorandum of Agreement and related documents, for Shlaudeman to present to the Junta, in telegram 112304 to Buenos Aires, April 27. (Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Cable File, Falkland File 04/27/1982) The draft MOA is printed in American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1982, pp. 1304–1306. Spanish-language texts of the documents were transmitted in telegram 112305 to Buenos Aires, April 27. (Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Cable File, Falkland File 04/27/1982) Annotations to the draft MOA were transmitted separately by the Department in telegram 112306 to Buenos Aires, April 27. The Department authorized Shlaudeman to pass along the annotations to the Junta as a “non-paper” and stated that the annotations were also being provided to Costa Méndez. (Ibid.)↩
- Poindexter circled this word, drew a line from it to the right-hand margin, and wrote: “State is checking this.”↩
- See Document 189.↩
- Poindexter circled this word, drew a line from it to the margin below the paragraph, and wrote “?” in the space below the paragraph.↩