Office of the Historian

231. Note From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark) to President Reagan1

Washington, May 5, 1982

SUBJECT

  • PM Thatcher’s Reply on your Falklands Demarche

Mr President,

Attached is Prime Minister Thatcher’s reply2 to your compromise proposal3 to achieve a ceasefire and negotiations for the resolution of the Falklands dispute. In a word, Maggie accepts the proposal. She refers, however, to the need to strengthen guarantees of the right of self-determination for the inhabitants.

Foreign Minister Pym has sent Al a parallel message4 which creates other problems however, with respect to the terms of the ceasefire. Al called Ambassador Henderson in5 and after further refinement, has [Page 482] achieved an agreed text which has a chance of being accepted in Buenos Aires. Al has gone ahead to send it to the Peruvians.6

The Argentine response is uncertain. They see Thatcher’s position eroding somewhat at home. They also see some opportunity for grandstanding among their third world brothers at the UN. Still they have fewer illusions about the ultimate military outcome.

The Peruvians will either opt to send the new text to the Argentines unilaterally or jointly with us. As we receive further word, we will keep you advised.

Bill
  1. Source: Reagan Library, William P. Clark Files, Falklands War (UN/Kirkpatrick/Haig) 05/13/1982–06/04/1982. No classification marking.↩
  2. Not found attached. For Thatcher’s May 5 message to Reagan, see Document 230.↩
  3. See Document 221.↩
  4. See Document 227.↩
  5. No U.S. record of this meeting has been found. However, a British record of the meeting as sent by Henderson to London is published on the Thatcher Foundation website.↩
  6. Telegram 121841 to Lima, May 5, transmitted the English and Spanish-language texts of the seven-point proposal as well as a message from Haig to Belaúnde informing him of the British Government’s willingness to “give serious consideration” to the proposal as well as a ceasefire “of short duration” to give time for a decision on a peace plan. (Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Cable File, Falkland File 05/05/1982 (5))↩