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  3. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XIII, Conflict in the South Atlantic, 1981–1984
  4. Document 326

326. Memorandum From Secretary of State Haig to President Reagan1

London, undated

SUBJECT

  • Your Meeting with UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, June 9, 1982

I. SETTING

The focus of the Prime Minister for the past two months has been the Falkland crisis. Her firm handling of it has paid important political dividends at home, where her Conservative party did well in May’s local elections. She is also benefitting from the slight improvement in the economy. But if the South Atlantic war with Argentina drags on with increasing casualties, she will find her electoral support fickle. She must call elections by May, 1984, but may go to the country as early as this autumn if she achieves a South Atlantic settlement.

[Page 678]

II. ISSUES

1. Falklands

Mrs. Thatcher appreciates both our strong support in the crisis, and our earlier mediating efforts. She will welcome your reconfirmation of support.

• WE HAVE MADE OUR SUPPORT FOR THE UK CLEAR IN PUBLIC STATEMENTS, WHERE OUR STARTING POINT IS THAT AGGRESSION MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO SUCCEED.

• A DIFFERENT STANCE ON THE MERITS OF THE RECENT CONTROVERSIAL UN RESOLUTION DOES NOT DIMINISH OUR SUPPORT FOR BRITAIN.2

• WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR A MILITARY PAUSE—THIS IS A JUDGMENT FOR THE UK. WE HAVE ALSO NOTED PUBLICLY THAT THE OPTION OF HONORABLE WITHDRAWAL IS OPEN FOR ARGENTINA.

[Omitted here are sections on Lebanon, the Middle East Peace Process, US/UK Economic Relations and the Versailles Summit, East/West Issues, the State of the NATO Alliance, Arms Control, US/UK Military Cooperation, Northern Ireland, and Africa.]

  1. Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Country File, Europe and Soviet Union, United Kingdom (04/01/1982–07/31/1982) (6). Confidential. On June 7, Reagan and Haig were in Rome for meetings with Italian Prime Minister Spadolini and Pope John Paul II, before flying to London. They remained in the United Kingdom until June 9, where Reagan met with the Royal family at Windsor Castle and addressed Parliament. No memorandum of conversation of Reagan’s meeting with Thatcher has been found, and the President’s Daily Diary does not record individual meetings during the entirety of Reagan’s European trip. In his diary, Henderson recorded that Reagan, Thatcher, Haig, and Pym took part in a private breakfast meeting at Number 10 Downing Street, June 9, before being joined by British officials and the remainder of the U.S. delegation for a plenary meeting. At the plenary, Henderson recorded, there was “little discussion about the Falkland Islands, which I presume must have been discussed at the restricted breakfast.” (Henderson, Mandarin, p. 473) In remarks to the press after the June 9 breakfast meeting, Thatcher’s only mention of the Falklands was to thank “our American friends” for the U.S. “staunch” support. (Public Papers: Reagan, 1982, Book I, p. 753)↩
  2. See Document 323.↩