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

381. Memorandum From Alfonso Sapia-Bosch of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark)¹

Washington, August 10, 1982

SUBJECT

• Improving Relations with Argentina

I have had a number of conversations with State and there has now been some movement to improve relations with Argentina.² In recent testimony on the Hill, Tom Enders made the following statement: “With regard to the Falklands/Malvinas dispute itself, we hope the two parties will find a process by which they can reach a peaceful solution of their dispute in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter.”³ The Argentines, of course, are aware of this statement. Since it was buried in text, however, it has not received much publicity within Latin America, which would help us in the UN.

With regard to the military pipeline items Argentina ordered before hostilities broke out in the South Atlantic and certification for arms sales, Tom Enders will meet with Argentine Foreign Minister Aguirre in Santo Domingo and raise these issues. Enders will tell Aguirre the U.S. will accept a resolution at the UN calling for negotiations between the two parties so long as the language of the resolution is moderate.⁴ If the language is acceptable we will press on the pipeline items and certification.

We should hold in reserve giving publicity to Enders’ statement on the Hill until after he can report on his meeting with Aguirre.

I will let you know whatever further action needs to be taken early next week.

1. Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Country File, Latin America/Central, Argentina (07/16/1982–08/15/1982). Secret. Sent for information. Copies were sent to Rentschler and Fontaine. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum indicates that Clark saw it.
2. In an August 4 memorandum to Clark, Sapia-Bosch recommended that Clark sign a memorandum to Shultz requesting that Shultz convene a SIG to consider “a low key statement that the U.S favors negotiations between Argentina and the UK to reach a peaceful and definitive resolution of the status of the Falkland Islands acceptable to both sides,” “releasing the military pipeline items for Argentina that were embargoed when the conflict began in the South Atlantic,” and “whether we should be the middleman between Argentina and the UK to get the latter to lift the financial sanctions on Argentina and vice versa.” Clark disapproved Sapia-Bosch’s recommendation. (Ibid.)
3. The text of Enders’s August 5 statement before the Subcommittee on Inter-American Affairs of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the background and consequences of the South Atlantic crisis, including a description of the Haig mission efforts to prevent hostilities, is printed in the Department of State Bulletin, October 1982, pp. 78–82. The text of a paper on the legal aspects of the April–May negotiations, which Enders submitted to the subcommittee, is ibid., pp. 82–85. Also released were the various U.S., Argentine, and U.K. proposals and notes; see ibid., pp. 85–90.
4. See Document 385.