40. Talking Points Prepared for President Reagan1
SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS FOR TELEPHONE CALL TO PRESIDENT LEOPOLDO FORTUNATO GALTIERI
—I am calling you on an extremely serious matter that threatens the peace of this hemisphere.
—I want you to know of my personal concern about your dispute with the United Kingdom regarding the Malvinas and South Georgia Islands.
—I have very disturbing intelligence that Argentina is prepared to invade the Malvinas Islands by early tomorrow morning—0600 to be exact.2
—Another concern of mine is this. I know Prime Minister Thatcher very well. Maggie is a very determined woman. When she knows she’s right as in the case of Gibraltar and Northern Ireland, she will not give in. The use of force by anyone will be met by force on her part. I am convinced of that. There should be no illusions about it.
—I know this is a matter of longstanding and great sensitivity to all Argentines.
—As you know, both you and the British are close friends of this country. And you know that with our traditional friendship with Great Britain, I am determined as I laid out in my February 24 OAS speech3 to help build a lasting positive relationship with all the nations of this hemisphere.
—Long before I became President I advocated renewed good relations with the countries of this Hemisphere, especially the major ones—Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. I was and am determined to reverse the course set by my predecessor.
[Page 72]—And as you know better than I there have been a number of bad moments in our relations. I want to end that forever and build a lasting partnership.
—Together we can do so much. Argentines and Americans are working together now more closely than at any time in our history.
—But a conflict in this hemisphere would be a heavy blow to these hopes.
—Furthermore, I must tell you in all candor that if Argentina initiates the use of force against the Malvinas Islands, it will wreck our relationship. The American people and the Congress will see it as an act of Argentine aggression. And as President, so will I.
—I am therefore asking you not to invade the Malvinas Islands or start any conflict with the United Kingdom.
—I am further prepared to act on our longstanding position of seeking peaceful bilateral negotiations in this matter which I understand is of great importance to you and all Argentines.
—I4 usually do not talk this way, but I must have, now, your absolute assurance that there will be no landing on the Falkland Islands5 tomorrow morning.6
IF THE ARGENTINE PRESIDENT REFUSES TO AGREE
—I am prepared to dispatch Vice President Bush/Amb. Kirkpatrick immediately and insist that you withhold action until you have met with him/her.7
- Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Subject File, Memorandums of Conversation—President Reagan (April 1982). No classification marking. No drafting information appears on the talking points. The talking points are attached to an April 2 handwritten note by Poindexter, which reads: “President used this with minor mods [modifications] in telephone call last night.” In addition, an attached NSC correspondence routing slip indicates that the talking points were sent to McFarlane for action. Both Poindexter and McFarlane initialed the routing slip. No memorandum of conversation of the Reagan-Galtieri telephone call has been found. For the substance of the conversation, see Document 41.↩
- See Document 34.↩
- Reference is to Reagan’s remarks on the Caribbean Basin Initiative to the Organization of American States made on February 24. See Public Papers: Reagan, 1982, Book I, pp. 210–215.↩
- This point and the following point are on an attached page which appears to have been added from another draft of the talking points. Both sections are classified Secret.↩
- An unknown hand crossed out the word “Falkland” which had been typed before this word.↩
- An unknown hand added “IF:” in large capital letters above the subject heading.↩
- An unknown hand highlighted this point with vertical lines in both the left- and right-hand margins.↩