Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XLI, Global Issues II

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

Washington, October 7, 1982

SUBJECT

• Rumsfeld’s Mission on Law of the Sea (LOS)

Secretary Shultz recommends that Rumsfeld raise four other subjects—the GATT ministerial, the IMF borrowing facility, non-proliferation, and defense budgets—during his LOS mission (Tab B).² Shultz believes this will increase the receptivity of Rumsfeld’s interlocutors to his LOS message.

Rumsfeld will be prepared to address non-LOS subjects if they are, as expected, raised by our allies. Adding subjects to his mandate or broadening the mission’s agenda, however, would be another matter and raises serious questions. That could just as well dilute our LOS message and give our allies an opening to dilute it more by focusing on other items. A broadened agenda could also be perceived as a US gesture or “concession” of a kind that we have sought to avoid in the context of East-West and other economic issues. Finally, some of the issues raised by Shultz are troublesome with our allies and it is not clear how they or our LOS message would really benefit by Rumsfeld’s raising them.

In light of the above, the proposed memorandum from you to Shultz at Tab A would inform him that we should not broaden the mission’s agenda but stick with it as currently defined, with the specific issue being LOS and raised in the broader context of furthering common understandings with our allies in areas of mutual concern. Given the importance of the other issues raised by Shultz, the memo would also note that we should continue our efforts in those areas and consider possible further steps that may be desirable.

RECOMMENDATION

That you sign the memo to Shultz at Tab A.³

Tab A

Letter From President Reagan to Secretary of State Shultz⁴

Washington, undated

SUBJECT

• Rumsfeld’s Mission on Law of the Sea (C)

I have reviewed and appreciate your memorandum of October 6 [7] on Don Rumsfeld’s Law of the Sea mission to key allied capitals. (S)

The Law of the Sea message is, as you note, a major undertaking of the highest importance and considerable difficulty. In that light, I have concluded that the mandate and agenda for the mission should not be broadened to include other specific issues but should continue to focus on the specific issue of Law of the Sea, raised in the broad context of furthering common understanding of issues of mutual concern with our allies. Rumsfeld will, of course, be prepared to respond to other issues if raised by his interlocutors. (S)

Limiting this mission does not and should not detract from the importance and efforts we have associated with other high priority issues such as those mentioned in your memorandum. We should continue those efforts and, as appropriate, consider further steps and other missions or messages that may be desirable. (S)

Ron

1. Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: Subject File, Law of the Sea (10/6–10/19/82). Secret. Sent for action.
2. Not attached, printed in Document 177.
3. Reagan checked and initialed the approve option.
4. Secret. In the upper right-hand margin, an unknown hand wrote the phrase “handled orally.”