SDI and Strategic Modernization
1. Memorandum From Donald Fortier of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (McFarlane)
Source: Reagan Library, John Poindexter Files, Subject File, Miscellaneous Meeting Items 1984. Secret. Sent for information.
2. Memorandum From the Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State (Timbie) to the Deputy Secretary of State (Dam)
Source: Department of State, Bureau of Arms Control and Disarmament Records, 1969–1990 Subject Records of James P. Timbie, Lot 01D127, Papers for DepSec Ken Dam, 1983–1985. Secret. A stamped notation on the memorandum indicates Dam saw it on December 1.
4. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Department of State, Ambassador Nitze’s Personal Files 1953, 1972–1989, Lot 90D397, November–December 1986. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Nitze.
5. Notes of a Meeting
Source: Reagan Library, Jack Matlock Files, Chronological File, 1980–1986, “Signals” [October–December, 1984]. Secret. No drafting information appears in the notes. For more information about this meeting, see Document 6 and footnote 1 thereto.
6. Memorandum From the Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Courtney) to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Armacost)
Source: Reagan Library, George Shultz Papers, Executive Secretariat Sensitive (12/13/1984–12/17/1984). Secret; Sensitive. Armacost sent the memorandum to Shultz under cover of a December 17 note: “Mr. Secretary: I thought you might be interested in this summary of a seminar last week on SDI. Ed Rowny got together a group of senior defense experts who appeared to agree that the Soviets were unlikely to reduce nuclear arms as long as SDI continued.” (Ibid.)
8. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Reagan Library, Tyrus Cobb Files, Subject File, SDI 84–85. No classification marking. Drafted by Johnson. Poindexter sent the memorandum to Matlock on December 28 under cover of an undated handwritten note: “Jack, this is an interesting paper—lot of good thoughts. As you stated there are some points with which I disagree but I do think substance is basically correct. JP” (Reagan Library, Jack Matlock Files, Chronological Files, 1980–1986, Matlock Chron December 1984)
9. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Reagan Library, Ronald Lehman Files, Subject File, [Thatcher, 1984]. Secret. Drafted on December 28. Portions of the memorandum of conversation are also printed in Foreign Relations, 1981–1988, vol. IV, Soviet Union, January 1983–March 1985, Document 337. The morning private meeting took place in the Aspen Lodge. The expanded meeting and working lunch took place in the Laurel Lodge. Gorbachev met with Thatcher at Chequers on December 16.
10. Information Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Politico-Military Affairs (Chain) to Secretary of State Shultz
Source: Reagan Library, George Shultz Papers, 1985, Arms Control, Geneva. Confidential. McKinley initialed the memorandum and wrote: “27 Dec.”
11. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation
Source: Department of State, Ambassador Nitze’s Personal Files 1953, 1972–1989, Lot 90D397, December 1985. No classification marking. Drafted by Nitze. Teller was in Livermore, California.
12. Letter From the Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Teller) to the Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Arms Control Matters (Nitze)
Source: Department of State, Ambassador Nitze’s Personal Files 1953, 1972–1989, Lot 90D397, December 1985, Nitze’s Arms Control Files. Secret; Restricted Data. 2 pages not declassified.
14. Memorandum From the General Counsel to the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (Graham) to the Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Arms Control Matters (Nitze)
Source: Department of State, Ambassador Nitze’s Personal Files 1953, 1972–1989, Lot 90D397, January–February 1985. Secret. All brackets are in the original.
15. Memorandum From the Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Courtney) to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Armacost)
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR–145, State Dept. Chron Files. Limited Official Use. A stamped notation on the memorandum indicates Armacost saw it on January 8.
16. Talking Points Prepared in the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Bureau of Arms Control and Disarmament Records, 1969–1990 Subject Records of James P. Timbie, Lot 01D127, Papers for DepSec Ken Dam, 1983–1985. No classification marking. Drafted on January 15 by Timbie. A stamped notation indicates Shultz saw the talking points. In a January 15 handwritten note, McKinley wrote: “15 Jan Talking Points for the Secretary’s use at Lunch today. Timbie drafted, Ken Dam and Paul Nitze cleared. BMCK” A stamped notation indicates Shultz saw McKinley’s note. (Ibid.) No record was found of Shultz’s lunch on January 15.
17. Letter From Senators Steven Symms and John East to President Reagan
Source: Reagan Library, System IV Intelligence Files, 1985, 20051–40100. Top Secret; Sensitive. Copies were sent to McFarlane, Shultz, Weinberger, Vessey, Meese, Casey, Leonard Perroots, Adelman, Kirkpatrick, Graham, Armstrong, Campbell, Thurmond, Baker, Byrd, the Chairmen of the Senate Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Judiciary, Intelligence, and Energy Committees, the Chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriation Subcommittee, the Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, the Members of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Separation of Powers, and the Chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Foreign Relations.
18. Memorandum From the Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Arms Control Matters (Nitze) to Secretary of State Shultz
Source: Department of State, Ambassador Nitze’s Personal Files 1953, 1972–1989, Lot 90D397, January–February 1985. Secret; Sensitive.
19. Memorandum From John Douglass of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (McFarlane)
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR–090, NSDD 178. Secret. Sent for action. Douglass submitted the memorandum and attachments along with a January 29 note to Poindexter: “I have sent this package to you because of the Special Access Annex at Tab C. If you wish to circulate this package other than to Bud, remove the Annex at Tab C.” (Ibid.)
20. Information Memorandum From the Chairman of the Policy Planning Council (Rodman) to Secretary of State Shultz
Source: Reagan Library, George Shultz Papers, Executive Secretariat Sensitive (02/06/1985). Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Philip Kaplan (S/P) on February 4. Copies were sent to Kampelman, Nitze, Rowny, Burt, and Chain. A stamped notation indicates Shultz saw the memorandum. Platt initialed the memorandum, as did McKinley, who wrote “12 Feb” in the top right-hand margin.
21. National Security Decision Directive 161
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR–088, NSDD 161. Secret; Noforn; Nocontract; Orcon; Wnintel. McFarlane wrote in the top right-hand corner of the directive, “Mr. President, This reflects your decisions on Soviet compliance with arms control agreements. You may wish to read it over the weekend. Bud.” Reagan wrote his initials beside McFarlane’s note. McFarlane distributed the NSDD to Bush, Shultz, Weinberger, Herrington, Stockman, Casey, Kirkpatrick, Adelman, Nitze, Rowny, Kampelman, Tower, and Glitman under a covering memorandum of February 6: “The attached National Security Decision Directive reflects the President’s judgments and follow-on tasking concerning issues reviewed by the Administration and which are the subject of a classified report on Soviet noncompliance with arms control agreements being submitted to the U.S. Congress in response to Congressional requests. A number of the judgments provided herewith have also been incorporated into the unclassified version of the report to the Congress on February 1, 1985.” (Ibid.)
23. Memorandum From the Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Courtney) to the Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Arms Control Matters (Nitze)
Source: Department of State, Ambassador Nitze’s Personal Files 1953, 1972–1989, Lot 90D397, March and April 1985. Secret. Copies were sent to Timbie and John Gordon (PM). A handwritten note at the bottom of the first page of the memorandum indicates that copies were also sent to Burt, Adelman, and Chain on March 28.
24. Memorandum From the Deputy Director for Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency (Gates) to the Deputy Secretary of State (Dam), the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Poindexter), and the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (Ikle)
Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S–I Records: Deputy Secretary Dam’s Official Files, Lot 85D308, Memos to/from other agencies. No classification marking. A stamped notation on the memorandum indicates Dam saw it on March 13. In a March 14 memorandum, Dam replied to Gates: “We very much appreciate your unclassified paper on Soviets efforts comparable to the SDI. It’s most timely and useful. Keep up the good work.” (Ibid.)
25. Memorandum From John Douglass of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (McFarlane)
Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR–090, NSDD 178. Top Secret; Special Access. Sent for action. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “Signed.” Douglass submitted the memorandum to Poindexter under a covering memorandum dated March 21, which began: “The only personnel in the complex cleared for the Annex for this NSDD are yourself and McFarlane. For this reason the attached original is the only copy which contains the Annex.” (Ibid.) Poindexter sent the memorandum to McFarlane under cover of an undated routing memorandum, writing: “Bud, This all seems very reasonable except the floor of 350 bombers. If that is for arms control negotiating position then OK. Otherwise I’m not certain it makes sense. JP” (Ibid.)
26. Memorandum From the Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State (Timbie) to the Deputy Secretary of State (Dam)
Source: Department of State, Bureau of Arms Control and Disarmament Records, 1969–1990 Subject Records of James P. Timbie, Lot 01D127, Papers for DepSec Ken Dam, 1983–1985. Secret. Dam sent the memorandum to Shultz under a March 21 covering note: “Mr. Secretary: I found useful the attached concise description of the SS–X–24 and SS–X–25 missiles. As you know, there is considerable confusion on this subject.” (Ibid.)
28. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (McFarlane) to the Senior Arms Control Group
Source: Department of State, Ambassador Nitze’s Personal Files 1953, 1972–1989, Lot 90D397, March and April 1985. Secret.
29. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Department of State, Ambassador Nitze’s Personal Files 1953, 1972–1989, Lot 90D397, March and April 1985. Secret. Drafted by Pifer.
30. Memorandum From the Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Arms Control Matters (Nitze) to Robert Linhard of the National Security Council Staff
Source: Department of State, Ambassador Nitze’s Personal Files 1953, 1972–1989, Lot 90D397, March and April 1985. Secret. Printed from an uninitialed copy. Clyne wrote on the upper right-hand corner of the memorandum: “MFR: Given to Linhard by Nitze this date as ‘Informal’ paper. NGC”