Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XLIV, Part 1, National Security Policy, 1985–1988

150. Memorandum From Robert Linhard of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Poindexter)¹

Washington, November 1, 1986

SUBJECT

• NSDD on Post-Reykjavik Follow-up Activities

Attached for your final review and forwarding to the President is the NSDD² providing top-down guidance to the JCS for their study of the transition to a world without ballistic missiles. Comments from all the senior staff have been incorporated.

We have also received and, where appropriate, incorporated comments from Secretary Weinberger, Admiral Crowe, and Directors Casey and Adelman. Their inputs, annotated to give you an idea of what was taken and what was not, are attached at Tab III³ for your information. It would be worth your time to scan this material.

— We believe that we have met and satisfied the main concerns of Secretary Shultz, and Directors Casey and Adelman.

— We have taken all the suggestions made by Admiral Crowe except those which would change the tone to suggest that the issue was whether the objective of eliminating ballistic missiles in ten years was an appropriate objective rather than how best to achieve that objective. Admiral Crowe is also concerned that the fiscal guidance is simply too tight. We believe that if we relax the guidance now, we will simply invite request for a very large budget increase. We recommend sticking with the guidance as contained in the draft which constrains the baseline but allows the JCS to suggest additions as excursions.

— We also took SecDef’s comments where possible, but much of his memorandum addresses issues already resolved and attempts to walk-back central elements of the President’s decision. This we cannot do.

Recommendation

That you sign the memorandum provided Tab I⁴ forwarding the NSDD to the President for signature.⁵

1. Source: National Security Council, National Security Council Institutional Files, Box SR–094, NSDD 250. Top Secret. Sent for action. Copies were sent to Cockell and Rodman. Attached but not printed is Poindexter’s NSDD distribution memorandum; see footnote 1, Document 152. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “signed.”
2. Printed as Document 152.
3. Attached but not printed are an October 31 memorandum from Weinberger to Poindexter; an undated letter from Crowe to Keel; an October 31 letter from Casey to Keel; and an October 31 note from Adelman to Keel.
4. Printed as Document 151.
5. Poindexter did not indicate his preference with respect to the recommendation.