Office of the Historian

156. Electronic Message From William Cockell of the National Security Council Staff to Steven Steiner of the National Security Council Staff1

Washington, November 12, 1986, 11:04 a.m.

SUBJECT

  • S-W-P Breakfast 12 Nov: Arms Control

Cap asked Shultz for his impressions of the Vienna meeting. Shultz replied it was sort of a standoff. Shevardnadze wanted to re-write the Reykjavik record his way; we wanted it as it happened. The Soviets weren’t ready to discuss the paper we tabled. They proposed an inter-round meeting which would focus entirely on what is permitted under the ABM Treaty. We declined and proposed a meeting that would discuss all subjects. Shultz said that he understands from Max Kampelman that the Soviets are now agreeable to discussing all major proposals—across the board—at a four day interim session that would be limited to the principals and their deputies. Cap asked what the point of such session would be. It would be the same people that meet regularly. We would just rake over the same coals and the Soviets would use it for propaganda advantage. Why should we do this in December rather than at the regular meeting in January? Shultz replied that because the [Page 546] whole process is so painstaking we need to try to move forward. “You plough the ground, then get some kind of a break. It’s important to keep inching forward.” He did not think that the Soviets got any kind of a propaganda advantage out of Geneva. JMP observed that the paper the Soviets tabled Friday2 contained some new ideas that went beyond the details presented at Reykjavik. It’s an easier package for us to defend against, he said. We’re in a very good position. The Soviets have gone so far there is no likelihood that Congress will view our position as wrong. There will be no pressure for us to go further; on the contrary, the pressures will be in the other direction.

  1. Source: National Archives, PROFS system, Reagan Administration, ID 47323. Secret. Copies were sent to Rodman, Kraemer, McDaniel, Thompson, Pearson, Poindexter, Keel, and Brooks. No minutes of the breakfast meeting were found. A repeat of an electronic message from Cockell to Linhard, November 12 at 10:50 a.m.↩
  2. November 7. The Delegation analyzed the Soviets’ November 7 START proposals in telegram 10396 from NST Geneva, November 12. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D860863–0801)↩