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

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

Washington, September 30, 1985

SUBJECT

• NSC Meeting, Tuesday, October 1, SDI Briefing

We have an NSC meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 1, on SDI. The explicit objective of the meeting is to permit a fairly broad cross section of all those in the senior leadership within the Executive Branch who have responsibility for any part of the SDI effort to get an update on the progress being made in the SDI program from General Abrahamson (20 minutes) and on the status of actions involving allied participation from Richard Perle (5 minutes). Our implicit objective is to permit all assembled to see how committed the President is to this program so as to invigorate support for it throughout the Administration.

The memorandum provides the following material in support of Tuesday’s NSC meeting:

Tab I—Presidential Meeting Memorandum

• A—Agenda²
• B—List of Participants³
• C—Proposed Presidential Remarks

Tab II—Proposed Talking Points for Mr. McFarlane

Recommendation

That you approve the Presidential Meeting Memorandum at Tab I and forward and Tabs A–C to the President.⁴

Concurrence: Lehman, Wright, Steiner

Tab I

Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (McFarlane) to President Reagan⁵

Washington, undated

MEETING WITH THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

I. PURPOSE

To review the progress that has been made in the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program.

II. BACKGROUND

With the budget discussions continuing and your meeting with General Secretary Gorbachev approaching, it is essential that you and all your senior advisors who have any association with SDI have a full understanding of the progress that is being made in this critical program. The meeting agenda is at Tab A.

III. PARTICIPANTS

List of participants is at Tab B.

IV. PRESS PLAN

Photo opportunity.

V. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

I will introduce the subject. Secretary Weinberger will then introduce the briefers. General Jim Abrahamson, the Director of the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO), will give a program update briefing (20 minutes). Richard Perle will follow with a short briefing on the status of allied participation. These briefings are informational. No specific decisions are being requested.

After the briefings, we will have time for general discussion. We would recommend that you close the meeting with some summary remarks. A draft of proposed remarks for your consideration is attached at Tab C.

Tab C

Talking Points Prepared in the National Security Council⁶

Washington, undated

MEETING WITH THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

STATUS OF THE SDI PROGRAM

Proposed Talking Points for Mr. McFarlane

Agenda Item I: Introduction (5 minutes)

— Today’s subject is the President’s Strategic Defense Initiative.

— A special welcome to many of you who normally are not at NSC gatherings, and to our new Chairman, Admiral Crowe, who is at his first of many such meetings.

[At this point, you may wish to add your views of the importance of the program to U.S. national security. Your remarks could parallel the remarks proposed for the President’s use later in the meeting (Tab C).]

— All who are at this unusually large NSC meeting have some direct role in managing or supporting SDI.

— Given the activity that we anticipate on the Hill, in the press, and in Geneva in the next several weeks, the President felt it would be good to gather this group together to review the status of the SDI program and to hear about the progress we are making in the program.

— Our agenda for today calls for:

— a briefing by General Jim Abrahamson, the director of the SDI program office;

— a few short follow-up remarks by Richard Perle on the status of Allied participation in the program; and

— a chance for questions and discussion.

Agenda Item II: Status of the SDI Program (30 minutes)

— To get us started in our update, Secretary Weinberger, would you like to introduce the briefings for us?

Tab II

Talking Points Prepared in the National Security Council⁷

Washington, undated

MEETING WITH THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

STATUS OF THE SDI PROGRAM

Proposed Presidential Remarks

— In 1983, I announced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a program of vigorous research in advanced defensive technologies designed to investigate options for increasing the contribution of defenses, with a focus on eliminating the threat currently posed by ballistic missiles.

— In the near term, the SDI research program certainly responds to ongoing Soviet activity which is far more extensive than our own.

— This, in itself, is important since SDI provides both a needed hedge and a deterrent against any Soviet decision to expand its ballistic missile defense capability in the hope of gaining unilateral advantage.

— But, it is in the long-term promise that SDI offers to us that we find the real reason for the priority I want placed on this program.

— The long-term promise provided by this research is the possibility of moving towards an enhanced means of deterring aggression, strengthening stability, and increasing the security of the United States and our allies—and doing so through the increased contribution of defensive systems that threaten no one.

— In this regard, SDI research is like cancer research. It is something that we must do, and do well.

— Finally, the Soviets have long recognized that our two nations will compete. Over time, they have developed a momentum in the growth of their offensive forces, and active and passive defensives, that will provide real advantages to them. SDI also is critical to the security of the U.S. in that it offers the hope of “changing the rules of the game” so that we can increase the likelihood of competing in peace, and on a level playing field.

— I want to make sure that all in this room understand fully that this program is critical to the future security of our nation. Therefore, it has my highest priority, and should receive your personal support.

[After a short introduction by SecDef, we should go directly into the SDI program briefing by Jim Abrahamson.]

[Following the program brief, Richard Perle should make a few remarks about Allied participation.]

[After Perle completes his remarks]

— Thank you, Richard and Jim, Secretary Weinberger, do you have any concluding observations before we throw this open for discussion?

[After SecDef’s remarks, if any]

Agenda Item III: Discussion (20 minutes)

— Secretary Shultz, do have any observations about the program or about the status of Allied participation that you would like to share?

[After SecState’s remarks]

— Secretary Herrington, the Department of Energy and the National Laboratories certainly are making a critical contribution to this program. Do you have any observations that you would like to add?

[FYI: DoE may note that their budget for defense programs (e.g., nuclear testing, weapons development, etc.) has remained fairly constant while supporting an increasing SDI research requirement—and that this is beginning to affect the ability to sustain the technical support for other nuclear programs. The national security account in DoE does need more funds. We are trying to work this problem, but the Secretary of Energy is torn between trying to meet deficit reduction goals for his agency budget and the increasing national security demands being placed on DoE.]

[After Secretary Herrington’s remarks]

— Dr. Keyworth, do you have anything that you would like to add to the briefings we have just heard?

[After Keyworth’s remarks]

— Admiral Crowe, do you or any of the Chiefs have anything you may wish to add?

[After the Chiefs’ remarks]

— Others comments?

[After any other comments you wish to entertain]

[Depending upon the time, you can use the next point to get a little bit about the corresponding Soviet program into the discussion.]

— Mr. President, we also have an excellent briefing on the Soviet strategic defense program which we will be getting to you shortly. Mr. Casey, do you have anything to add on the presentation of the U.S. program or a few words on the corresponding Soviet program that you would like to give to us?

[After Mr. Casey’s remarks]

Agenda Item IV: Summary and Closing Remarks (5 minutes)

— I think that this has been a very useful set of briefings and discussion.

— Mr. President, would you like to make any closing remarks?

[Here we would anticipate that the President would draw upon the remarks at Tab C. It is important that the meeting end with no confusion about the President’s desire for a firm, united push for SDI.]⁸

1. Source: Reagan Library, Steven Steiner Files, Arms Control File, AC/SDI (09/20/1985–09/30/1985). Unclassified. Sent for action.
2. Attached but not printed is the agenda.
3. Attached but not printed is the list of participants.
4. McFarlane neither approved nor disapproved the recommendation.
5. Unclassified. Prepared by Linhard. Printed from an uninitialed copy. The document notes that the meeting was scheduled for October 1 from 11:00 until noon in the Cabinet Room.
6. No classification marking. The document notes that the meeting was scheduled for October 1 from 11:00 until noon in the Cabinet Room. Brackets are in the original.
7. No classification marking. The document notes that the meeting was scheduled for October 1 from 11:00 until noon in the Cabinet Room. All brackets are in the original.
8. The National Security Council met in the Cabinet Room from 11:04 to 11:58 a.m. on October 1. (Reagan Library, President’s Daily Diary) No minutes were found. Weinberger’s handwritten notes from the meeting are in Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Weinberger Papers, Appt and Diary File, Box 10, Notes Set B, 1985, 2. #21–44. Reagan wrote in his personal diary for October 1: “An N.S.C. meeting—a report on S.D.I.—it really is showing promise. There have been some remarkable break throughs.” (Brinkley, ed., The Reagan Diaries, vol. I, January 1981–October 1985, p. 501)