Office of the Historian

Sources

Sources for Foreign Relations, 1989–1992, Volume XXXI, START I, 1989–1991

The most critical documentation included in this volume was drawn from the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, which contains the National Security Council Institutional Files (H-Files) covering meetings of the National Security Council and National Security Council Deputies Committee, as well as the preparation of National Security Directives. The Bush Library also contains the records of the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs Brent Scowcroft; the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs Robert Gates; and key National Security Council staff members including John Gordon, who served as Director for Defense Policy before succeeding Arnold Kanter as President’s Special Assistant and Senior Director in October 1991. Moreover, the Bush Library contains records from Bush’s eight years as vice president (January 1981–January 1989), during which he and advisors Donald Gregg and Sam Watson kept close tabs on the strategic arms reduction talks that commenced in Geneva on June 29, 1982.

Of the files of the Department of State, the most useful for the purposes of this volume were two lot files pertaining to the Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance, Science and Technology’s Senior Advisor, James Timbie (after April 30, 1990, Timbie was Senior Advisor to the renamed position of Under Secretary of State for International Security Affairs). Both the Office of the Under Secretary for Arms Control, International Security Affairs, 1969–1990 Subject Records of James P. Timbie (Lot 01D127), and the Office of the Under Secretary for Arms Control, International Security Affairs, Records of James Timbie (Lot 05D259) collections contain memoranda for Secretary of State James Baker, as well as memoranda of conversation between Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance, Science and Technology Reginald Bartholomew and Soviet counterparts such as Sergey Akhromeyev. In addition, the Office of the Secretary of State, Baker’s Classified Papers (Lot 93D187) and the Office of the Secretary of State, Subject Files (Lot 96D277) include additional pertinent documentation. The Policy Planning Staff (S/P) lot files, including Dennis Ross’ Subject Files (Lot 03D102), also yielded significant materials. So too did a collection of Counselor Robert Zoellick’s lot files that were retired in his capacity as Under Secretary of State for Economic and Agricultural Affairs (Lot 96D484).

The Central Foreign Policy File of the Department of State, consisting of D (digital), P (paper), and N (nodis) microfilm reels, replaced [Page XIV] the paper subject-numeric file in 1973. The D and N reels contain the cable traffic between Washington and posts and, for the purposes of this particular volume, provided background information concerning key concepts and events. Key to this volume were the cable traffic to and from the U.S. Delegation to the Nuclear and Space Talks in Geneva, which Richard Burt led from February 17, 1989, until his deputy, Linton Brooks, succeeded him in March 1991. The P reels consist of microfilmed versions of memoranda of conversation, letters, briefing papers, airgrams, and memoranda to principals, among other documents. The National Archives and Records Administration facility in College Park, Maryland, will eventually include the Central Foreign Policy File as part of Record Group (RG) 59.

In addition to the paper files cited below, a growing number of documents are available on the internet. The Office of the Historian maintains a list of these resources on its website and encourages readers to consult that site on a regular basis.

Unpublished Sources

Department of State, Washington, D.C.

Central Foreign Policy File. These files have been transferred or will be transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland.

  • P Reels
  • D Reels
  • N Reels

Lot Files. These files have been transferred or will be transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland.

  • Lot 89D149: Policy Planning Staff, Memoranda/Correspondence from the Director of the Policy Planning Staff to the Secretary and Other Seventh Floor Principals
  • Lot 89D250: Executive Secretariat, FAIM/IS Files, Miscellaneous Papers Screened from the Subject Files of Secretary Shultz and his Assistant Charles Hill Upon the Secretary’s Resignation on January 20, 1989
  • Lot 91D490: Office of the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (P), Robert M. Kimmitt—Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (P) Special and Chron Files from January 1989–July 1991
  • Lot 93D187: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S-IRM Records, Secretary James A. Baker III’s Classified Papers, January 1989–August 1992
  • Lot 93D396: Office of the Under Secretary for Political Affairs (P), Files for Under Secretary for Political Affairs Arnold Kanter (P), October 1991–January 1993
  • Lot 93D519: Executive Secretariat, S/P Files, Dennis Ross, Director of Policy Planning Staff (S/P) Correspondence Files; S/P Chron Files—January 1989–January 1993
  • Lot 94D589: Office of the Counselor, Official Records of Robert B. Zoellick—Counselor of the Department of State—“C” (January 20, 1989–August 22, 1992), Correspondence, Chron, Appointment, Miscellaneous, and Transition Records
  • Lot 95D335: Office of the Deputy Secretary of State, Lawrence S. Eagleburger, Deputy Secretary (D); the Acting Secretary; and the Secretary of State (S) Chron Files—1989–93; Correspondence Records, D Official Chron Records
  • Lot 96D234: Office of the Secretary of State, Office of Secretary Eagleburger, Chron & Subject File
  • Lot 96D258: Office of the Secretary of State, New Files for J. Baker Memoirs; Subject File for Secretary J. Baker
  • Lot 96D277: Office of the Secretary of State, Baker’s Subject Files 1990–1994
  • Lot 96D484: Bureau of Economic and Agricultural Affairs, Robert B. Zoellick, Under Secretary for Economic & Agricultural Affairs (E), Subject and Country Records of “E”
  • Lot 98D550: Executive Secretariat, S/S Files, Secretariat Memorandums, 1990 and 1991 Special Handling Restrictions (Captions) Memorandums
  • Lot 99D344: Department of State, Bureau of European Affairs, Office of Russian Affairs, Russia Desk Files
  • Lot 01D127: Department of State, Office of the Under Secretary for Arms Control, International Security Affairs, 1969–1990 Subject Record of James P. Timbie
  • Lot 02D360: Department of State, Bureau of Arms Control, Edward M. Ifft Files
  • Lot 03D102: Executive Secretariat, S/P Files, Subject Files of Policy Planning Staff (S/P): Dennis B. Ross, Director from 1989–1992 and Office of the Special Middle East Coordinator (S/SMEC): Dennis B. Ross, Special Middle East Coordinator from 1993–December 2000
  • Lot 05D259: Department of State, Office of the Under Secretary for Arms Control, International Security Affairs, Records of James Timbie
  • Lot 06D436: Department of State, Verification, Compliance and Implementation, Verification, Compliance and Implementation Subject Files, 1983–2005

George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, College Station, Texas

  • George H.W. Bush Vice Presidential Records
    • Donald P. Gregg Files
    • Samuel J. Watson Files
  • George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
  • Brent Scowcroft Collection
    • Robert M. Gates Files
    • Scowcroft Close Hold Files
    • Special Separate USSR Notes Files
    • Chronological Files
  • National Security Council
    • Condoleezza Rice Files
    • Declassified National Security Directives (NSDs) and National Security Reviews (NSRs)
    • Institutional Files (H-Files)
      • NSC Meeting Files
      • NSC/DC Meetings Files
    • Intelligence File
    • John A. Gordon Files
    • PA Files [1989–1993]
    • Richard A. Davis Files
    • Robert M. Gates Files

Published Sources

Department of State Bulletin

Department of State Dispatch

New York Times