Page 343 - Argentina - Carter, Regan, and Bush VP

No Objection To Declassification in trull 2012/04/16 : NLC-133-22-30-2-4
MEMORANDUM

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

•fpflMF I DFN'T1 T a r. - GDS

August 9, 1978

MEMORANDUM FOR: ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI
DAVID AARON
f
FROM: ROBERT PASTOR ■ -

SUBJECT: Argentina: Your Questions

You asked for three items on Argentina: (1) current status
of the human rights situation in Argentina; (2) whether U.S.
policy is in a bind with respect to Argentina and also the
Southern Cone, and if so, how we got i^to it, and whether the
NSC was involved; and (3) an alert item for the President.
The item for the President is at Tab A. The other questions
are answered below.
i
I. Argentina1s Human Rights Situation

Argentina is still one of the world's most serious human
rights problem countries. Just this month, Amnesty Inter­
national launched a major campaign world-wide aimed at
focusing public opinion on Argentina's dismal record, which
includes, since March 1976, 15,000 disappearances, 8-10,000
political prisoners, the majority of whom have not yet been
charged; over 25 secret prison camps; and numerous documented
stories of arrest and torture. (One report from our Embassy
is at Tab B.) On human rights-related matters, world opinion
always seems to lag behind the reality; Amnesty intends to
correct that.

While Argentina still has the worst record in the hemisphere,
there has been some improvement in recent months. We under­
stand that the Minister of Interior has instructed the police,
and reportedly the military, to curb excesses; arrests under
executive power have decreased and lists of those detained
have been published; and a limited right of option for political
prisoners to request exile has been reinstituted. On a number
of cases in which we have expressed special interest — Jacobo
Timerman, Alfredo Bravo, 4 of 5 members of the Deutsch family —
the Argentine Government has released them.

II. U.S. Policy

In recognition of this progress, we have switched from voting
"no" on non-basic human needs loans in the IFI's to abstaining.

CONFIDENTIAL - GDS declassified
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