Page 349 - Argentina - Carter, Regan, and Bush VP

No Objection To Declassification 2009/08/10 : NLC-10-20-5-5-8

MEMORANDUM

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
■6ECHET.-JCS Review Completed MORI 0)3316040
May 8, 1979
State Department
MEMORANDUM FOR ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI review completed

FROM: LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN (Pastor)

*
SUBJECT: Evening Report (U)

Argentina. The U. S.-Argentina Conference was very informative with
frank and useful exchanges on human rights, democratization,
economic problems, the NAM, etc. The Argentines have clearly passed
through a national trauma, and the memory of the civil war will
unquestionably have a salving and moderating influence as they
begin the task of re-building a more democratic society. There is
a feeling among them that they have juBt turned the corner, though
they are not in a hurry to re-discover politics. Today, the human
rights officer from our Embassy in Buenos Aires stopped by, and
while agreeing that disappearances have declined sharply, encouraged
us to press the Argentines on three concerns: Timerman, torture,
and an accounting of the disappearances. He also provided an
interesting statistic on the civil war: 659 Argentine soldiers or
police were killed (according to GOA sources) and 10-15,000
civilians. (S)

Caribbean. Called a meeting of representatives from Treasury, AID,
State, World Bank, IDB, and 0MB to discuss the U.S. position at the
donors' meeting of the Caribbean Group (CG) in Paris next week.
Given the changed political circumstances in the Caribbean, it is
essential that the donors have their act together when the full CG
meets in June. The World Bank has set d target of $650 million for
the region's requirements this year for project aid and for the
Caribbean Development Facility (CDF). We are going to have to come
up with some more money if we will be able to maintain our 1978
level of 30% of the CDF. (S)

Two officers from the JCS stopped by to discuss their study of the
security implications of Cuban military modernization and of the
PRM on Central America. I asked them to do some work on the
implications of the Cuban build-up on the "basin" countries and on
NATO. (S)

Mexico. STR is sending a team down to Mexico to try to complete
negotiations. The tomato issue is looming ominously on the horizon.
Treasury is supposed to make a preliminary determination by July 17
on anti-dumping charges, and we are looking for ways to avoid that.
Talked to Frank White of DPS about a joint memo from Stu and you to
the President on the undocumented workers issue. (C)

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