217. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to Secretary of State Vance1
SUBJECT
- Contingency Plan for Rhodesia
The President is concerned that Smith’s acceptance of an All-Parties Conference could lay the groundwork for a situation in which the next Congress would force removal of sanctions on Rhodesia, even though no acceptable settlement had been reached.
Would you please have your staff prepare a brief strategy paper addressing the following points:
—What further steps should we take to ensure that the APC does in fact take place?
—What steps should we take to increase the chances that the APC will produce an acceptable settlement?
—If there is an APC that produces no acceptable settlement, how can we best avoid being left in a position where the Salisbury group can claim that it has done its part to substantially fulfill the Case-Javits requirements?
—What additional steps should we take to reduce the chances that the new Congress might revoke sanctions against the President’s will; and, if that should happen, how can we minimize damage to our African and global policies?
Could you please have this report forwarded to the NSC by November 6?2
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Brzezinski Office File, Country Chron File, Box 44, Rhodesia: 5–12/78. Secret; Sensitive.↩
- The Department of State responded to Brzezinski’s request in a November 14 memorandum transmitted by Tarnoff entitled “Rhodesia: Strategy for the Coming Weeks.” (Ibid.)↩