Constructing Frameworks for Peace: The Camp David Summit, August 8–September 17, 1978
1. Backchannel Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to the Ambassador to Israel (Lewis)
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Subject File, Box 8, Backchannel Messages: Middle East: 2/78–11/80. Confidential; Sensitive; Flash. Printed from a copy that indicates the original was received in the White House Situation Room.
2. Special National Intelligence Estimate Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, History Staff Files, SNIE 36.4–1–78 Lebanon: Prospects for Expanded Conflict. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]. A note on the first page reads: “The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the NSA, along with the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Department of the Army; the Director of Naval Intelligence, Department of the Navy; and the Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Department of the Air Force, participated in the preparation of this estimate. The DCI submitted this estimate with the concurrence of the National Foreign Intelligence Board except where noted in the text.”
3. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P850033–0033. Secret; Immediate; Exdis Distribute as Nodis. Sent for information Immediate to Tel Aviv and Cairo. Printed from a corrected copy.
4. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P840140–2243. Secret; Cherokee; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by Tarnoff; approved by Vance.
5. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P850093–2458. Secret; Niact Immediate; Exdis Distribute as Nodis. Sent for information Immediate to Cairo, Tel Aviv, and Jidda.
6. Paper Prepared in the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Files of Alfred L. Atherton, Lot 80D166, Box 5, Preparations for Camp David Summit—August 1978. Secret; Nodis. Drafted by Korn on August 14. The paper was included as part of a briefing book prepared during Camp David preparatory strategy meetings attended by Vance, Saunders, Quandt, and Atherton at Ambassador Averell Harriman’s estate near Middleburg, Virginia, beginning on August 11. The complete briefing book is ibid. For Vance’s account of the Middleburg talks, see Hard Choices, p. 218.
7. Briefing Paper Prepared in the Department of State and the National Security Council
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Office, Outside the System File, Box 66, Middle East: Negotiations: 8–11/78. Secret; Nodis. In the upper right-hand corner, Brown wrote: “9/1. HB.” According to Quandt’s account of the Camp David negotiations, Quandt, Vance, Atherton, and Saunders drafted this paper during their strategy meetings at Middleburg, Virginia, beginning on August 11. (Quandt, Camp David, pp. 212–213)
8. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P840140–2296. Secret; Flash; Nodis. Drafted by Saunders; cleared by Stanislaus R.P. Valerga (S/S–O); approved by Saunders. Sent for information Immediate to Cairo.
9. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Files of Alfred L. Atherton, Lot 80D166, Box 5, Preparations for Camp David Summit—August 1978. Secret; Immediate; Exdis Distribute as Nodis. Sent for information Immediate to Cairo and the White House.
10. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P840140–2308. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by James P. Covey (NEA/IAI); cleared by Korn, Houghton, Ann K. Korky (NEA), and Stanislaus R.P. Valerga (S/S–O); approved by Korn. Sent for information Immediate to Cairo.
11. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Syria
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D780332–1115. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by the White House; cleared by W. Nathaniel Howell (NEA/ARN) and Thomas C. Martin (S/S–O); approved by Veliotes. On August 11, Vance sent a draft copy of the letter, along with a list of suggested recipients, to Carter. This draft copy, with Carter’s handwritten amendments, is in the Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 52, Middle East: Camp David Cables and Memos, 8/1–15/78. In telegrams 205956 to Amman and 205956 to Jidda, both August 16, the Department transmitted individualized versions of this letter to Hussein and Khalid. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D780332–1118 and D780332–1113 respectively)
12. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 51, Middle East: 7–9/78. Secret; Sensitive. Outside System. Carter initialed “C” in the upper right-hand corner of the memorandum, indicating that he saw it.
13. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Files of Alfred L. Atherton, Lot 80D166, Box 5, Preparations for Camp David Summit—August 1978. Secret; Cherokee; Immediate; Exdis Handle as Nodis. Sent for information Immediate to Tel Aviv.
14. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Subject File, Box 9, Camp David Talks: [State Department Briefing Book]: 9/78. Secret; Sensitive. A handwritten notation on the document reads: “Outside the System. Bill Quandt.”
15. Report Prepared in the Vice Directorate for Production, Defense Intelligence Agency
Source: Defense Intelligence Agency, DIA Historical Collection, Box MEA–1 (5 of 12), 1977–1979. Secret; Noforn.
16. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Files of Alfred L. Atherton, Lot 80D166, Box 5, Preparations for Camp David Summit—August 1978. Secret; Nodis. Drafted by Eilts. The memorandum of conversation was found attached to an August 28 covering memorandum from Eilts to Vance, sent through Atherton, in which Eilts summarized Sadat’s main points. (Ibid.)
17. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Office of the Secretariat Staff, Cyrus R. Vance, Secretary of State—1977–1980, Lot 84D241, Box 4, Middle East–1978. Secret; Immediate; Nodis.
18. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (McIntyre) to President Carter
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 52, Middle East: Camp David Cables and Memos, 8/16–31/78. Secret. A copy of the memorandum was sent to Brzezinski.
19. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State and the White House
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P850033–0419. Secret; Niact Immediate; Exdis Distribute as Nodis. Sent for information Immediate to Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Jerusalem, and USUN.
20. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassies in Syria and Israel
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P840140–2453. Secret; Niact Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by Draper; cleared by James Thyden (S/S–O) and in substance by Newsom; approved by Saunders. Sent for information Immediate to Jerusalem, USUN, Amman, Cairo, and Jidda. Printed from a corrected copy.
21. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 52, Middle East: Camp David Cables and Memos, 8/16–31/78. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Outside System. Sent for action. Printed from an uninitialed copy. The date is handwritten at the top of the first page of the memorandum.
22. Telegram From the Consulate General in Jerusalem to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Files of Alfred L. Atherton, Lot 80D166, Box 6, Camp David Summit—September 1978 and working papers. Secret; Immediate; Exdis Handle as Nodis.
23. Paper Prepared in the Department of State
Source: Carter Library, Brzezinski Donated Material, Geographic File, Box 13, Middle East—Negotiations: (7/29/78–9/6/78). Secret; Nodis. The paper was found attached to an undated covering memorandum from Vance to Carter stating that this was a “refined version” of the paper “that we discussed at lunch today.” (Ibid.) Reference is presumably to Carter’s September 1 luncheon meeting with Mondale, Vance, Brown, Jordan, Brzezinski, Eilts, and Lewis to discuss the Camp David talks. The luncheon took place from noon to 1:11 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. (Carter Library, Presidential Materials, President’s Daily Diary) No other record of this meeting has been found. Carter noted in his personal diary on August 31: “All the briefing books from the State Department, NSC, and CIA had set our expectations too low. I want to insist to the Middle East leaders that we resolve as many problems as possible at Camp David, not just come out with a declaration of principles leading to further negotiations.” (White House Diary, p. 215)
24. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting
Source: Carter Library, Vertical File, Middle East. Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the Cabinet Room at the White House. A summary of conclusions from the meeting is ibid.
25. Memorandum From the President’s Senior Adviser (Sanders) to President Carter
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 52, Middle East: Camp David Cables and Memos, 9/78. No classification marking.
27. Personal Note Prepared by President Carter
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 53, Middle East: Camp David President’s Working Papers, undated. No classification marking. Carter discussed the drafting of this note in Keeping Faith, pp. 325–327.
28. Draft Summary of Meetings
Source: Department of State, U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv, Principal Officer Program Files, Lot 85F104, Personal for Ambassador Lewis—Sensitive Notes 1978. Secret. Unless noted otherwise, no memoranda of conversation for the meetings listed in the summary have been found.
29. Message From Secretary of State Vance to the Embassy in Syria
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Subject File, Box 88, Syria: 4/78–5/79. Secret; Nodis. Sent for information to the Department of State. The telegram is not numbered. Printed from a copy that indicates the original was received in the White House Situation Room. The Department repeated the text of Carter’s message to Assad in telegram 227283 to Beirut, September 7. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, N780007–0483)
30. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Department of State, Office of the Secretariat Staff, Cyrus R. Vance, Secretary of State—1977–1980, Lot 84D241, Box 4, Middle East—1978. Secret; Nodis. Drafted by Eilts.