Negotiating the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty, Part II: December 17, 1978–March 26, 1979


160. 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: 10/78–1/79. Secret. Outside System. Sent for action. Carter initialed “C” at the top of the memorandum, indicating he saw the document.


161. Letter From Israeli Chargé d’Affaires Bar-On to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, President’s Correspondence with Foreign Leaders File, Box 9, Israel: Prime Minister Menachem Begin, 7–12/78. No classification marking. Carter initialed “C” at the top of the letter, indicating that he saw the document.


162. Memorandum From William B. Quandt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Subject File, Box 76, Peace Negotiations: 1–12/78. Secret; Sensitive; Outside System. Sent for information.


163. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State and the White House

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Brzezinski Office File, Subject Chron File, Box 71, Brzezinski, Chron: 1/1–16/79. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Printed from a copy that indicates the original was received in the White House Situation Room. At the top of the telegram, Carter wrote: “CC Cy & Zbig. I am not interested in any visit by Hussein. No need to answer this for a while. JC.” The telegram was found attached to a January 2, 1979, covering memorandum from Brzezinski to Vance. (Ibid.) A signed copy of Hussein’s letter is in the Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, President’s Correspondence with Foreign Leaders File, Box 11, Jordan: King Hussein, 2/77–2/79.


164. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Cables File, State Department Out, Box 114, 12/15–31/78. Secret; Sensitive; Niact Immediate; Exdis Distribute as Nodis. Sent for information Immediate to the White House. Printed from a copy that indicates the original was received in the White House Situation Room. Drafted by the White House; cleared in substance by Vance; cleared by Stanislaus R.P. Valerga (S/S–O); approved by Saunders. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P840148–2531)


165. Memorandum From the President’s Special Adviser for Middle East Affairs (Sanders) to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Office, Presidential Advisory Board, Box 72, Middle East: Box 5. No classification marking. At the top of the memorandum, Carter wrote: “c.c. Cy, Zbig. J.”


166. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790009–0348. Secret; Niact Immediate; Exdis. Sent for information Immediate to Tel Aviv.


167. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P840156–1875. Secret; Immediate; Exdis Distribute as Nodis. Sent for information Immediate to Tel Aviv and the White House.


168. Telegram From the Consulate General in Jerusalem to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P840171–0492. Secret; Immediate; Exdis Distribute as Nodis. Sent for information Immediate to Cairo and Tel Aviv.


169. Memorandum From William B. Quandt of the National Security Council Staff to the Vice President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clift)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Subject File, Box 76, Peace Negotiations: 1–10/79. Secret.


170. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Subject File, Box 16, Egypt-Israel Negotiations: 2/79. Secret. Sent for information. The date is handwritten. Carter initialed “C” at the top of the memorandum, indicating that he saw the document.


171. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, Brzezinski Donated Material, Subject File, Box 36, Serial Xs—(1/79–2/79). Secret. Sent for information. Carter initialed “C” at the top of the memorandum, indicating that he saw the document, and wrote: “for Friday a.m. breakfast.”


172. Minutes of a Policy Review Committee Meeting

Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files, Box 73, PRC 090, 2/1/79, Secretary Brown’s Trip to Middle East. Secret. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. The complete minutes of this meeting is scheduled for publication in Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, vol. XVIII, Middle East Region; Arabian Peninsula. Found attached to the minutes was a February 2 note from Sick to Aaron relaying a telephone conversation that morning in which Barry Blechman of ACDA informed Sick that ACDA Director George M. Seignious was “furious at being excluded from the PRC yesterday on Harold Brown’s Middle East trip. They [ACDA] were under the impression that the meeting had been cancelled.” Sick reported to Aaron that he “pleaded ignorance” and noted that perhaps “because of the fact that I see only one dimension of the problem, I do not understand the circumstances when ACDA is invited and when they are excluded.” (Ibid.)


173. Memorandum From William B. Quandt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Subject File, Box 75, Palestinians: 5/78–2/79. Secret. Outside the System. Sent for information.


174. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P850061–2373. Secret; Niact Immediate, Nodis. Drafted by Atherton; cleared by Quandt, Sterner, Hansell, and Stanislaus R.P. Valerga (S/S–O); approved by Vance. Sent for information Immediate to Cairo and the White House. A draft version of this letter, bearing Carter’s handwritten amendments, and an attached, undated covering memorandum from Brzezinski to Carter upon which Carter initialed his approval is in the Carter Library, Brzezinski Donated Material, Subject File, Box 36, Serial Xs—(1/79–2/79).


175. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P840163–0723. Secret; Niact Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by Atherton; cleared by Quandt, Sterner, Hansell, and Stanislaus R.P. Valerga (S/S–O); approved by Vance. Sent for information Immediate to Tel Aviv and the White House. A draft version of this letter, bearing Carter’s handwritten amendments, and an attached, undated covering memorandum from Brzezinski to Carter upon which Carter initialed his approval is in the Carter Library, Brzezinski Donated Material, Subject File, Box 36, Serial Xs—(1/79–2/79).


176. Letter From President Carter to Secretary of Defense Brown

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 55, Middle East: Security, 5/79–9/80. Secret.


177. Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Support Services, Directorate of Intelligence, Job 82T00150R: Production Case Files, Box 6, Folder 77, Implications of Iran for Middle East Peace Negotiations. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified].


178. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Brown to President Carter

Source: Department of State, Office of the Secretariat Staff, Cyrus R. Vance, Secretary of State—1977–1980, Lot 84D241, Box 5, Middle East—1979. Secret; Sensitive. A handwritten notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “Sec State Eyes Only.” A different version of Brown’s memorandum is scheduled for publication in Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, vol. XVIII, Middle East Region; Arabian Peninsula.


179. Memorandum From William B. Quandt of the National Security Council Staff for the Record

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Chron File, Box 135, Quandt: 2/79. Secret. The meeting took place in the Cabinet Room. Printed from an uninitialed copy.


180. Summary Prepared in the National Security Council

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Subject File, Box 16, Egypt-Israel Negotiations: 2/79. Secret; Eyes Only. No memoranda of conversation for the day’s meetings have been found. Carter initialed “C” at the top of the memorandum, indicating that he saw the document.


181. Memorandum From William B. Quandt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Subject File, Box 16, Egypt-Israel Negotiations: 2/79. Secret; Outside System. Sent for information. Printed from an uninitialed copy. No memoranda of conversation for the day’s meetings have been found.


182. Memorandum From William B. Quandt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Subject File, Box 16, Egypt-Israel Negotiations: 2/79. Secret. Outside System. Printed from a copy that does not bear Quandt’s initials. Carter initialed “C” at the top of the memorandum, indicating that he saw the document. No memoranda of conversation for the day’s meetings have been found.


183. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Carter Library, Brzezinski Donated Material, Subject File, Box 36, Serial Xs—(1/79–2/79). Secret. Drafted on February 26. The meeting took place in the Oval Office.


184. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Cables File, State Department Out, Box 115, 2/14–28/79. Secret; Sensitive; Immediate; Exdis Distribute as Nodis. Sent for information Immediate to the White House. Printed from a copy that indicates the original was received in the White House Situation Room. Drafted by Saunders; cleared by Brzezinski and Stanislaus R.P. Valerga (S/S–O); approved by Vance. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P850061–2295)


185. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State and the White House

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, President’s Correspondence with Foreign Leaders File, Box 10, Israel: Prime Minister Menachem Begin, 1/79–2/80. Secret; Flash; Exdis Distribute as Nodis. Printed from a copy that indicates the original was received in the White House Situation Room. Carter initialed “C” at the top of the telegram, indicating that he saw the document.


186. Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Support Services, Directorate of Intelligence, Job 82T00150R: Production Case Files, Box 6, Folder 84, Possible Arab Acceptance of an Egyptian-Israeli Treaty. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]. The memorandum was found attached to a February 26 note from the Director of the CIA’s National Foreign Assessment Center, Robert R. Bowie to the NIO/NESA, reporting that Turner informed the attendees at that morning’s DCI Staff Meeting that “the White House had suggested that the other Arabs would accept an Israeli-Egyptian accord if it was actually signed. Specifically, the Saudis, Syria and Jordan were mentioned.” On this, Bowie asked: “What do we think of this, assuming that the linkage positions are no better than in the present draft? How much further linkage would make the difference?” (Ibid.) Also attached is a February 27 note from Director of the Office of Regional and Political Analysis Helene Boatner to Bowie stating that the intelligence memorandum was drafted in response to Bowie’s memorandum. (Ibid.)


187. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East, Subject File, Box 7, Camp David II: 2/79. Secret. Sent for information. The date is handwritten.


188. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Carter and Israeli Prime Minister Begin

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Office, Outside the System File, Box 66, Middle East: President Carter’s Trip to Jerusalem and Cairo: 2–4/79. Secret. At the top of the transcript, Carter wrote “OK, C.” According to the President’s Daily Diary, Carter spoke with Begin from the Oval Office from 2:33 p.m. to 2:39 p.m. on February 27. (Carter Library, Presidential Materials)


189. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Carter and Egyptian President Sadat

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Office, Outside the System File, Box 66, Middle East: President Carter’s Trip to Jerusalem and Cairo: 2–4/79. Secret. At the top of the transcript, Carter wrote: “OK, J.” According to the President’s Daily Diary, Carter spoke with Sadat from the Oval Office. (Carter Library, Presidential Materials)