Afghanistan
61. Memorandum From Marshall Brement of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) and the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)
Source: National Security Council, Carter Administration Intelligence Files, Box I–047, Afghanistan: 11 Sep 1979–22 Jul 1980. Top Secret; Sensitive; Outside the System. Sent for action. Attached but not printed is a September 11 covering note from Brement to Henze and Gregg asking “to get together with you on this ASAP.” Below Brement’s request, Gregg wrote a note to Henze reporting he had met with two CIA officials, September 12, who told him that a liberation front existed outside Afghanistan but was fragmented and not in contact with rebels in Afghanistan.
62. Alert Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, National Intelligence Council Files, Job 94T00046R, Box2, SWS Products on Afghanistan. Top Secret; [codeword and handling restriction not declassified]. Attached but not printed is a September 14 memorandum from Turner to the National Security Council that read: “The Soviet leaders may be on the threshold of a decision to commit their own forces to prevent the collapse of the Taraki regime and protect their sizable stake in Afghanistan. Small Soviet combat units may already have arrived in the country. I am concerned that the Soviets may be underestimating the difficulties of shoring up the regime and may find themselves under growing pressures to escalate the scope of their intervention in the next few months. Moreover, the Soviets may now be more inclined to gamble on a substantial intervention in Afghanistan because of their perception of a downturn in relations with the US and the uncertain prospects for Senate approval of the SALT treaty.”
63. Telegram From the Embassy in Afghanistan to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790423–0306. Confidential; Flash. Sent for information Immediate to Ankara, Beijing, Dacca, Islamabad, Jidda, Karachi for RSS, London, Moscow, USNATO, New Delhi, Paris, Peshawar, Tehran, USUN, CINCPAC also for POLAD, and CINCEUR also for POLAD.
64. Memorandum From Thomas Thornton of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Thornton, Country File, Box 91, Afghanistan: 5/78–12/79. Top Secret; Codeword. Sent for information.
65. Telegram From the Embassy in Afghanistan to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790426–0729. Confidential; Immediate; Limdis. Sent for information to Islamabad, Moscow, New Delhi, and Tehran.
66. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Murray) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (McGiffert)
Source: Library of Congress, Donated Material of Secretary of Defense Harold Brown, Box 82, Afghanistan. Secret; Sensitive.
67. Interagency Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, History Staff Files. Top Secret; [codeword and handling restriction not declassified]. A typed statement on the first page reads: “This memorandum was prepared under the auspices of the National Intelligence Officer for USSR and Eastern Europe, National Foreign Assessment Center. It was coordinated within the Central Intelligence Agency; with the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State; [less than 1 line not declassified] with the National Security Agency; and with the intelligence organizations of the Departments of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. Information available through 27 September 1979 was used in the preparation of this memorandum.”
68. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Afghanistan
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790446–0947. Confidential; Immediate. Sent for information Priority to Islamabad, Moscow, New Delhi, and Tehran. A copy of this telegram was also found in the Department of Defense, Afghan War Collection, Box 4, USSR in Afghanistan (September 79).
69. Intelligence Information Cable Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
Source: Department of Defense, Afghan War Collection, Box 4, USSR in Afghanistan (October 79). Secret; [handling restriction not declassified].
70. Memorandum from the Secretary of State’s Special Adviser on Soviet Affairs (Shulman) to Secretary of State Vance
Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat (ES), Sensitive and Super Sensitive File, 1979–1983, Lot 96D262, Box 2, 1979 ES Sensitive, Oct 1 thru 16. Secret; Nodis.
72. Telegram From the Embassy in Afghanistan to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790458–1129. Secret; Exdis. Sent for information to Islamabad, Moscow, and New Delhi.
73. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to Secretary of State Vance
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Records of Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Newsom, Lot 81D154, Afghanistan. Secret. A handwritten note at the bottom of the page indicates that the memorandum was received in S/S–I on October 5 at 12 p.m.
74. Telegram From the Embassy in Afghanistan to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790462–0311. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis. Sent for information to Islamabad, Moscow, and New Delhi.
75. Telegram From the Embassy in Afghanistan to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790463–1021. Confidential; Immediate. Sent for information to Islamabad, Moscow, New Delhi, and Tehran.
76. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting
Source: National Security Council, Carter Administration Intelligence Files, Box I–047, SCC (I) on Covert Action, 23 Oct 1979. Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. The summary of conclusions was attached at Tab B to a memorandum (not printed) from Brzezinski to Carter recommending the President sign the Presidential Findings (attached together at Tab A, not printed). The Presidential Finding with the scope of Afghanistan stated: “provide support, either directly or through third countries, to the Afghan insurgents in the form of cash, non-military supplies, communications equipment and procurement advice.” Under the description, Carter wrote: “My preference is that we have the consultations with the Saudis (& perhaps Paks) first, to see what we can do to help them with covert action. Expedite, and report back to me. J.” Under Carter’s note, an unknown hand wrote: “Finding signed 11–7–79.” [text not declassified] Tabs C and D were also attached to Brzezinski’s memorandum but not printed.
77. Memorandum From the Director of the Strategic Warning Staff, Central Intelligence Agency (MacEachin) to the National Intelligence Officer for Warning, Central Intelligence Agency (Lehman)
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, National Intelligence Council Files, Job 93T01324R, Box 4, Afghanistan. Top Secret; [codeword and handling restriction not declassified]. Attached but not printed are an October 29 covering memorandum from MacEachin, a map of Afghanistan, a distribution list, and a memorandum from [text not declassified] to MacEachin, October 30, registering INR’s endorsement of MacEachin’s memorandum.
78. Telegram From the Embassy in Afghanistan to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790493–0792. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis. Archer Blood was serving as Acting Deputy Chief of Mission.
79. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Office Files of Marshall D. Shulman, Special Advisor to the Secretary on Soviet Affairs, 1977–1981, Lot 81D109, Watson-Korniyenko, 11/2/79. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Sent for information to Leningrad, Bonn, London, Paris, Islamabad, Kabul, and New Delhi.
80. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)
Source: National Security Council, Carter Administration Intelligence Files, Box I–047, Afghanistan: 11 Sep 1979–22 Jul 1980. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]. Carter initialed “C” in the top right corner.
81. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Planning (Slocombe) to the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (Murphy)
Source: Library of Congress, Donated Material of Secretary of Defense Harold Brown, Box 82, Afghanistan. Secret; Sensitive. A copy was sent to Komer. Attached but not printed is a November 20 memorandum from Sullivan to Murphy that contained comments on a Department of Defense paper characterized by Sullivan as “calling for a more aggressive covert action policy on Afghanistan.” Sullivan defended the paper, in response to Komer’s comments, noting that the paper’s objective was not to “win” in Afghanistan by attempting to “install a pro-U.S. western style democracy,” but to “ensure that the Soviets do not win and to ensure the fall of the Amin regime” by increasing monetary aid to the insurgents to $5 million. Sullivan recommended that the paper go forward “even if we do not succeed in overcoming opposition at the SCC level.” The DOD paper with Komer’s comments was not found.
82. Telegram From the Embassy in Afghanistan to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790556–1065. Secret; Priority; Noforn. Sent for information to Ankara, Beijing, London, Moscow, New Delhi, USNATO, and CINCPAC.
83. Intelligence Paper Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 81B00401R: Subject Files of the Presidential Briefing Coordinator for DCI (1977–81), Box 6, Afghan Crisis—Pubs Pre-Invasion Reporting. Top Secret; [codeword and handling restriction not declassified].
84. Intelligence Information Cable Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Thornton, Country File, Box 91, Afghanistan: 5/78–12/79. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified].
85. Memorandum From the Director of the Strategic Warning Staff, Central Intelligence Agency (MacEachin) to the National Intelligence Officer for Warning, Central Intelligence Agency (Lehman)
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, National Intelligence Council Files, Job 93T01324R, Box 4, Afghanistan. Secret.
86. Memorandum From the Secretary of State’s Special Adviser on Soviet Affairs (Shulman) to Secretary of State Vance
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Office Files of Marshall D. Shulman, Special Advisor to the Secretary on Soviet Affairs, 1977–1981, Lot 81D109, CV Meeting 12/15/79 (MDS re U.S.-Sov rel.). Secret. Printed from an uninitialed copy. Drafted by Parris and cleared by Barry.
88. Briefing Memorandum From the Acting Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Mark) to Secretary of State Vance
Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Europe, USSR and East/West, Brement, Subject File, Box 46, Afghanistan: 10/79–1/80. Secret; Noforn; Nocontract; Orcon. Drafted by Van Hollen (INR). A copy was sent to Packman (INR).
89. Alert Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, National Intelligence Council Files, Job 81B00080R, Box 14, [memorandum number not declassified] Alert Memo USSR-Afghanistan (19 Dec 79). Top Secret; [codeword and handling restriction not declassified]. Attached but not printed is a distribution list indicating the memorandum was sent to the President and Vice President, the Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries of State and Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the President’s Assistant and Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs, the Directors of INR, [text not declassified], NSA, and the Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Treasury.
90. Telegram From the Embassy in Afghanistan to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D800012–0699, D790585–0980. Secret; Immediate. Sent for information to Ankara, Athens, Beijing, Islamabad, Jidda, London, Moscow, New Delhi, USNATO, Paris, Athens, CINCPAC (also for POLAD), and CINCEUR (also for POLAD). A copy of this telegram was found in the Department of Defense, Afghan War Collection, Box 4, folder 1.