Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XXII, Southeast Asia and the Pacific

235. Memorandum From Michael Armacost of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)¹

Washington, June 16, 1977

SUBJECT

• Postponement of Muldoon’s Visit

I have been discussing the President’s request to Cy Vance² to delay Muldoon’s visit with Dick Holbrooke and Bob Oakley. We all agree that Muldoon’s injudicious remarks constitute a gross impropriety.³ No one is disposed to reclama the President’s decision. However, State would like to proceed in the following way: have Cy Vance convey to Muldoon during his bilateral at the OECD meeting⁴ the President’s displeasure with his repeated public remarks about him, and inform Muldoon that for the moment the visit is not on; indicate that we will make no public announcement of this at this juncture; suggest that when Warren Christopher is down there for the ANZUS meeting, he and Muldoon can discuss this matter further.

This would communicate clearly our displeasure, place the trip in limbo, and put the monkey on Muldoon’s back to issue a private apology or public statement to make amends. It would not foreclose entirely the possibility of holding the visit on schedule, but would make clear to Muldoon that any prospect of a visit will require something of him before Christopher gets there. We could then decide in the light of any gestures Muldoon makes over the next six weeks whether to instruct Christopher to talk about later dates or proceed with the visit as originally planned.

I find this procedure attractive and recommend that we proceed in this fashion.⁵

1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Far East, Armacost Chron File, Box 3, 6/11–27/77. Confidential. Sent for action. Dodson and Inderfurth initialed the top right-hand corner of the page.
2. See Document 234. An unknown hand underlined the word “request.”
3. See Documents 233 and 236.
4. An unknown hand wrote “this week” in the left-hand margin and drew a line to this spot in the text. The OECD Ministerial meeting was held June 22–24 in Paris.
5. Brzezinski checked the approve option and wrote in the margin, “if Cy can be direct enough. Otherwise M[uldoon] might think the trip is still on.” Aaron also wrote in the margin, “I agree,” and signed his initials.