493. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to Secretary of State Vance, Secretary of Defense Brown, Secretary of Energy Schlesinger, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (McIntyre), the Representative to the United Nations (Young), the Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (Warnke), the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Jones), the Director of Central Intelligence (Turner), and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (Press)1

SUBJECT

  • UN Special Session on Disarmament

Having reviewed the Summary of Conclusions for the May 12 SCC meeting on the UN Special Session on Disarmament,2 the President has decided:

1. The U.S. should not undertake the negative security assurance. (The President noted that we should stand on his previous statement.)

2. The U.S. should not propose negotiations designed to lead to the worldwide cessation of the production of fissionable materials for nuclear weapons. (The President noted that we should not disavow our past statements.)

3. The President will not deliver the U.S. presentation to the SSOD on May 24.

Zbigniew Brzezinski
  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Brzezinski Office File, Subject Chron File, Box 118, Special Session on Disarmament: 2–5/78. Secret.
  2. See Document 489.