LETTER TO MAXWELL CHAPLIN, ESQUIRE FROM STANSFIELD TURNER - 1977/07/26

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03045650
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: July 26, 1977

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The Director of Central Intelligence
Washington, D. C.20505
Maxwell Chaplin, Esquire
Charge d'Affaires ad interim
Buenos Aires
Dear Mr. Chaplin:
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(U) Last fall, Ambassador Little advised Ambassador
Hill of a planned FOCUS Argentina, an Intelligence Community
review of reporting from all elements of the Embassy at
Buenos Aires. The transition period here in Washington
was a busy one, and it was necessary to postpone the review.
I am pleased to advise you that FOCUS Argentina is now
completed, and I attach the original copy of the final report
for your information and use.
(U) The FOCUS Argentina Review is a comprehensive
one. Ambassador Hill's letter of October 4, 1976, and his
discussions with Ambassador Little and Acting National
Intelligence Officer for Latin America Robert Hopkins were
helpful to the review.
(U) I invite your comments on the_-review, or if you
see any way in which we can strengthen our support of
Embassy Buenos Aires, please let me know.
Attachment:
FOCUS Argentina
Yours sincerely,
STANSFIE LI6tJRNER
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DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
FOCUS Argentina
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Part I - United States Foreign Policy Goals and Issues
Regarding the Government of Argentina
NOTE: The following statement was provided
by the Department of State and is based
upon the April 1977 Argentine Annual
Policy and Resources Assessment
approved by the National Security Council
Interdepartmental Group for Inter-American
Affairs. It has been reviewed and updated
by senior policy officers of the Department
of State, Defense, Treasury and the National
Security Council. It is presented here for
information only and in order to provide an
overall framework for the conduct of FOCUS
Argentina. It is subject to change at any
time.
1 United States-Argentine relations have never been
particu ar y close. Indeed, the two nations traditionally have
been rivals more often than partners in international affairs.
Over the last decade and a half, however, the areas of agreement
between U.S. and Argentine aims in the hemisphere have steadily
increased. Simultaneously, there has been a gradual but marked
change in the attitudes of successive Argentine administrations
toward Washington. The military junta that ousted President Peron
in March 1976 placed a high priority on close ties with the U. S.
Before the long-expected coup, U. S. officials had warned top
military leaders that failure to respect human rights would have
a deleterious impact on relations. These admonitions apparently
were not taken too seriously, and the junta's counter-terror
practices have brought U.S. -Argentine relations to the threshold
of serious deterioration.
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1. (S) Because of serious human rights violations and
their impact on our relations, the promotion of human rights is
the major U.S. policy objective.
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THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20505
National Intelligence Officers
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13 June 1977
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chairman,
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FROM : Acting NIO for Latin America
SUBJECT : FOCUS Argentina, Part II --Assessment
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1. An interagency seminar was held on 5 May 1977 under the
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auspices of the Acting NIO for Latin America
Participating
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in tne three-hour seminar were analysts, managers, and
policy makers (29 in all)
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I Comments by these partici ants and the perceptions
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of the undersigned are the basis for this assessment.
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2. Prior to the seminar, the Acting NIO for Latin America
defined the time frame and the topics for assessment. These were dis-
cussed with Ambassador Robert Hill, the State Department Country Director,
and others in the Intelligence Community concerned with Argentina. Some
adjustments were made during these discussions and the time frame of the
assessment -- from Juan Peron's return to Argentina in 1973 until the
present -- was endorsed. The following topics were chosen as the basis
of this assessment:
d. Terrorism -- both right and left wing -- and violations
of human rights;
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d. Terrorism and Human Rights - Under very difficult circumstances,
the mission has done a superior job in covering this area of great
interest to policy makers. The cooperation among
organizations
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is excellent. The
Department of Defense also noted that the coverage of the internal
activities of the leftist terrorist oraanizations had been mod
I
Analysis would like to see more coverage
ot terrorist activity in the provinces and information on the
attitudes of the populace toward terrorism. For example, terrorism
and counter-terrorism are likely to lay the foundations for deep-
seated hatreds that will plague society far into the future.
Obviously, this is a delicate area, and information is hard to obtain.
It would be useful
to have those who favor a reduction in human rights
violations and the intellectual authors of a tough counter-terror
campaign.
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