REPLY TO DIRECTOR'S QUESTIONS ON PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSC-38 (COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP97M00248R000400800003-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 18, 2010
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: June 1, 1978
• Content Type: MEMO

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3006XK
SECRET - GDS
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20506
May 22, 1978
The
Vice President
The
Secretary of
State
The
Secretary of
Defense
The
Secretary of
Energy
The
Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
The
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
The
Director of Central Intelligence
The
Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy
SUBJECT: -Presidential=, Directive/I48'C=38`
Attached is a copy of PD/NSC-38, Comprehenside `Test:Y_Bans
This PD is to be held` closely: and-,distributed,.-only,.-.;to--,those--.of ficers-.
in-your department"or -agency with=?a,, strict -need" to--know-...-:..
Christine Dodson
Staff Secretary
SECRET - GDS
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3006XX
SECRET/GDS May 20, 1978
Presidential Directive/NSC-38
TO: The Vice President
The Secretary of State
The Secretary of Defense
ALSO: The Secretary of Energy
The Director, Arms Control & Disarmament Agency
The Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
The"Dire ctor bf-Centra-l,?Intelligence.
The Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy
SUBJECT : r Comprehensive--Test=,, Barr ~ -( C)
The President has reviewed the recent deliberations of the SCC on the
Comprehensive Test Ban (CTB) issues, and has reached the following
conclusions.
a. In view of the importance of maintaining confidence in safety
and reliability of our stockpiled nuclear weapons, the US should propose
in the CTB negotiations that the treaty have a fixed five year duration.
The treaty would automatically terminate at the end of five years. -
During the fifth year there would be a reeww_r_onferencP to determine
whether to negotiate a replacement treaty.
b. In forwarding the treaty to the Senate for ratification the
President has decided to state his intention to resume testing at the
end of the five years limited only to weapons safety and reliability
purposes unless a vigorous safeguards program and studies in the interim
indicate that this is not necessary. He has also decided that any
further agreement on testing limitations after the five year treaty
would be presented to the Senate for ratification.
c. The President has decided that nj l ar wea ns experiments at
minimal yield levels (a few pounds or somewhat higher) should be permitted
under the CTB in addition to experiments in laser fusion and other
related areas for civil energy purposes. He has also directed that the
precise nature and yields of such experiments be detailed in a CTB
Safeguards Plan by the SCC and forwarded for his review by June 30,
1978.
SECRET/GDS
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SECRET/GDS
7
In connection with these decisions, the President has asked that the
Soviets be informed of his desire to expedite the CTB negotiations.
In this regard, the US delegation should state that the fixed duration
treaty proposal, coupled with our earlier historic shift on on-site
s ection, represents major movement on the part of the US on issues of
Soviet concern and that in return we expect Soviet movement in the
direction of our positions on the remaining CTB verification issues.
Zbigniew Brzezinski
SECRET/GDS
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