CABLE TO HENRY A. KISSINGER FROM BRENT SCOWCROFT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-259-1-25-6
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: September 21, 2009
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: December 15, 1973
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection To Declassification 2009/09/22: LOC-HAK-259-1-25-6
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FM THE SITUATION ROOM TOHAK 85
S E C R E T
TO: HENRY A, KISSINGER
FROM: BRENT SCOWCROFT
WH37599 TOHAK 85 DELIVER IMMEDIATELY.
ALL ACTION REQUESTED BY HAKTO 33 HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
I MET WITH SHALEV AND PASSED HIM THE PRESIDENTIAL LETTER
(HAKTD 39). HE REACTED VERy POSITIVELY TO THE LETTER, CLAIMING
THAT THE EXTENSION OF TIME WOULD BE OF GREAT BENEFIT PSYCHOLOGICALLY.
IT WOULD REMOVE' HE FELT, THE ISRAELI DISPOSITION THAT THEY WERE
ONCE AGAIN BEING FACED WITH A FAIT ACCOMPLI.
I SPOKE WITH DOBRYNIN ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, HE HAD NOT HEARD FROM
MOSCOW ABOUT THE CHANGE IN THE CONFERENCE DATE OR ON THE TWt7 CON
TINGENCY LETTERS. HE WAS MOST ANXIOUS TO HEAR WHAT OUR POLICY WOULD
BE TOWARD THE SECURITY COUNCIL DRAFT RESOLUTION AND HOPED WE WOULD
JOIN THEM IN ABSTAINING.
I SPOKE AT LENGTH WITH LES GELB THIS MORNING. HE HAD COME TO
THE CONCLUSION, HE SAID, AFTER VERY EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS ON THE
HILL AND IN THE BUREAUCRACY THAT THE PRESIDENT NO LONGER PARTI-
CIPATED IN THE MAKING OF NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY, THAT YOU WERE
ITS SOLE ARCHITECT AND THAT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SYSTEM
WAS MORIBUND. I DISCUSSED AT SOME LENGTH WHAT I FELT TO BE THE
ERROR OF HIS CONCLUSIONS, I POINTED OUT THAT ONE OF THE FACTORS
WHICH ON THE HILL COULD LEAD TO SUCH A FEELING WAS THE FACT THAT
AS SECRETARY OF STATE YOU HAD BEEN TESTIFYING ALMOST CONSTANTLY
BEFORE A LARGE NUMBER OF COMMITTEES, WHERE AS. BEFORE YOUR CONTACTS
WITH THE HILL HAD BEEN INFREQUENT, SELECTIVE AND INFORMAL. THIS
VERY MAJOR CHANGE IN VISIBILITY AND EXPOSURE COULD EASILY HAVE
LED TO ERRONIOUS EVALUATIONS BY THOSE WHO HAD NOT BEEN SO EXPOSED
EARLIER. IN ADDITION TO DISCUSSING IN GENERAL THE ACTIVITIES OF
THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SYSTEMS I POINTED OUT THAT THE
AVERAGE OF NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEETINGS PER MONTH SINCE YOU
MORI/CDF
C03342322
State Dept. review
completed
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *WHSR COMMENT * * * * * * .* * * * * * * *
SCOWCROFT,MCFARLANE
RECALLED
PSN:009467 PAGE 01
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
TOR:349/D3:57Z DTG:15rt338Z DEC 73
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No Objection To Declassification 2009/09/22 : LOC-HAK-259-1-25-6
 No Objection To Declassification 2009/09/22: LOC-HAK-259-1-25-6
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HAD BECOME SECRETARY WAS 50 PERCENT HIGHER THAN THE MONTHLY AVERAGE
FOR THE YEAR AS A WHOLE AND THAT THE TOTAL FOR OCTOBER WAS ALMOST
DOUBLE THAT OF ANY OTHER MnNTH. THIS WAS OF COURSE DUE TO THE MIDDLE
EAST CRISIS, BUT THAT ALSO CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED THAT THE CRISIS
WAS HANDLED THROUGH THE SYSTEM, NOT OUTSIDE IT. I TOLD HIM THAT
THE LOGS SHOWED THAT YOU HAD SEEN THE PRESIDENT ON AN AVERAGE OF
TWICE A DAY SINCE THE FIRST OF SEPTEMBER WHEN YOU WERE BOTH IN
TOWN. I THINK I WAS ABLE EFFECTIVELY TO DEAL WITH EACH OF HIS
DOUBTING QUESTIONS, BUT TO WHAT EXTENT I WAS ABLE TO TURN HIS
THESIS AROUND, ONLY TIME WILL TELL-
500
WARM REGARDS.
RECALLED
PSN:009467 PAGE 02 OF 02 TOR:349/03:57Z DTG:15n338Z DEC 73
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No Objection To Declassification 2009/09/22: LOC-HAK-259-1-25-6