CABLE TO BRENT SCOWCROFT FROM HENRY KISSINGER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-259-6-27-9
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: June 29, 2010
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: May 6, 1974
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-259-6-27-9
S C R E T /SENSITIVE 062317Z MAY 74
r1AKTO 51 IMMEDIATE
TO: GENERAL SCOWCROFT
FRO1: SECRETARY KISSINGER
lp
9 4rrij ' IJOZ
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE INSTRUCTIONS
APPLY
1. PLEASE PASS THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENT:
BEGIN TEXT:
I HAVE JUST' COMPLETED OVER FOUR HOURS OF INTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS
WITH 'IRS. MEIR, ALONE IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY WITH
H R KEY CABINET COLLEAGUES. I APPRECIATE YOUR TELEGRAM OF SUPPORT
FOR THE LINE I INTENDED TO TAKE WITH THE ISRAELIS AND WHICH, I BELIEVE,
HAS NOW PRODUCED SOME POSITIVE RESULTS.
THE ISRAELIS HAVE AGREED TO DRAWING A NEW MAP WHICH REFLECTS
TWO MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS OVER THEIR PAST POSITION:
A) THEY HAVE AGREED TO DRAW THEIR DEFENSIVE LINE WEST OF
THE ENTIRE CITY OF QUNEITRA; AND
3) THEY HAVE AGREED TO MAKE CERTAIN MINOR MODIFICATIONS IN
OTHER PARTS OF THE LINE WHICH WOULD HAVE THEM WITHDRAWING AT
CERTAIN POINTS A SMALL SYMBOLIC DISTANCE WEST OF THE OCTOBER 6 LINE.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER SERIOUS PROBLEMS WHICH REMAIN,
SUCH AS WHETHER THERE IS A ZONE OF LIMITATION; A BUFFER ZONE, AND
TO WHAT POINT SYRIAN CIVIL ADMINISTRATION WILL EXTEND. NEVERTHE-
LESS, ISRAELI WILLINGNESS TO WITHDRAW TO A LINE WEST OF QUNEITRA
AND THE OCTOBER 6 LINE IS A STEP FORWARD. I CAN RESPRESENT IT WITH
SADAT, FAISAL, THE AMIR OF KUWAIT AND BOUMEDIENE AS A LINE
~ER ITOR IOUS OF THEIR SUPPORT. WE ARE BY NO MEANS OUT OF THE WOODS
BECAUSE ASAD WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY REJECT THIS PROPOSAL. IT THEN
LwPENDS ON ARAB PRESSURES ON HIM. IT OUGHT TO BE POSSIBLE TO
GET SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE FOUR TO WEIGH IN WITH ASAD. EVEN
THOUGH IT IS PROBABLY A LESS THAN 50-50 CHANCE THAT THE SYRIANS WILL
ACCEPT THIS LINE, WE WILL HAVE MADE IMPORTANT GAINS WITH KEY ARABS
WHICH SHOULD HELP REDUCE THE ADVERSE IMPACT SHOULD THE NEGOTIATIONS
REACH AN IMPASSE.
I WILL MEET WITH GROMYKO TOMORROW, AND I PLAN TO SAY AS LITTLE
AS POSSIBLE TO HIM REGARDING WHERE MATTERS STAND ON THE MIDDLE EAST
IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY THAT HE CAN INVOLVE HIMSELF
DIi3MCTLY IN THE NEGOTIATIONS IN AN UNHELPFUL MANNER. AFTER RETURNING
TO ISRAEL TOMORROW NIGHT, AT WHICH I HOPE TO RECEIVE THE NEW MAP
AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CABINET, I WILL PROCEED
TO DAMASCUS ON WEDNESDAY MORNING TO MAKE A MAJOR EFFORT WITH ASAD.
WE MAY AGAIN HAVE TO CALL ON YOU TO BREAK ISRAELI
INTRANSIGENCE.
2. WARM REGARDS.
S E C R E T/SENSITIVE
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-259-6-27-9
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-259-6-27-9
SECRET /SENSITIVE HAK TO
May 6, 1974
6 11AY 6w 23 I / z
TO: GENERAL SCOWCROFT
FROM: SECRETARY KISSINGER
Please pass the following message to the President:
BEGIN TEXT:
I have just completed over four hours of intensive discussions
with Mrs. Meir, alone in the first instance, and subsequently with
her key Cabinet colleagues. I appreciated your telegram of support
for the line I intended to take with the Israelis and which, I believe,
has nowproduced some positive results.
The Israelis have agreed to drawing a new map which reflects
two m rovments over their past position:
A) They have agreed to draw their defensive line west of
the entire city of Quneitra; and
B) They have agreed to make certain minor modifications in
other parts of the line which would have them withdrawing at
certain points a small symbolic distance west of the October 6 line.
There are a number of other serious problems which remain,
such as whether there is a zone of limitation; a buffer zone, and to
what point Syrian civil administration will extend. Nevertheless,
Israeli willingness to withdraw to a line west of Quneitra and- the
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-259-6-27-9
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-259-6-27-9
W
SECRET /SENSITIVE -2-
October 6 line is a step forward. I can represent it with Sadat,
Faisal, the Amir of Kuwait and Boumediene as a line meritorious
of their support. We are by no means out of the woods because
Asad will almost certainly reject this proposal. It then depends
on Arab pressures on him. It ought to be possible to get some or
all of the above four to weigh in with Asad. Even though it is
probably a less than 50-50 chance that the Syrians will accept this
line, we will have made important gains with key Arabs which should
help reduce the adverse impact should the negotiations reach an
impasse.
I will meet with Gromyko tomorrow, and I plan to say as little
as possible to him regarding where matters stand on the Middle,-East
in order to reduce the possibility that he can involve himself directly
in the negotiations in an unhelpful manner. After returning to Israel
tomorrow night, at which I hope to receive the new map as described
above, with the support of the Cabient, I will proceed to Damascus
on Wednesday morning to make a major effort with Asad.
We may again have to call on you to break Israeli intransigence.
END TEXT
2. Warm regards.
SECRET /SENSITIVE
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-259-6-27-9