MFA PROBE ON U.S. RESPONSE TO TIMERMAN RELEASE - 1985/03/22

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06626843
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: March 22, 1985

I.
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C06626843
et.
2277
222021Z MAR 79
111.110111E
couLar
cmonsrm
12065:
TAGS: E.O.YOBIR
TAGS:
SUBJECT:
ACTION:
itt*X
AMB
DCM
POL 3
POL/R
ECOM
USICA
DAO
RF
CHRON
DRAFTED BY-
POLCOUNS:WHHallman:jk
MBASSY BUENOS AIRES
CASSWICANOR
CONFIDENTIAL
GDS 3/22/85 (HALLMAN, WILLIAM H.) OR-P
SHUM AR
14FA PROBE ON U.S. RESPONSE TO TIMERMAN RELEASE
SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIAL BUENOS AIRES ISO 2277
1. (C - Entire Text).
2. Following up an informal approach made at social
occasion 3-20 North American Affairs Director at
Foreign Affairs Ministry (Espeche Gil) asked Poloff
today 3-22 to come to Ministry as soon as possible to
discuss the Jacobo Timerman case.
3. Espeche Gil raised this question: What would be
the attitude of the United States to Timerman's release --
and, more specifically; how would elements of the U.S.G.
respond to this event? Press attitudes are important,
Espeche Gil said, but he needs to know more about what
might happen in the Department of State, other offices
of the Executive branch of government and in the Congress
as response to,Timerman's release.
50153101
DRAFTING DATE
3/22/79
113L E1CT-
278
CONFIDENTIAL
'CAM
CONTENTS AND iMASSIFICATION ANRIONED WV:
DCM:MCha
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C06626843
OFT1 F 153
WcanarAw F5413)
.6onsarg 1915
Dqp:. a Sow
60152-201
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C06626843
CONFIDENTIAL
Classtuation *
2
Page of
ZZ7?
MRN
4. Emboff replied that Timerman's release would
remove an irritant and create optimism about the
Argentine government's intentions but that it also
might piss as a step the government should have
taken months ago as an act of elemental fairness.
Emboff said also that terms of his release would be
important, with complete freedom to come and go as
he pleases -- to travel abroad as would any Argentine
citizen -- being the only course that would get any
accolades. Timerman's expulsion -- another course
which Espeche Gil admitted was possible -- would
be considered an unsatisfactory adjustment of a
large injustice.
5. Espeche Gil asked specifically about effects of
Timerman's accepting Columbia University invitation
(State 054956 and Buenos Aires 1984). Emboff said
Timerman's acceptance and travel to New York would
for sure give evidence of his unconditional liberty
assuming of course he was able to return to Argentina
should he choose. Conversation then went along lines
of what Timerman himself might want or do upon his
release -- about which it was useless to speculate.
Only Timerman himself could answer questions about
activities he would propose, presumably only after
1�the terms of hs release had been discussed in detail-1
CONFIDENTIAL
Classification
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C06626843
OPTIONAL FORM 152a(H)
(Formerly FS-413(11)Q
January 1976
Dept of State
106:.
50162-201
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C06626843
CONFIDENTIAL 3 23-i
Page of
MRN
Cleeerheatron -
17 with GOA authorities. �1
6. Conversation ended with agreement to meet again
once Embassy had clearer picture of "the U.S. response."
7. COMMENT. From several sources we hear that Timerman's
release is being seriously discussed within GOA. Timerman's
brother here has told us he is encouraged regarding
possibilities of Jacobo's release. Foreign Minister
Pastor is reported to have been asked about Timerman
during his visits to Venezuela and Brazil, and in any
event it is the Foreign Ministry that feels the blast
of opinion outside Argentina -- all insistent Timerman
be freed. Foreign Ministry appears to be fishing for
arguments to favor Timerman's release, among which
some notable (preferably even tangible) U.S. act of
praise would weigh heavily.
8. ACTION REQUESTED. We recommend no "price" be
offered for Timerman's release, but -- assuming his
release is unconditional -- it seems appropriate to
us that the Department spokesman note the release
as "encouraging" and "creating optimism about the
Argentine Government's intentions toward human rights
violations which have taken place in that country."
Department's views requested.
9. Septel responds to State 69331 concerning
possibility of a Timerman hunger strike.
k01"---
CASTRO
CONFIDENTIAL
Classzfication
Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C06626843
OPTIONAL FORM 152a(It)
(Formerly FS-413(H)o)
January 1975
Dept of State