IMPACT OF THE US STAND ON HUMAN RIGHTS 11 MAY 1977[SANITIZED] - 1977/05/11

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06628549
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 40
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: May 11, 1977

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MffMORANDUM FOR: The Honorable Zbigniew Brzezinski
Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs
Al MAY 1977
The attached memorandum, "Impact of the US Stand
on Human Rights," is in response to your request,
conveyed to us by Nis. Tuchman.
7_8Z Stansfield Turnezi
Attachment:
RP-M- 77-10107
STANSFIELD TURNER
Admiral, U.S. Navy
Director, Central Intelligence Agency
Date
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11 May 1977
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE
MEMORANDUM
IMPACT OF THE US STAND ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Initial international skepticism about the seriousness of the
Carter adMinistration's commitment to the fostering of human rights
has been dispelled by presidential statements and US initiatives in
bilateral relations and international forums. Considerable confu-
sion and suspicion over US motives persist, however, and despite
recent statements by Secretary Vance and other officials there still
is apprehension over the lengths to which the US may be prepared to
go in pursuit of human rights objectives. This memorandum surveys
reaction to the US stand. A regional listing of significant develop-
ments is provided at annex.
* * * * * * * * *
Introduction
The US stand on human rights has prompted a number of
governments to move toward bettering their human rights
performance. This has occurred principally where the re-
gime has been anxious to preserve cooperative relations
with the US, has not felt publicly challenged or specifi-
cally prodded by Washington, and is relatively confident
about its internal security situation.
Even in these cases, however, there has been a notable
reluctance to accept the US stand at face value. Public
expressions of understanding about US concerns have been
This memorandum was prepared by the Office of Regional
and Political Analysis. Inquiries may be directed to
the International Issues Division,
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matched by private assessments of Washington's emphasis on
human rights as a ploy designed to pressure other countries
into comporting themselves in accordance with US policies
generally.
Attribution of such ulterior motivation, the connec-
tion of human rights to other issues, and a marked propen-
sity to interpret US pronouncements and actions in
egocentric terms have been characteristic reactions of
countries with the most cause for unease over the US stand.
Repressive practices have intensified in some cases, and
bilateral relations have suffered in a number of instances.
There is strong public endorsement of the principles
that underlie the US stand in some countries, but in many
cases it is coupled with considerable worry over the poten-
tial for adverse international political consequences.
Applause for Washington's espousal of human rights principles,
therefore, is not always accompanied by approval of specific
US initiatives. A broad range of political relationships
important to the US thus has been complicated by the addi-
tion of what many foreign observers view as a new element
of uncertainty in international affairs.
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Latin America
US human rights initiatives have aroused considerable
resentment in several Central and South American countries
ruled by military regimes that have felt directly challenged.
They have denounced US statements and actions as unwarranted
and unacceptable interference in strictly internal affairs.
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Argentina
Argentina and Uruguay rejected all US military assis-
tance after Washington linked aid cuts to human rights
violations in those countries. Brazil, already angered by
US pressure to modify its nuclear deal with West Germany,
condemned the State Department's preparation of z report on
its human rights practices as an affront to its sovereignty
and renounced the 1952 military assistance agreement.
Guatemala and El Salvador have also rejected military assis-
tance conditioned on US judgment of their human rights situ-
ations.
The Latins are angered by what they regard as US fail-
ure to understand and make allowances for theirpolitical
and internal security problems. The Southern Cone military
regimes, especially, are convinced that their countries'
experiences with political disintegration, insurgency, and
terrorism fully warrant tough internal security measures.
The Argentines, for example, insist that they will not devi-
ate from the practices they deem indispensable in their
continuing war with leftist terrorists no matter what outside'
criticism they incur.
The Latins are also resentful over the fact that they
were not considered important enough to US interests to be
treated specially (like South Korea). They have questioned
US qualifications for making international moral judgments
and have voiced suspicion that the US has ulterior motives
for its human rights stand. The latter view is particularly
strong in Brazil, where the human rights issue is viewed as
an adjunct to US pressure on nuclear matters.
The Southern Cone regimes have been commiserating with
each other, and they reportedly are considering joint moves
to convince the US that it has seriously underestimated the
costs of alienating them. The Latins undoubtedly would pre-
fer to forgo polemics and halt any deterioration in their
relations with Washington. But the military regimes are de-
termined not to take any action that could be construed as
caving in to US pressure.
Latin reaction to the US stand has not, of course,
been entirely negative. Venezuela and Costa Rica, two of
Latin America's few remaining democracies, have strongly
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endorsed US initiatives, and expressions of support for
the US stand have also been received from Mexico and
Bolivia. Prisoner releases in Paraguay and Peru were
directly responsive to US concerns.
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and Gambia. Senegal, the Central African Empire, Zambia,
and--in a recent shift--Ghana have also endorsed the US
stand. Togo recently released some political prisoners
partly out of a desire to improve relations with the US,
but another group of persons was arrested for political
reasons shortly thereafter.
Middle East
The Arab states tend to define human rights strictly
in terms of concern over Israel's settlement policy in
occupied territories, the fate of Arab prisoners in Israeli
jails, and recognition of the "legitimate rights of the Pal-
estinian people." They will react positively to the US
stand so long as its principal effect in the Middle East is
the focusing of US attention on such issues, rather than on
human rights practices (especially the treatment of minor-
ities) in Arab countries.
The Israelis, of course, are concerned over the pos-
sible implications of increased US interest in their treat-
ment of Arabs in the occupied territories. On the other
hand, the Israelis apparently believe the US will be inclin-
ed to support initiatives they may take to focus interna-
tional attention on Soviet harassment of Jews who have asked
to leave the USSR.
Prospects
The impact that US human rights initiatives will have
over the next several months will depend in large part on
how the US chooses to press the issue. Repeated protesta-
tions as to the universality of US concerns are in any case
unlikely to dissuade most of the vulnerable governments from
continuing to interpret even general US actions or pronounce-
ments as being directed particularly at them.
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Other countries that have reacted most negatively to
US human rights initiatives seem to be hoping for a "cooling
off" period that would permit a resumption of less antagon-
istic bilateral relations and allow them to develop strate-
gies for coping with the new situation. This is especially
the case in Latin America, where recent congressional testi-
mony by State Department officials and Secretary Vance's
Law Day Speech have been interpreted as signaling that the
US is in the process of moderating its tactics for pursuing
human rights objectives. Disappointment of such expecta-
tions would give added impetus to discussions among the
Southern Cone countries about convincing the US that they
are vitally important to its interest.
Criticism of alleged US disinterest in the world
wide advancement of social and economic justice is likely
to increase if the less developed countries conclude that
the US plans to link human rights to international economic
issues by seeking to further its human rights objectives
in international financial institutions whose charters call
for loan decisions to be made strictly on the basis of eco-
nomic considerations. The "North-South" dialogue, moreover,
could become considerably more contentious generally if
controversy over human rights were to severely damage US
relations with nations (like Brazil) that have played signi-
ficant moderating roles in the articulation of LDC demands.
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SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS RELATED TO THE US STAND ON HUMAN RIGHTS
LATIN AMERICA
FEBRUARY
28 Argentina and Uruguay reject US military assistance tied
to their human rights performance.
Annex to
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
FROM Sayre Stevens
Deputy Director for Intelligence
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SUBJECT Memorandum on "Impact of the US Stand on Human
Rights" Prepared at Request of NSC Staff
1. Action Requested: You transmit the attached ORPA report
directly to Dr. Brzezinski, Assistant to the President for National
Security Affairs.
2. Background: Ms. Tuchman telephoned Cord Meyer, Special
Assistant to the DDCI, on 3May to request a wrap-up of significant
responses to President Carter's Human Rights policy since the
Inaugural. She indicated that Mr. Brzezinski wished to use such
a paper to brief the President upon his return from Europe. The
paper was requested for Thursday, 12 May.
Brzezinski's interest was apparently stimulated by the DCI's
"Watching Brief' on "Significant Developments Related to the US
Stand on Human Rights," delivered to Ms. Tuchman on 29 April.
The memorandum which ORPA has prepared is mainly a compilation of
infolmation that has been used in previous briefings.
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Sayre Stevens
Regraded Unclassified When
Separated from SECRET
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SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE DENHOPMENTS RELATED TO
THE US STAND ON H1TFM4 RIGHTS
20 JANUARY - 10 ,11\Y 1977
(Alphabetically by Country)
ARGENTINA
(President Jorge Rafael Vldela)
28 February Rejects US military assistance.
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