PRESIDENT'S BRIEFING TO CONGRESS ON WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE, ON HUMAN RIGHTS - 1977/06/06

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06627946
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 31
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: June 6, 1977

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6 June 1977
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: President's Briefing to Congress on Wednesday, 8 June,
on Human Rights
Dr. Tuchman called at 10:25 this morning to say that the
President was planning a Congressional briefing on Wednesday, 8 June.
She stated that what was needed was an updating and declassification
of our memorandum of 11 May 1977 entitled Impact of the US Stand on
Human Rights. She stated that Brzezinski had prepared a briefing for
Congressman Fraser on this subject based on a State/INR study which
only reported favorable developments. Congressman Fraser's reaction
was extremely negative and therefore she is requesting a more balanced
briefing from us. The deadline is COB today, 6 June.
Cord Meyer, Jt. ,
SA/DDCI
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6 June 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
was dispelled early this year by presidential statements and US
initiatives in bilateral relations and international forums. Sus-
picion over US motives has persisted however, and despite recent
policy statements by senior US officials there still is some con-
fusion-over the lengths to which the US may be prepared to go in
pursuit of human rights objectives. This memorandum surveys reac-
tion 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 .govern-
Bents to move toward bettering their human rights performance. This
has occurred principally where the regime has been anxious to pre-
serve cooperative relations with the US, has not felt publicly chal-
lenged or specifically prodded by Washington, and is relatively con-
fident about its internal security situation.
Even in these cases, however;there has been a notable reluc-
tance to accept the US stand at face value. Public expressions of
understanding about US concerns have been matched by private assess-
This memorandum was prepared by the Office of Regional .
and Political Analysis. Inquiries may be directed to
of the International Issues Division,
RP4l-77-10142
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ments of Washington's emphasis on hu:flan rights as a ploy designed
to pressure other countries into comporting themselves in accor-
dance with US policies generally.
Attribution of such ulterior motivation, the connection of
human rights to other issues, and a marked propensity to inter-
pret US pronouncements and actions in egocentric terms have been
characteristic reactions of countries with the most cause for un-
ease 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 potential 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. The advent
of what many foreign observers view as a new element of uncer-
tainty in international affairs has thus affected a broad range
of international relationships.
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Latin America
US human rights initiatives have aroused considerable resent-
ment 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.
Argentina and Uruguay rejected all US military assistance 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 a report on its human rights practices as an affront
to its sovereignty and renounced the 1952 military assistance agreement.
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Guatemala and El Salvador also rejected military assistance con-
ditioned on US judgment of their human rights situations.
The Latins are angered by what they regard as US failure to
understand and make allowances for their political 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 deviate 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 qualifica-
tions 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 may be considering joint moves to convince the
US that it has seriously underestimated the costs of alienating
them. The Latins undoubtedly -would prefer to forgo polemics and
halt any deterioration in their relations with Washington. But
the military regimes are determined not to take any actions 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 endorsed
US initiatives, and expressions of support for the US stand have
also been forthcoming from Mexico and Bolivia. .Prisoner releases
in Paraguay and Peru were directly responsive to US concerns.
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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. Protestations as to the universality
of US concerns are unlikely to dissuade most governments vulnerable
on the issue from continuing to interpret even general US actions �
or pronouncements as being directed particularly at them.
Some of the other countries that have reacted negatively to
US human rights initiatives seem to be rethinking their positions.
They are also hoping for a "cooling off" period that would permit
a resumption of less antagonistic bilateral relations and allow
the development of strategies for coping with the new situation.
This is especially the case in Latin America, where there is a
feeling that the US is in the process of moderating its tactics
for pursuing human rights objectives. Disappointment of such
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expectations 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 advance-
ment 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 economic 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 significant moderating
roles in the articulation of 111C demands.
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S GNI F I CANT DEVELOPMENTS RELATED TO TI iE US .--,TAND ON I IUMAN RIGHTS
LATIN AMERICA
FEBRUARY
78 Argentina and Uruguay reject US military assistance
tied to their human rights performance.
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16 The Argentine Catholic Church issues its first formal
criticism of the government's antisubversive campaign.
The Church warns that government repression ultimately
will prove counterproductive.
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