CABLE TO GENERAL SCOWCROFT FROM SECRETARY KISSINGER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: December 4, 2009
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: May 19, 1974
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7
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S E C R E T /SENSITIVE 2 0 0 65 6Z MAY 74
MAY 19, 1974
HAKTO 113
TO: GENERAL SCOWCROFT
FROM: SECRETARY KISSINGER
IMMEDIATE
PLEASE PASS THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENT:
BEGIN TEXT:
1. THE STAGE IS SET FOR A CLIMACTIC EFFORT OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL DAYS TO BRING TO A SUCCESSFUL FRUITION THE SYRIAN-ISRAELI
DISENGAGEMENT AGREEMENT. AFTER LONG, TEDIOUS AND DIFFICULT
DISCUSSIONS WITH PRIME MINISTER MEIR AND HER KEY CABINET COLLEAGUES,
I WILL BE BRINGING TO DAMASCUS MONDAY AN ISRAELI MAP WHICH REFLECTS
THE AMERICAN PROPOSAL RELATING TO THE QUNEITRA AREA WHICH HAS
BROKEN THE IMPASSE.
2. TODAY WE HAD LENGTHY TALKS ON ALL THE KEY ELEMENTS OF
THE AGREEMENT INCLUDING THE AREA OF SEPARATION, THE AREA OF
LIMITATIONS, THE NATURE AND MANDATE OF THE UN PRESENCE, THE
PRISONER OF WAR ISSUE, THE TIMING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VARIOUS
SEGMENTS OF THE AGREEMENT, AND THE SCENARIO FOR SIGNING THE
AGREEMENT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORKW OF THE MILITARY WORKING GROUP AT
GENEVA, HOPEFULLY EARLY NEXT WEEK.
NOT ENTIRELY OUT OF THE WOODS SINCE
OF COURSE
WE ARE
3
,
,
.
I CAN FORESEE AT LEAST SEVERAL ISSUES ON WHICH IT WILL BE DIFFICULT
TO ACHIEVE COMMON GROUND. THE ISRAELIS AND THE SYRIANS HAVE
RATHER MARKED DIFFERENCES, WHICH I HOPE CAN BE BRIDGED, ON THE
ZONES OF LIMITATION AND THE UN PRESENCE. NEVERTHELESS, I BELIEVE
EACH SIDE HAS NOW DECIDED THAT AN INTENSIVE EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE
OVER THE NEXT SERVERAL DAYS TO CONCLUDE THIS NEGOTIATION SUCCESS-
FULLY AND I AM, THEREFORE, HOPEFUL OF THE RESULTS.
4. I AM ASSUMING, MR. PRESIDENT, THAT AS AN INTEGRAL PART
OF THE OVERALL AGREEMENT I CAN PROCEED ALONG THE LINES OF YOUR
INSTRUCTIONS TO DEVELOP CERTAIN WRITTEN ASSURANCES IN THE FORM
OF LETTERS FROM YOU TO PRESIDENT ASSAD AND PRIME MINISTER MEIR
TM THE SAME WAY IN WHICH YOU PROVIDED ASSURANCES IN THE CONTEXT
MORI/CDF
C03332135
State Dept. review
completed
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
OF THE EGYPTIAN-ISRAELI AGREEMENT. THE FOLLOWING LETTERS WILL BE
NECESSARY:
(A) A LETTER WOULD SPELL OUT THE ISRAELI ASSURANCE TO US
AS TO THE NATURE OF THE LIMITATION OF ITS FORCES ON THE BIG
HILLS WEST OF QUNEITRA.
(B) AN ASSURANCE TO ASSAD THAT WE WILL CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS
IN THE NEXT STAGE TO ACHIEVE A DURABLE AND STABLE PEACE IN THE AREA-
(C) AN ASSURANCE TO ISRAEL REGARDING LONG-TERM MILITARY
SUPPLY ALONG THE LINES OF YOUR VARIOUS MESSAGES TO ME.
5. FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS I WILL BE SHUTTLING BETWEEN
JERUSALEM AND DAMASCUS. I AM KEEPING THE OTHER KEY ARABS AS WELL
AS THE SHAH INFORMED AS WELL AS BOTH THE SOVIETS AND THE CHINESE.
I AM PLEASED TO REPORT THAT BQI _T_1Er-S` FR-IA. N$ AND THE- ISit"L:IS
E T ,To AMY N RE 1O NY IN GENEVA WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK
.xTAR'Y WORKING GROUP THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS TO THE US
AND SOVIETS OBBER,VING THE SIGNING. THERE WILL ALSO BE SOME
TECHNICAL DETAILS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF',.,TH AGREEMENT THAT THE
ISRAELIS AND SYRIANS WILL HAVE TO WORK OUT WITHIN THE MILITARY
WORKING GROUP AT GENEVA, BUT THIS WILL NOT AFFORD THE SOVIETS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO INJECT THEMSELVES IN A HARMFUL MANNER.
5. I WOULD APPRECIATE CONFIRMATION REGARDING THE VARIOUS LETTERS
OF ASSURANCE.
END MESSAGE
7. WARM REGARDS.
SECRET/SENSITIVE
60No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7
-
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SECRET /SENSITIVE
May 19, 1974
ra 7bz
HAKTO 1173
Please pass the following message to the President:
BEGIN TEXT:
1. The stage is set for a climactic effort over the next several days
to bring to a successful fruition the Syrian-Israeli disengagement agree-
ment. After long, tedious and difficult discussions with Prune
Minister Meir and her key Cabinet colleggues, I will be bringing to Damascus
~ M&qN%C"k n Israeli map which reflects the American proposal relating
to the Quneitra area which has broken the impasse.
Z. Today we had lengthy talks on all the key elements of the agreement
including the area of separation, the area of limitations, the nature
and mand ;te of the UN presence, the prisoner of war issue, the timing
relationship between various segments of the agreement, and the scenario
for signing the agreement within the framework of the Military Working
Group at Geneva, hopefully early next week.
3. We are, of course, not entirely out of the woods since I can foresee
at least several issues on which it will be difficult to achieve commong
ground. The Israelis and the Syrians have rather marked differences,
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7
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SECRET /SENSITIVE -2-
which I hope can be bridged, on the zones of limitation and the UN
presence. Nevertheless, I believe each side has now decided that an
intensive effort should be made over the next several days to
conclude this negotiation successfully and I am, therefore, hopeful
of the results.
4. I am assuming, Mr. President, that as an integral part of the
overall agreement I can proceed along the lines of your instructions
to?.d:.develop certain written assurances in the form of letters from
you to President As sad and Prime Minister Meir in the same way
in which you provided assurances in the context of the Egyptian-Israeli
agreement. The following letters will be necessary:
(a) A letter would spell out the Israeli assurance to us as to te
nature of the limitation of its forces on the big hills west of Quneitra.
(b) An assurance to Assad that we will continue our efforts
in the next stage to achieve a durable and stable peace in the area.
(c) An assurance to Israel regarding long-term military supply
along the lines of your various messagescto me.
5. For the next several days I will be shuttling between Jerusalem
and Damascus. I am keeping the other key Arabs as well as the Shah
informed as well as both the Soviets and the Chinese. I am pleased to
report that both the Syrians and the Israelis agree that at any signing
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7
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SECRET /SENSITIVE -3
ceremony in Geneva within the framework of the Military Working
Group there are no objections to the US and Soviets observing the
signing. There will also be some technical details on implementation
of this agreement that the Israelis and Syrians will have to work
out within the Military Working Group at Geneva, but this will not
afford the Soviets an opportunity to inject themselves in a harmful
manni~ r.
6. I would appreciate confirmation regarding the various letters
of assurance.
END MESSAGE.
7. Warm regards.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7
SECRET /SENSITIVE HAK TO
May 19, 1974 IMMEDIATE
Please pass the following message to the President:
BEGIN TEXT:
1. The stage is set for a clim is effort over the next
several days to bring to a successful fruition the Syrian-
Israeli disengagement agreement. After long, tedious f
discussions with Prime Minister Meir and her key Cabinet
colleagues, I will be bringing to Damascus tomorrow an
Israeli map which reflects the American proposal relating to
the Kuneitra area which has broken the impasse.
2. Today we had lengthy talks on all the key elements
of the agreement including the area of separation, the area of
limitations, the nature and mandate of the UN presence, the
prisoner of war issue, the timing relationship between various
segments of the agreement, and the scenario for signing the
agreement within the framework of the Military Working Group
at Geneva, hopefully early next week.
3. We are, of course, not entirely out of the woods since
I can foresee at least several issues on which it will be difficult
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7
SECRET /SENSITIVE
to achieve common ground. the Israelis and
the Syrians have rather marked differences, which I hope can
be bridged, on the zones of limitation and the UN presence.
Nevertheless, I believe each side has now decided that an
intensive effort should be made over the next several days to
conclude this negotiaji.gn successfully and I am, therefore,
hopeful of the results. I am assuming, Mr. President, that
as an integralfpart of the ?overall a ;reement I
U}nrittr tQ vefopig certain written assurances in
4
form letters from you t9
the same way in which you provided assurances in the conte
7
of the Egyptian-Israeli agreement. ,
CL?~
would
us as to the nature of the limitation of1orces on the big hills
west of Kuneitra. 'An assurance to Assad
that we will continue our efforts in the next stage to achieve
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7 t" .1'1;
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7
SECRET /SENSITIVE 3.
4. For the next several days I will be shuttling between
Jerusalem and Damascus. I am keeping the other key Arabs
as well as the Shah informed as well as both the Soviets and
the Chinese. I am pleased to report that both the Syrians and
the Israelis agree that at any signing ceremony in Geneva
within the framework of the Military Working Group there are no
objections to the US and Soviets observing the signing. There
will also be some technical details on implementation of
this agreement that the Israelis and Syrians will have to
work out within the Military Working Group at Geneva, but
this will not afford the Soviets an opportunity to inject
themselves in a harmful manner.
-Jr
F ID MESSAGE.
Warm regards.
SECRET /SENSITIVE
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2009/12/04: LOC-HAK-260-2-21-7