CABLE TO HENRY A. KISSINGER FROM BRENT SCOWCROFT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: June 29, 2010
• Sequence Number: 61
• Publication Date: May 17, 1974
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
****** S E C R E T *******S COPy
#2653 1371744
0 1716392 MAY 74 ZFF?i ZFF-.4 ZYH
FM THE SITUATION ROOM
TO AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
S E C R E T SENSITIVE EXCLUSIVELY EYES ONLY
ToHAK228
PLEASE DELIVER TO BREMER/RODMAN FOR THE SECRETARY
MAY 171 1974
WH41383.' 25X1
FOR: HENRY A. KISSINGER
FROM: BRENT SCOWCROFT
THE PRESIDENT CALLED JUST AFTER WE TALKED. HE HAD NOT YET SEEN
YOUR LATEST REPORT AND ASKED HOW YOU WERE DOING AND WHEN
YOU WOULD BE COMING HOME. I OUTLINED IN VERY GENERAL TERMS YOUR
REPORT AND TOLD HIM THE VERY EARLIEST YOU COULD BE BACK WAS.LATE SUNDAY
NIGHT. HE MADE NO MENTION OF YOUR COMING TO KEY BISCAYNE AND I DID
NOT THINK THIS WAS THE TIME TO RAISE THE ISSUE MYSELF. I THINK
THAT AS THE FACT THAT YOU WILL NOT BE BACK BEFORE LATE SUNDAY
IS ABSORBED' IT WILL BECOME RELATIVELY EASY. TO TURN OFF THE
SUGGESTION THAT YOU GO DOWN THERE. THE PRESIDENT SEEMED IN A
RELAXED MOOD. HE SPOKE VERY WARMLY OF YOUR EFFORTS AND SAID WHAT
A SHAME IT WAS FOR YOU TO HAVE PUT IN ALL THIS WORK, TO HAVE GOTTEN
SO CLOSES AND THEN PERHAPS NOT TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT LAST BIT.
HE THEN VOICED CONCERN THAT IF AGREEMENT WERE NOT REACHED THE
ATMOSPHERE COULD WELL DETERIOATE AFTER YOU LEFT. HE ASKED,'THAT
I SEND YOU. "A PAT ON THE BACK FOR HIS (YOUR) HERCULEAN EFFORTS."
EVERYTHING IS VERY QUIET HERE TODAY. THERE WASP OF COURS,', NO
STAFF MEETING.
I HAVE SENT YOU SEPARATELY THE TEXT OF A RESTON ARTICLE,
"MR. NIXON'S NEGLECTED CABINET." THERE IS A VEILED IMPLICATION IN
IT THAT AT SOME POINT A HIGHER LOYALTY MAY LEAD YOU TO RESIGN.
THERE IS ALSO ONE TROUBLESOME SENTENCE WHERE RESTON SAYS,
"ONE SUSPECTS HE (YOU) MAY EVEN BE PROLONGING HIS (YOUR)
MCFARLANE,SECFLE
MORI/CDF
C03345570 pages
1-2
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
PSN:044671 PAGE 01 105:137/17:172 DTG:1'71639Z MAY 74
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
******* S E C R E T *******S COPY'
SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST IN ORDER TO AVOID EVEN MORE
COMPLICATED AND POISONOUS CONTROVERSIES OF WASHINGTON."
NOT VERY HELPFUL FROM A SUPPOSED GOOD FRIEN[.
A BARRY SCHWEID TICKER JUST CAME IN WHICH SAYS THAT WHILr- YOU
ARE MEETING WITH ISRAELI LEADERS YOUR AIDES HAVE, ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED
THAT YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO WORK OUT A DISENGAGEMENT THIS
WEEKEND.
WARM REGARDS.
366
PSN:044671 PAGE OZ OF 02 TOR:137/17t17Z DTG?171639Z MAY 74
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
r
SECRET/SENSITIVE HAK TO
May 16, 1974
Please pass the following message to the President:
1. It is clear from my four hour discussion today
with Mrs. Meir and her Cabinet and eight hours of talk with
Asad that neither side wants to break off the talks; indeed,
whenever a recess is mentioned, they plead with me to perservere.
At the same time, while there has been some give by each side,
it has not been enough'a:to bridge the remaining gap.
2. Based on my informal consultations with various
Israeli ministers and in conversation alone with Mrs. Meir,
I was encouraged to introduce some new proposal of my own
even though the Israeli Cabinet had not been able to come to
any agreement in a formal way on modifying its position.
3. I therefore put the following proposal to Asad
today making it clear that it was an American proposal
and reflected my judgment of what might be possible to
achieve with the Israelis. I said to him I thought there
was a chance of getting something along the following lines
if he were in position to accept.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
6 - W
2. secret/sensitive
a. The line around Kuneitra would move about 200
meters west with the distance between this line and the
western hills (about one and a half kilometers)demilitarized
under UN supervision .
b. The hills themselves would be under Israeli
control with strict limitations on their military dispositions
which the United States would guarantee bilaterally to Syria.
c. The Israeli line of xoxixt control would be moved
one kilometer back to the north and south of Kuneitra
so as to meet Asad's concern about returning civilian
population to Kuneitra while the city was enclosed too
closely on three sides by Israeli forces.
4. While doing everything possible to prevent a break
in the talks, Asad nevertheless continued to insist that at
a minimum the line of control should run along the ridge
of the hills west of Kuneitra, with UN observers on top
and Israeli and Syrians in control of the western and eastern
slopes respectively. He later modified this 0 somewhat
by saying that the western side of the hill could be Israeli,
the eastern side under the UN as well as the slope, and he
added that neither Israelis nor Syrians should be expected to
cultivate the Lit fields between the western hills and the
outer edge of Kuneitra.
5. My judgement is that there is a chance that I might
prevail on the Israelis to accept my proposal but there is
little or no chance that the Israelis will accept Asad's
formulation.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
6. I will spend all day Friday discussing the
matter with the Israelis who undoubtedly will have to convene
another Cabinet meeting. I will then take whatever I get to
Damascus on Saturday with possibility of agreement on my
proposal but more likely a suspension of talks for a few weeks.
7. While I naturally would like very much to get
agreement on the line and then make an all out effort over the
next few days to get agreement on all other related matters,
I am convinced that even if there is a suspension we will have
gained great ground in our overall Syrian-American relationships, and
have preserved our position in the Arab world without affecting
adversely our relationships with Israel.
8. I could stay over a few more days if there is a
real prospect for an agreement. Otherwise, I will overnight
Saturday in Cairo and be back in Washington Sunday evening.
END MESSAGE.
Warm regards.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
w
SECRET/SENSITIVE
lp
i f
May 16, 1974 CV
r.C
TO: GENERAL SCOWCROFT
?f! ie
Please pass the following message to the President:
1. It is clear from my four hour discussion today
with Mrs. Meir and her Cabinet and eight hours of talk
with Asad that neither side wants to break off the talks,-:
At the same time, while there has been some give by each
side, it has not been enough to bridge the remaining gap.
2. Based on my informal consultations with various
Israeli ministers and in conversation alone with Mrs.
Meir, I was encouraged to introduce some new proposal of
my own even though the Israeli Cabinet had not been able
to come to any agreement in a formal way on modifying its
position.
3. I therefore put the following proposal to Asad
today making it clear that it was an American proposal
and reflected my judgment of what might be possible to
achieve with the Israelis. I said to him I thought there
was a chance of getting something along the following
lines if he were in position to accept.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4
w 49
6. I will spend all day Friday discussing the
matter with the Israelis who undoubtedly will have to
convene another Cabinet mantnq meeting. I will then take
whatever I get to Damascus on Saturday with thexpmax possibility
tkxtx of agreement on my proposal but more likely a suspension
of talks for a few weeks.
7. While I naturally would like very much to get
agreement on the line and then make an all out .EX effort
over the next few days to get agreement on all other related
matters, I am convinced that even if there is a suspension
we will have gained grea
wtkjwi
American relationship
s
in our overall Syrian-
ecta.iig adversleTy~ ~...`~
our relationships with Israel.
8. I could stay over a few more days if there is a
real prospect for an agreement. Otherwise, I will over-
night Saturday in Cairo and be back in Washington Sunday
evening.
END MESSAGE.
Warm regards.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/06/29: LOC-HAK-260-1-61-4