President Ford–Henry Kissinger memcon (August 26, 1974)

by Gerald Ford and Henry Alfred Kissinger

NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
Presidential Libraries Withdrawal Sheet

WITHDRAWAL ID 017641

REASON FOR WITHDRAWAL	National security restriction
TYPE OF MATERIAL	Memorandum of Conversation
CREATOR'S NAME	Ford, Kissinger, and Scowcroft
CREATION DATE	08/26/1974
VOLUME	3 pages
COLLECTION/SERIES/FOLDER ID	031400204
COLLECTION TITLE	National Security Adviser. Memoranda of Conversations
BOX NUMBER	5
FOLDER TITLE	August 26, 1974 - Ford, Kissinger
DATE WITHDRAWN	03/31/2004
WITHDRAWING ARCHIVIST	GG

REDACTED
10/30/09

MEMORANDUM

THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON

SECRET/NODIS/XGDS

MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION

PARTICIPANTS:

President Ford
Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State and Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
Lt. General Brent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs

DATE AND TIME:

Monday, August 26, 1974

PLACE:

Oval Office

Kissinger: The Kurds are conducting a guerrilla war inside Iraq. If Iraq weren't tied down, they could put more into Syria. [Described the program.]

The danger is the Kurds will collapse. Redacted text - redacted text - redacted text - redacted text - redacted text - redacted text - redacted text - redacted text - redacted text - redacted text - redacted text

President: What does this do to our argument about supplying out of active units?

Kissinger: The numbers aren't that significant.

President: Let's go ahead.

Kissinger: The Iranians have asked about sending troops in. The CIA guy is opposed. We said it is their decision -- I favor it but I hate to be on record because of all the leaks.

President: I read that the Iraqi army is unhappy. Are the Kurds reliable?

Kissinger: Yes. It is their existence at stake.

President: Redacted text - redacted text

Kissinger: Redacted text

On the Greeks. Karamanlis says he is in an impossible situation -- he is the U.S.'s best friend in Greece. That is true, but, he is not yet ready to accept help.

President: His terms are too high.

Kissinger: Yes. The Greeks and Clerides have accepted the Soviet proposal in principle. Everyone is sort of playing their own game now. We could even trigger the Soviets to make a specific proposal. There is no solution which wouldn't infuriate someone.

President: What do you recommend?

Kissinger: I think we should. The British want to make another move. They want to send someone here tomorrow. They want to get a mediation going. If you agree, I will communicate to ask him to get the EC involved. It is too early for us to get involved. We either get egg on our face or we end up beating on the Turks. The more who float the biregional deal, the better off we are eventually. It is better if we don't get stuck with the negotiation. The British will probably fail. If they do, I could offer to meet Karamanlis here or in Europe -- not to settle, but to trigger a negotiation, hopefully one we wouldn't have to run.

President: What is this 28%?

Kissinger: Sorry we are not in tighter control. They have 40%, now they have given up 12%. It is a big concession, but he shouldn't offer any concession.

President: Depending on where the 12% is.

Kissinger: I have asked him to show flexibility. Maybe I'll take a one, or two-day trip next week to meet with Karamanlis and Ecevit. If the British idea works, great, but it almost certainly will fail.

Here, the Greek Community has quieted down. You maybe should meet with the AHEPA group just before I go out. Iavakos would be good to see if he is not so anathema to the Turks.

President: I have met him. He is smart.

Kissinger: I told him it had to be a bizonal federation and he agreed.

President: I will talk to them.

SECRET/NODIS/XGDS

NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
Presidential Libraries Withdrawal Sheet

WITHDRAWAL ID 017642

REASON FOR WITHDRAWAL	National security restriction
TYPE OF MATERIAL	Note
DESCRIPTION	Scowcroft's notes from August 26, 1974 meeting with Ford and Kissinger
CREATION DATE	08/26/1974
VOLUME	2 pages
COLLECTION/SERIES/FOLDER ID	031400204
COLLECTION TITLE	National Security Adviser. Memoranda of Conversations
BOX NUMBER	5
FOLDER TITLE	August 26, 1974 - Ford, Kissinger
DATE WITHDRAWN	03/31/2004
WITHDRAWING ARCHIVIST	GG