Date

Dec 28, 1979

Description

One of the epic foreign policy disasters Jimmy Carter faced was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on Christmas day 1979. The Soviet move shocked the world, but the U.S. administration came under especially heavy criticism from the right because of accusations that its soft treatment of the USSR and foreign policy weakness in general had opened the door for what many saw as naked Soviet aggression. The invasion was closely connected to what was arguably the administration’s most profound political crisis (combining both foreign and domestic elements) – the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, Afghanistan’s neighbor, which had occurred less than two months before. Thus, this important SCC meeting was convened to cover both subjects.

The first part deals with the impact of the hostage saga – specifically the question of oil prices, the likelihood that American captives would be put on trial in Iran, and the fascinating conclusion of the group that neither U.N. sanctions being contemplated nor even a total embargo would “be a major economic blow to Iran.” The second part of the discussion relates to Afghanistan, most significantly the decision to provide covert assistance to Afghan rebel forces opposing the invasion. Against the backdrop of the Iran crisis, there is concern about the safety of American personnel still in Afghanistan. Reflecting both his foreign policy inclinations and his awareness of the political dimension of the situation, Brzezinski, a hardliner within the White House, urges “that we must make this costly for the Soviets very quickly. Within three days we will see growing criticism of the U.S. for doing nothing and being afraid to act.” The discussion ends with the quixotic expression of hope that the invasion might help resolve the Iran crisis.

Of particular interest, the SCC summary includes an attachment – a Presidential Finding signed by Carter, authorizing “lethal military” aid to “the Afghan opponents of the Soviet intervention.” This is a key piece of the ongoing historical question about the nature and extent of support the Carter administration provided to the Afghan rebels. A Finding is a legal document required by statute to signify presidential authorization for any CIA covert operation beyond intelligence collection. It is unusual for such a sensitive record to be declassified.

Source

Jimmy Carter Library, NLC-07-230

Document published in following posting(s):

U.S. Foreign Policy in the Carter Years, 1977-1981

Dec 14, 2023

Special Coordination Committee meeting, “Iran and Afghanistan,”9:00-9:45 a.m., White House Situation Room, December 28, 1979, Secret, 4 pp.; with attached Presidential Finding on Afghanistan signed by President Carter, Undated, Secret/Sensitive, 1 pp.