tow 'Objection To Declassi cation 2008 06 09 NLC-131-6-5-7-7 ACTION POL-4 INFO AMBQM B x EC -2 gum om CAL A MagBhs RF REczcurozas 22-NOV-86 TOR 21 19 00 RUEHNE a CN @3613 - DE RUFRC #4282 3252108 CFRG PCL ZNY ZZH DIST PCL 32 33 305 REVIEWED 19rApr-gOO7 DECLASSIFIED IN To NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE 1524 INFO ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 3415 Moscow PRIORITY 6597 KAEUL PRIORITY 3452 STATE 364282 E O 12356 DECL OADR TAGS PEEL ID USI UR SUBJECT PRESIDENTIAL LETTER ON AFGHANISTAN 1 ENTIRE TEXT IS SECRET 2 POST SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONVEY LETTER IN PARA 3 FROM PRESIDENT REAGAN TO PRIME MINISTER GANDHI NO SIGNED ORIGINAL HILL FOILON 3 BEGIN TFIT DEAR MR PRIME MINISTER -- WHEN YOU VISITED WASHINGTON IN JUNE 1985 CUR DISCUSSIONS MARKED A NEW STEP FORWARD IN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE U S AND INDIA WE BOTH RESOLVED TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK FURTHER PROGRESS THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO DO SO AND OUR GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES HAVE BEEN HARD AT NCRK TOWARD THIS GOAL YET I ALSO THINK THAT REGULAR CORRESPONDENCE CN IMPORTANT ISSUES BETWEEN THE TWO OF US IS ESSENTIAL IT IS TITH TRIS THOUGHT IN MIND THAT I AM WRITING TO YOU NOT ON TWO SUBJECTS AFGHANISTAN AND U S SECURITY ASSISTANCE TO PAKISTAN YOUR CONTACTS WITH THE SOVIETS ON THE AFGHAN PEOPLEM AFTER YOUR VISIT TO WASHINGTON LAST YEAR WERE MOST YOUR REMARKS IN HARARE THAT YOU WISHED AN END TO INTER- VENTION AND INTERFERENCE IN AFGHANISTAN BY ALL PARTIES INDICATES YOUR CONTINUING CONCERN NITH THIS IMPORTANT PROBLEM I BELIEVE YOUR UPCOMING DISCUSSIONS GENERAL SECRETARY COULD HELP TO ADVANCE THE PROCESS TONARD A SETTLEMENT AND HOPE YOU FIND OCCASICV TO RAISE THF ISSUE -- IN REPEATED CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SCVIETS THIS YEAR WE HAVE MADE CLEAR TO THEM OUR INTEREST IN A COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT OF THE AFGHANISTAN CRISIS A MILITARY SOLUTION IS SIMPLY NOT POSSIBLE WE DO NOT SEEK TO THE SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN BY PROLONGING THE WAR WE HAVE NC DESIGNS ON AFGHAN TEPRITORY AND RECOGNIZE SOVIET INTERESTS IN A SECURE SOUTHERN BORDER JUST AS WE RECOGNIZE AFGHAN DESIRES FOR SELF-DETERMINATION WE HAVE INDICATED OUR No Objection To Declassi cation 2008 06 09 No Objection To Declassi cation 2008 06 09 LC-131-6-5-7-7 7 onqcu I - WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AS A GUARANTOR OF A COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT gun 15 CLEAE NAMELY T0 RESTOEL AFC NON-ALIGNMENT INDEPENDENCE AND INTEURITY RRUMPT AND COMPLETE HITHDRANAL CF SOVIET FORCES OUR RESUMED ARMS SALES RELATIONSHIP WITH AS YOU KNOW IS DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY ESCALATING SOVIET MILITARY ACTION IN AFGHANISTAN AND A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN MILITARY PRESSURE ON PATISTAN SOVIET AND REGIME CROSS-BORDER VIOLATIONS OF PATISTANI AIRSPACE AND TERRITORY HAVE INCREASED BY 159 PER CENT OVER LAST YEAR WITH A TOTAL OF 650 INCURSIONS ALREADY THIS YEAR TVIS PROVCCATIVE ACTION HAS IN TURN STIMULATED RAEESTANI INTEREST IN AN ENHANCED EARLY WARNING BEEN MADE AS TO WHAT MIX OF SYSTEMS WOULD BEST SUIT NEEDS BUT LET ME ASSURE YOU WE WILL KEEP IN MIND YOUR CONCERNS AS WE MOVE TO A DECISION ON THIS -- OUITE OBVIOUSLY THE PROMPT AND COMPLETE TITHURAEAI OE SOVIET TROOPS FROM AFGHANISTAN IS IN THE INTERESTS CF TF3 ENTIRE REGION INCLUDING INDIA AN INTEREST STRONGLY SHARED BY THE UNITED STATES I BELIEVE THAT A POLITICAL A REALISTIC TIMETABLE FOR UITHDRANAL THE CURRENT SOVIET PROPOSAL OF A THREE TO FOUR YEAR TIMEERANE IS UNTRNABLE AND APPEARS DESIGNED TO LEGITIMIZE A PROLONOED OCCUPATION AND TO ACHIEVE A THINLY-CLOAEED MILITARY SOLUTION THAT THE SOVIETS HAVE NOT YET PUT ASIDE PCPES FOR A MILITARY SOLUTION IS SUGGESTED BY THEIR NITHDRANAL OE LAST MONTH AS YOU KNOW SOVIET UNITS HERE INTRODUCED FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF WITHDRAWING THEM IN FRONT OF THE CANERAS CURRENTLY THE UN-SPONSORED NEGOTIATIONS ARE STALT- HATED OVER THE LENGTH OF THE SOVIET NITRDRAEAL TIMETAPLE THE LAST ROUND CE TALKS IN AUGUST PRODUCED NO MOVEMENT ON THIS KEY ISSUE AND NO SUBSEOUENT ROUND HAS BEEN SCHEDULED I URGE YOU TO USE YOUR TALTS RITE GENERAL SECRETARY TO TR NEED A 0 TR WRI IS OF SUCH GREAT CONCERN WP PEQ91EI WARM REGARES RONALD REAGAN END TEXT 4 KABUL MINIMIZE CONSIDERED NHITEHEAD STATE 364282 No Objection To Declassi cation 2008 06 09 This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu