Date Printed- CHANEEL n a 10 N0v 2003 socqzeBR SECRET 5 I PAGE 01 STATE 295771 ORIGIN INFO 000 DRAFTED BY APPROVED BY 050266 1402582 73 0 1402062 NOV 79 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE STATE 295771 NOD13 DECAPTIONED CHEROKEE 11 13 85 VANCE CYRUS TAGS MNUC UR US SUBJECT EREZHNEV MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT OK NUCLEAR ATTACK FALSE ALARM l S ENTIRE TEXT 2 DOBRYNIN AT HIS REQUEST CALLED ON THE SECRETARY TODAY TO DELIVER THE FOLLOWING ORAL MESSAGE FROM BREZHNEV TO THE PRESIDENT EXPRESSING CONCERN AT REPORTS OF A RECEET FALSE ALARM TO US FORCES OF A NUCLEAR MISSILE ATTACK THE SECRETARY SAID HE WOULD SASS THE MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENT AND GET BACK TO DOBRYNIN LATER ON THIS QUESTION GEORGE VEST WHO SAT IN ON THE CONVERSATION STRESSEE TO OOBRYNIN THAT WE ARE STILL REVIEWING THE INCIDENT AND THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF MECHANISMS TO ENSURE THAT OUR FORCES ARE NOT MISTAKENLY EMRLOYED SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 STATE 295771 Page - 1 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY THEODORE SELLIN H 06 FEB 2004 200304223 UNCLASSIFIED 2 4 Date Printed CHANNEL n a 1 19798TAT3295771 HANOLING n a QUOTE REEORTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED THAT RECEETLY DUE TO SOME ERRONEOUS ACTIONS THE US TECHNICAL SYSTEMS GAVE A SIGNAL OF A NUCLEAR MISSILE ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES WHICH RESOLTED IN PUTTING APPROPRIATE MEANS ON ALERT MR PRESIDENT I THINK IT IS QUITE UNDERSTANDAELE THAT THE SAID FACT SHOULD CAUSE A FEELING OF EXTREME ANXIETY IN THE MIND OF EVERY STATE LEADER WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POLICY OF HIS COUNTRY IT IS REPORTED THAT AN UNFORSEEN ERROR RES OCCURREDFALSE SIGNAL OF NUCLEAR MISSILE ATTACK DID TAKE PLACE ARE THIS IS FRAUGHT WITH A TREMENDOUS DAEGER WHAT KINO OF MECHANISM IT IS WHICH ALLOWS A POSSIBILITY OF SUCH ONE HARDLY NEEDS MANY WORDS TO CHARACTERIZE CORRECTLY THIS FACT FINALLY ACCORDING TO REEORTS THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED NEITHER TO YOU NOR TO THE SECRETARY OF DEFENCE NOR TO ANY OTHER RESPONSIBLE OFFICIALS THIS ONLY EXACERBATES THE SITUATION IT TURNS OUT THAT THE WORLD CAN FINE ITSELF ON THE BRINK OF A PRECIPICE WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRESIDENT OR OF OTHER US LEADERS I THINK YOU WILL AGREE THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO ERRORS IN SUCH MATTERS THEY MUST BE COMPLETELY NOT 99 BUT ALL 100 PER CENT ALTHOUGH NOW REFERENCES ARE MADE TO THE FACT THAT THE ERROR OCCURRED DUE TO A COMPUTER FAULT IT IS CLEAR THAT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS APEROPRIATE DECISIONS WERE MADE BY PEOPLE I COULD NOT HELP MR PRESIDENT DRAWING YOUR SECRET SECRET PAGE 03 STATE 295771 ATTENTION TO THIS CURCUMSTANCE AND EXPRESSING MY JUDGEMENT IN A MOST FRANK MANNER END QUOTE VANCE SECRET Page 2 UNCLASSIFIED 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