2514 Bate Printed CHANNEL n a HANDLING n a RELEASED IN FULL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 01 STATE 312357 ORIGIN INFO 000 DRAFTED BY TEXT FROM WHITE APPROVED BY SBUTCHER 068369 0402342 73 040131Z DEC 79 ZFF4 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY I I A STATE 312357 13323222 DECAPTIONED 2 0 12065 GDS 12 3 85 BARRY ROBERT US SUBJECT US ORAL MESSAGE ON PURPORTED ALERT OF AMERICAN STRATEGIC FORCES REF STATE 295771 1 c - ENTIRE TEXT 2 ON OECEMBER 3 BARRY EUR CONVEYED FOLLOWIRG ORAL MESSAGE To SOVIET IN RESPONSE TO SOVIET MESSAGE DELIVERED BY AMBASSADOR DOBRYNIN TO THE SECRETARY REFTEL BEGIN TEXT CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 STATE 31235 THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT 8A8 RECEIVEQ THE ORAL Page a 1 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY THEODORE SELLIN 11 06 FEB 2004 200304223 UNCLASSIFIED UNEMEIQD bate Printad CHANNEL n a 1 DOCWNER 1979STATE312357 HANDLING n a MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT BREZHEEV COECERNENG RECENT PRESS REPORTS OF A PURPOETED OF AMERICAN STRATEGIC FORCES BECAUSE THE ORAL MEESAGE WAS BASED ON INACCURATE AND MISLEAEING INFORMATION THE ASSERTIONS IN THE MESSAGE ARE INACCURATE ANS UNACCEPTABLE TO THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT THE LEVEL OF ALERT OF U S STRATEGIC OFFENSIVE WAS HOT RAISED ABOVE ITS USUAL LEVEL BECAUSE THE U S COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM ASSBRES REVIEW AND CONTROL BY RESPONSIBLE OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS IT DOES NOT SERVE THE PURPOSES OF PEACE OR STRATEGIC STABILITY FOR THE SOVIET UNION TO EASE ITS ACTIONS OR ITS DIPLOMATIC CEANGES ON PRESS REPORTS OR TO PROPAGANDIZE SUCH MATTERS BEFORE FINDING OUT THE TRUE FACTS THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT ASSURES THE SOVIET GOVERNMEKT BOTH THAT ITS LOCAL COMMANDERS HAVE AND WILL EXERCISE THE AUTHORITY TO PUT THEIR FORCES IN CONDITION TO SURVIVE ATTACK ARE THAT CONTROL OF THE OFFENSIVE USE OF OUR FORCES IS TOTALLY RE- LIABLE AS WAS DEMONSTRATED IN THIS CASE WE WOULD COME SIMILAR INFORMATION FROM THE SOVIET ONION ON ITS COMMAND AND CONTROL PROCEDURES END TEXT VANCE CONFIDENTIAL NKN 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