UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No 0-2016-16244 Doc No C06278213 Date 05 07 2018 REVIEW AUTHORITY Paul Hilburn Senior Reviewer • RELEASE IN FULL Department of State TEL SECRET 5008 PAGE 01 BUENOS 01764 170240Z 61 ACTION INRD 1 4 TNEO 00T•01 FS 05 CCO400 010 w 040671 p 1 021057_ MAR 76 FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES TO sEcsTATE losHpc IMMEDIATE 4866 S F C R E T AUENOS AIRES 1751 ROGER CHANNEL A hi n 11652 YGDS 2 PtNT PFOR AR US SUBjECT AMBASSADOR'S CONVERSATION WITH AamIRAL mAssERA 4oR ASST SEC ROGERS FROM AMB HILL 1 ACCOMPANIED BY POL COUNS I HAD COFFEE TODAY WITH ALEXANDRO SHAW PRES OF BANCO SHAW ADMIRAL MASSERA COMMANDER IN 'CH EF OF THE NAVY - WAS ALSO THERE MASSERA SOUGHT OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK PRIVATELY WITH ME ANE POL COUNS HE SAID THAT IT WAS NO AEORET THAT MILITARY MIGHT HAVE TOSTEP INTO POLITICAL VACUUM VERY SOON THEY DID NOT WANT TO DO SO BUT AT THIS POINT CHOICES SEEM TO BE BETWEEN MILITARY INTERVENTION AND TOTAL CHAOS tEADING TO DESTRUCTION OF THE ARGENTINE STATE MASSERA SAID HE DID NOT WANT TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE INTERVENTION AS HE WAS AURE I WOULD REGARD IT AS OIPLOMATICALLY INCORRECT HOWEVER HE-SAID HE DID WISH TO APPRnACH ME AS A FRIEND TO SAY THAT MILITARY WERE TERRIBLY CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR PUBLIC RELATIONS TN THE US SHOULD THEY HAVE TO INTERVENE HE ADMITTE D THAT MILITARY WERE INEXPERIENCED IN TERMS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS PROBLEMS IN ARGENTINA MUCH LESS IN THE US AND HE ASKED TF I COULD INDICATE TO HIM ONE OR TWO REPUTABLE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRMS IN THE US WHICH MIGHT HANDLE THE PROBLEM FOR AFUTURE MILITARY GOV% P I EMPHASIZED THAT USG COULD NOT IN ANY WAY BECOME INVOLVED TN ARGENTINE INTERNAL AFFAIRS I SAID THAT NHILE I COULD NOT GIVE ANY SUCH ADVICE AS HE HAD REUUESTED I COULD OUITF PROPERLY MAKE AVAILABLE TO HIM THE LIST OF PUBLIC RELAT UNS FIRMS AVAILABLE BECRCT UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No 0-2016-16244 Doc No C06278213 Date 05 07 2018 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No 0-2016-16244 Doc No C06278213 Date 05 07 2018 Department f State TELE 1-n • SECRET PAGE C2 dUENOS'-'01751 170240Z TN THE EmBASSriS'COMMERCIAL LIBRARY MASSERA INDICATED THAT wOuLD BE-FTNE AND THAT HE WOULD APPRECIATE RECEIVING SUCH A LIST WITHTN NEXT TEw DAYS 3 MASSIE RA SAIDMICITkRY KFRF FULLY' AwARE OF THE NEED TO AvoiD HIPIAN FICH1S-PROBLEMS SHOULO THEY HAVE TO TAKE POWER HE SAID AR G4NTINEkHILITARY INTERVENTION IF IT COMES wILL NOT FOLLOW THt tINFSAFTHE PINOCHET TAKEOVER IN CHTLE RATHER HE SAID THEY- WILL JRY TO PROCEED WITHIN THE LAW ANU WITH FULL RESPECT FOR HUMAN IGHTS THIS-DID NOT MEAN HE- SA Op THULJY# WO1 01 I# LLY RFESS THE WARAaAINST THE TERRORISTS ON THE CONTRARY THEY INTENDED TO S TEP UP THE FIGHT AGAINST TERROPISM ANn SUBVERSION BUT THEY WOULD 00 SO WITHIN THE LAW THELZG roENTIoN OF RESORTING TO VIGILANTE TYPE ACTIVITIES EXI AwLEGAL PEPRISALSOR OF TAKING ACTION AGAINST UNINVOLVED tlITILIANtp OSSYNGYWUPKUDEE CINCSHAVE TO MOVE HE SAID THEIR- IaTENTION S TO DO-SO IN THi MOST “OEMOCRATIOP_AND MODERATE MANNER POSSIBLE ' HE'NOTED THA T THEY ARE HAVING SOME DIFFICULTIES RESTR4ININ'G HOT HEADS BUT EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT THEY WOULD 'BE-ABLE10 00 SO 4 MASSERA SAIA HEIMESITATED TO RAISE SUBJECT WITH ME BUT-THAT AT SAME-TIME HE WISHED 10 ASSU RE-ME AND REPS OF OTHER Gp Ts THAT IF MILITARY FEEL CALLED UPON 0 MOV E THEY wILL NOT HARM MRS PEROW HE SAIO-THIS WAS A KNOTTY PROBLEM BuT THAT THE TONKIN-G OF THE'THREE CINCS AT THE MOMENT WAS THAT PROBABLY RES1THING-WOULD BE THAT MR$0 PERON SIMPLY LEAVE THE COUNTRY Ani THE OTHER -HANDp THERE 01FRE -MANI WITHINE THE MILITARY WHO wISHEDJO TAKE STRONGER ACTION-AGAINST HER A POSSIBLE COMPROMISE SW TUION WOULD BE TO- OETAIN HER ' IN 'ARGENTINA ON MARTIN GARCIA ISLAND OR IN SOME MILITARY RESORT ARFA SUCH AS ASCOCHINGA UNTIL SUCH TIME AS FINAL DETERMINATION AS TO HER FUTURE tOULD RE MADE go COMMENTi ADMIRAL MASSERA WAS VERY CORRECT THROUGHOUT THE CONVERSATION -HE SCRUPULOUSLY'PLACED ALL HIS COMMENTS IN THE CONDITIONAL- TENSE AND SEVERAL TIMES EMPHASIZED THAT HF WAS' ONLY'SPEAKING OF HYPOTHETICAL POSSIBILITIES NONETHELESS POL COUNS AND'I HADDISTINCT IMPRESSION THAT MASSERA WAS TALKING ASOUT A COUP' WHICH WILL PROBABLY COME WITHIN THE • SECRET_ UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No 0-2016-16244 Doc No CO6278213 Date 05 07 2018 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No 0-2016-16244 Doc No C06278213 Date 05 07 2018 Department of State TEL R SECRET PAGE 03 BUENOS01751 170240Z NEKT fEw vAyS POSSIBLY EVEN aEFORE THE wEEKEND 7 MY PLANS I HAVE PLANNED AND HAVE RESERVATIONS TO DEPART ARGENTINA THE EVENING OFMAR 17 SHOULD CANCEL THESE PLANS NoW AND - Mil SHOULD TAKE PLACE ON SAY MAR 18 THAT MIGHT RE TAKEN dY MANy AS PROOF THAT WE HAO PR OR KNOwLEDGE OF MILITARY ACT ON FURTHER IT MIGHT dE ALLEGED THAT I HAD CANCELLED PLANS AND STAYED HERE TO HELP DIRECT THE 'COUP THEREFORE RELIEVE THAT IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE USG THAT I PROCEED WITH mY PLANS AS THOUGH wE HAD NO FOREWARNING TO BE SURE EVERY NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE IS NQW SPECULATING THAT THE GOLPE mAy COME SHORTLY RUT THAT IS ONLY HEARSAY THE FACT THAT I WOULD BE OUT oF THE'tOUNTRY WHEN THE -BLOW ACTUALLY FALLS wOULO BE I BELIEVE EACT IN OUR FAVOR INDICATING NONINVOLVEMENT OF EMBASSY AND USG AENCE I INTEND TO DEPART ON SCHEDULE I AM HOWEVER CHANGING MY - PLANS AND WILL FLY FROM MTAMI TO WASHINGTON I SHOULD ARRIyE THERE SY NOON MAR 19 AND WILL BE AVAILABLE fOR cON SW ATIONS THAT AFTERNOON AND THE MORNING OF THE 20TH IF YoU - SO DES RE AND LONGER IF NECESSARY HILL' NOTE BY-OC T BUENOS AIRES 1751 #PARA 3 AS RECEIVED CORRECTION TO FOLLOW SECRET UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No 0-2016-16244 Doc No C06278213 Date 05 07 2018