'1 MEMORANDUM THE WHITE HOUSE 5275 CONFIDENTIAL EGWEI ACTION November 2 1979 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT FROM ZBIGNIEW 311232 was SUBJECT Jacobo Timerman Jacobo Timerman the Argentine newspaper editor and publisher who was recently released from house arrest and expelled from Argentina has asked to see you He has been in New York since October 29 to receive the Hubert Humphrey Freedom Award from B'nai B'rith In light of your personal intervention with President Videla on behalf of Mr Timerman the Department of State believes you should meet with him C1 Timerman last week told our Press Attache in Tel Aviv that he is now reluctant to write about his experiences in Argentina because he fears reprisals by the military against friends still in Argentina For a similar reason I believe a meeting could be counterproductive to our efforts to encourage human rights improvements in Argentina- Timerman's release was the culmination of such a vicious struggle between moderates and hardliners in the Argentine military that it provoked a coup which was unsuccessful by the hardliners I believe that the moderates would consider your meeting with him as an un- friendly rather than an appreciative gesture and they would be less likely to he accommodating to future cases C ION That in liew of a meeting you sign the attached letter to Timerman conveying your congratulations Approve Disapprove The letter has been cleared by the speechwriters CONFIDENTIAL DEGLASSIFIED Review 10730 35 E O 13528 Authorlty 49-943 NARA 6C 95 J as m