Bupa ACO Og UNCLASSIFIED R Department of State TELEGRAK —_ PAGE @1 BUENOS M1751 1702407 er Eee at taro ine ACT GoeY WFO QCTeA1 F595 IS0-ua, CCO-09 aia W . a avert 0 $621057 MAR 76 FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES TO SECSTATE WASHOC IMMEDIATE 4A66 RENNIN 5u Nos ares 1751 } MEME DACAPTIONED gy tii) TARSt PINT»PFOR, AR, US SUAJECT! AMBASSADOR'S CONVERSATION WITH AUMIRAL MASSERS FOR ASST SEC ROGERS FROM AMB HILL . 4. ACCOMPANIED BY POL COUNS I HAM COFFEE TOOAY WITH ALEXANDRO SMAW, PRES OF BANCO SHAW, AOMIRAL MASSERA, COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE NAVY, WAS ALSO THERE, MASSERA SMUGHT OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK PRIVATELY WITH ME ANE POL COUNS, HE SAID THAT IT WAS NO SECRET THAT MILITARY MIGHT HAVE TO STEP INTO POLITICAL VACUUM VERY SOON, THEY DIO NOT WANT TO DO SQ BUT AT THIS POINT CHOICES SEEM TO BE BETWEEN MILITARY INTERVENTION AND TOTAL CHAOS LEADING ‘TO DESTRUCTION OF THE ARGENTINE STATE, MASSERA SAID HE DIO NOT WANT TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE INTERVENTION AS HE wAS SURE J WOULD REGARD IT AS MIPLOMATICALLY INCORRECT, HOWEVER, WE SAIO, HE DID KISH TO APPRNACH ME AS A FRIEND TO’ Say THAT MILITARY wERE TERRIBLY CONCERNEG ABOUT THEIR PUBLIC RELATIONS IN THE US SHOULD THEY HaVE TO INTERVENE, HE ADMITTED THAT MILITARY WERE INEXPERIENCED IN TERMS CF PUBLIC RELATIONS PROBLEMS IN ARGENTINA, MUCK LESS IN THE US, ANO HE ASKED TF I COULO INDICATE TO HIM GNE OR TwO REPUTARLE PUBLIC RELATIONS FARMS IN THE US WHICH MIGnT HANDLE THE PROBLEM FOR AFUTURE NILITARY GOVT, B. I EMPHASIZED THAT USG COULD NOT IN ANY WAY RECOME INVOLVED TN ARGENTINE INTERNAL AFFAIRS, I SAIO THAT WHILE I COULD NOT GIVE ANY SUCH ADVICE AS HE HAD REQUESTED, I COULD QUITF PROPFRLY MAKE AVAILABLE TO HIM THE LIST OF PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRMS AVAILABLE ‘ARGariNa PROyecr Cantos AV ATE US. DEPT. OF STATE, A/RPS/IPS Margaret. Gafeld, Director OO Release (Excise ()Deny INCL ASSIFIED a=" east ma vr WT U PED 24eF CONTA wera, SPM SONADD MfnfoteUWNCLASSIFED Department of State TELEGRAM PARE G2 GUENOS 61751 1702407 IN THE ENBASSY'S COMMERCIAL LIARARY, MASSERA INDICATED THaT WOULD GE FINE AND THAT HE WOULD APPRECIATE RECEIVING SUCH & LIST "WITHIN NEXT FEW DAYS", 3, HASSERA SAID MILITARY WERE FULLY AWARE OF THE NEED TO AVL HUMAN PIGHTS PROBLEMS SHOULD THEY HAVE TO TAKE POWER, WE SAID AXGENTINE: MILITARY INTERVENTION IF IT COMES WILL NOT FOLLOW THE LINES OF THE PINOCHET TAKEOVER IN CHILE, RATHER, WE GID, THEY WILL TRY TO PROCEED WITHIN THE LAW AND WITH FULL RESAECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, THIS DID NOT MEAN, HE SATD, THULJY® wot OT 18 LLY RFESS THE WAR. AGAINST THE TERRORISTS? OW IKE CONTRARY, THEY INTENDED TO STEP UP THE FIGHT AGAINST TERROPISH ANO SUBVERSION, BUT THEY WOULD 00 SO WITHIN THE LAW, THEY Had NO_INTENTION OF RESORTING TO VIGILANTE@TYPE ACTIVITIES, TAKING EXTRASLEGAL REPRISALS OR GF TAKING ACTION AGAINST UNTNVOLVFO. CIVILIANS. #0TSSYNGYMUPKUDEE CINCS HAVE TO MUVE, HE SAID, THEIR- INTENTION IS TO 00 SO IN THE MOST “DEHOCRATIC® AND MODERATE MANNER POSSIBLE, HE NOTED THAT THEY ARE HAVING SOME DIFFICULTIES RESTRAINING HOT HEADS, BUT EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT THEY WUULO RE ABLE TO 00 So. 4, NASSERA SAIN HE HESTTATEO TO RAISE SUBJECT WITH ME BUT THAT AT SAME TIME HF WISHEO TO ASSURE ME AND REPS OF OTHER GOVTS THAT. IF MILITARY FEEL CALLED UPON TO MOVE THEY WILL WOT Kary MRS, PERON, HE SAID THIS AAS A KNOTTY PROBLEM BUT THAT THE THENKING OF THE THREE CINCS AT THE MOMENT WAS THAT PROBABLY BEST THING wOULO BF THAT NPS, PERUN SIMPLY LEAVE THE CnUNTRY, ON THe OTHER HAND, THERE WFRE MANY WITHIN THE MILITARY WHO WISHED TO TAKE STRONGER ACTION AGAINST HER. 4 PUSSIBLE COMPROMISE SOLTUION NAULD BE TO DETAIN HER IN ARGENTINA ON MARTIN GARCIA TOLAND OR TW SOME MILITARY RESORT ARFA SUCH AS ASCOCHINGA UNTIL SUCH TIME 4S FINAL VETERMINATION AS TU HER FUTURE COULD BE MADE. ®, COMMENT? AOMIRAL MASSERA WAS VERY CORRECT THROUGHOUT THE CONVERSATION, WE SCRIPULOUSLY PLACED ALL HIS COMMENTS IN ThE CONDITIONAL TENSE, AND SEVERAL TIMES EMPHASIZED TAT HF WAS ONLY SPEAKING OF HYPOTHETICAL POSSIBILITIES, NONETHELESS, Ol. COUNS AND T HAD DISTINCT IMPPESSTUN THAT MASSERA Wis. TALKING ABOUT & COUP WHICH ATLL PROBABLY COME MITHIN THE x THISSFEDUNCLASSIFIED Department of State TELEGRAM PARE BS BUENOS 1751 178240z NEXT FEW UAYS, POSSIBLY EVEN SEFORE THE WEEKEND, 7. MY PLANS! T HAVE PLANNED AND HAVE RESERVATIONS TO DEPAKT ARGENTINA THE FVENING OF HAR 17, SHOULO T CANCEL THESE PLANS NOW AND COUP SHOULD Take PLACE ON, S&y MAR 48, THAT MIGHT AE TAKEN OY MANY AS PROOF THAT HE HAD PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF MILITARY ACTION, FURTHER, IT HIGHT BE ALLEGED TnAT I HAD EANCELLEO PLANS ANO STAYED HERE TO HELP DIRECT THE Coup, L THEREFORE BELIEVE THAT IT TS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE USG THAT 1 PROCEED WITH MY PLANS AS THOUGH WE HAD NO FOREWARNING, TO BE SURE, EVERY NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE IS NOW SPECULATING THAT THE GOLPE MAY COME SHORTLY, BUT THAT IS ONLY MEARSAY, THE FACT THAT T WOULD BE OUT OF THE COUNTRY WHEN THE BLOW ACTUALLY FALLS WOULD BE, I BELIEVE, A FACT IN GUR FAVOR INDICATING NONINVOLVEMENT OF EMBASSY AND USG, HENCE, 1 INTEND TO DEPART ON SCHEDULE, I AM, HOWEVER, CHANGING MY PLANS AND WILL FLY FROM NIAMI TO WASHINGTON, I SHOULD ARRIVE THERE SY NGON MAR 19, AND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR CON~ SULATIONS THAT AFTERNOON ANO THE MORNING OF THE 26TH IF vol! SO DESTRE ANO LONGER IF NECESSARY, HILL NOTE BY OC/Tt BUENOS AIRES 1751 #PARA 3, AS RECEIVER, CORRECTION TO FOLLOW, = (NCLASSIFED Eh aE St vie eatin C1 ere Coe 8 tae RO Ch TIOL,