New Documents

Nov. 2, 1983: PX Kelley Report on trip to Beirut.

April 9, 1984: Reagan notes on Lebanon

January 4, 1982: Letter from Jaruzelski to Reagan

April 2, 1981: Letter from Ceausescu to Reagan and draft response.

Nov. 15, 1982: Bush-Andropov meeting.

Oct. 23, 1987: Conversation with Gorbachev

May 14, 1987: “Saudi Position on Conversations with the President on Saudi Contributions to the Contras.”

May 12, 1987: Telephone Conversation Between President Reagan and Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Federal Republic of Germany.

April 14, 1988: Shultz/Shevardnadze meeting, 4:30-6:05pm, Geneva.

April 21, 1988: Shultz/Shevardnadze meeting, 9:50am - 1pm, Moscow.

April 21, 1988: Shultz/Shevardnadze meeting, 3:30-5:15pm, Moscow.

April 21, 1988: Shultz/Shevardnadze Meeting. 7:40-10:30pm, Moscow.

April 22, 1988: Shultz/Gorbachev meeting. 11am-2:05pm, Moscow.

April 23, 1988: Shultz/Shevardnadze meeting. 9am-10:15am. Moscow.

March 23, 1984: Reagan/Mitterrand breakfast meeting.

Islamic fundamentalism is one of the important phenomena of our times. If it sweeps the Arab world, we will have to redraw the political and strategic maps.

Nov. 2, 1983: “Potential for Violence in the Middle East.” Memo from Richard Beal to Robert McFarlane.

October 30, 1985: Memo from McFarlane to President Reagan: “Gordiyevsky’s Suggestions.”

Dec. 22, 1984: “Meeting With Prime Minister Thatcher.”

Dec. 22, 1984: Memo from Casey to Reagan on Arms Control.

Oct. 23, 1985: Gorbachev’s Oct. 12, 1985 letter to PM Thatcher

Aug. 10, 1988: Letter from Reagan to Gorbachev

December 1, 1981: Summary of President Reagan’s Meeting with President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire

Sept. 23, 1984: Reagan meeting with Mobutu

September 27, 1984: President Reagan’s Meeting with President Belaunde of Peru

May 31, 1984: “Summary of President Reagan’s Meeting with NATO Foreign Ministers.”

March 22, 1984: “Summary of President Reagan’s Cabinet Room Meeting with French President Francois Mitterrand."

December 20, 1984: Cable from Amb. Price to President Reagan: “Your Meeting With Prime Minister Thatcher.”

Jan. 5, 1985: Draft Letter from Reagan to Allied Leaders.

June 24, 1985: Letter from Reagan to Thatcher

Feb. 19, 1985: Briefing Memo for President Reagan’s Feb. 20, 1985 meeting with Prime Minister Thatcher.

Nov. 5, 1992: Deposition of Colin Powell

Sept. 25, 1982: Former President Nixon’s Trip to China

Nov. 7, 1983: "Chemical Warfare in Iraq." Supplement to NSPG 76.

June 9, 1981: Documents related to the Israeli strike on Iraqi nuclear facility, Part II of download. (Uploaded 10/17/13)

Sept. 1988: "INR Estimate: Iran After the War." (Uploaded 10.17.13)

Sept. 20, 1988: "Update on the Status of HFAC Legislation on Iraq CW." (Uploaded 10.17.13)

Nov. 7, 1988: "Transition Issue Paper: Directorate of Near East-South Asia Affairs." (Uploaded 10.17.13)

July 18, 1988: "Iranian Acceptance of 598." Memo from Oakly to Powell. (Uploaded 10.17.13)

June 22, 1988: "Planning for Khomeini's Passing." (Uploaded 10.17.13)

Dec. 12, 1987: Letter from A. Raphael to Secretary Shultz, "Advice on Iran." (Uploaded 10.17.13)

Dec. 6, 1987: Meeting With Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz." (Uploaded 10.17.13)

Sept. 29, 1987: "September 30 S-W-C Breakfast: Total Embargo on Iran." (Uploaded 10.17.13)

June 8, 1987: "Messages to Iran." Memo from Oakley to Powell. (Uploaded 10.17.13)

Aug. 19, 1987: "Operation Staunch."

(Uploaded 10.17.13)

Nov. 7, 1986: "Crisis Pre-Planning Group Paper: 'Syrian Support for Terrorism and USG Response.'" (Uploaded 10/17/13)

Nov. 15, 1986: Letter from President Reagan to Saddam Hussein. (Uploaded 10.17.13)

July 1985: Talking Points for NSC/NSPG Meeting on Libya to decide if the US should overthrow Qadhafi. (uploaded 10.17.13)

January 14, 1983: "Intelligence Appraisal: El Salvador: Military-Guerrilla Balance." Prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency. (Uploaded 10/17/13)

Nov. 17, 1983: "Brief Trudeau Meeting with the President" discussing "Trudeau's 'Peace Initiative'". (Uploaded 10.16.13)

Oct. 26, 1985: Memo from McFarlane to Reagan: "MBFR -- Decision and Letter to Prime Minister Thatcher and Chancellor Kohl" with attached Memo from Shultz to Reagan on MBFR recommendations.

Feb. 2, 1984: "Talking Points for Use With The MNF Partners." (Uploaded Oct. 16, 2013)

Feb. 12, 1981: "Summary of the President's Meeting with Italian Prime Minister Emilio Colombo." Uploaded Oc. 16, 2013)

May 20, 1985: "Mr. Gorbachev -- A Kennedy in the Kremlin?" by John Brown, MOP. (Uploaded 10.16.13)

Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, Selected Correspondences, 1981-1988. (Uploaded Oct. 15, 2013)

Aug. 1, 1985: Memo from McFarlane to Don Regan, "Advice to the President." (Uploaded 10.14.13)

Letter: President Reagan to German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. September 10, 1983. (Uploaded 10.14.13)

Book Review: "The Family Jewels" by John Prados. "As relevant today as when Symour Hersh broke the story almost forty years ago."

Apri 15, 1986: Aftermath of Libyan Operations, 0500 EST (Uploaded Aug. 28, 2013)

Aug. 11, 1988: Economic Sanctions Against Libya

Aug. 8, 1988: The Libyan Threat (uploaded Aug. 28, 2013.)

April 16, 1986: JC S SITREP 002 -- Opeation El Dorado Canyon (Uploaded Aug. 28, 2013)

June 2, 1987: Review of the Vice President's Task Force on Counterterrorism (Uploaded Aug. 28, 2013)

April 16, 1986: JC S SITREP 002 -- Opeation El Dorado Canyon

April 21, 1983: "Accelerating the Negotiations on Lebanon." Memo from Shultz to Reagan. (Uploaded Aug. 28, 2013.)July 7, 1987: Letter from Reagan to Thatcher re Syria (Uploaded Aug. 28, 2013)

Nov. 25, 1985: Chronology: Hijacking of Egyptian Airliner Flight 648. Declassified 2008; Uploaded July 23, 2013. RL: CMC NSC Records: Folder: Egypt Flight 648 (1 of 3). Box 91131.

March 23, 1982: "A More Active Policy Toward Iran." Memo from James Roche to Lawrence Eagelburger. Declassified 2011; Uploaded July 23, 2013.

NSSD 1-82 Part III Sec. B: Role of Allies and Others. (Declassified 2010; Uploaded July 22, 2013.)

May 18, 1987: NSPG 152: US Policy and Gulf Security (Reaction to USS Stark.) (Declassified 2011; uploaded July 22, 2013.)

Feb. 12, 1987: NSPG 144: The Middle East. (Declassified 2011; uploaded July 22, 2013.)

May 25, 1984 :NSPG 90: Meeting on the Gulf War. (Declassified 2011; uploaded July 22, 2013.)

Aug. 1, 1990: Minutes of NSC Deputies Committee meeting on Persian Gulf (4pp.). (Declassified 2013, George Bush Library; Uploaded July 19, 2013.)

Apri 2, 1986: Memo from George Shultz to President Reagan. (Declassified 2010; Uploaded July 19, 2013.) This is an update on Israel, the Soviet Union, Japan, and Nicaragaua/Costa Rica.

Aug. 3, 1984: "Soviet Grain Purchases". Memo from Matlock to Poindexter suggesting that the Soviet Union is not going to cancel their Long-Term Agreement for grain purchases. Declassified 2010, uploaded July 19, 2013.

Aug. 31, 1985: "Risk Reduction Center Concept." Memo from McFarlane to Shultz and Weinberger discussing the idea of a "Risk Reduction Center." (Declassified, 2010; Uploaded July 19, 2013.)

Feb. 24, 1988: "START Inspection Procedures for RV Counting." Memo, and attachment ("Indirect Limits on Throw-Weight and other Collateral Constraints") declassified in 1010, uploaded on July 19, 2013.)

April 8, 1986: "Next Steps re Libya." (Declassified 2010; Uploaded July 19, 2013.)

April 16, 1986: 0500 report on world reaction to attack on Libya. (Declassified 2010; uploaded July 19, 2013.)

Iran: Classified Supplement. This 5 page report notes the economic, political and military situation in Iran. (Declassified 2010; Uploaded July 18, 2013.)

"A U.S. Political/Military Strategy for Nicaragua." (This undated document was declassified in 2010 and likely found in the North files at the Reagan Library. Uploaded July 18, 2013.)

May 18, 1983: NSC Meeting on Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions. (Declassified 2009; Uploaded July 18, 2013.)

AWACS: February-April 1981 documents related to the sale of AWACS to Saudi Arabia. (Declassified 2010; Uploaded July 18, 2013.)

June 3, 1985: NSC Meeting on Interim Restraint Policy. (Declassified: 2010; Uploaded July 18, 2013.)

April 21, 1982: NSC Meeting on START with supporting documents. (Declassified 2010 & 2011; uploaded July 18, 2013.)

March 19, 1984: Background papers on Consular Review talks with USSR (Declassified 2010; Uploaded July 18, 2013.)

March 28, 1984 memo from Jack Matlock to Robert McFarlane regarding "Consular Reveiw Talks with the USSR." (Declassified: 2011; uploaded July 18, 2013.)

June 15, 1985 memo ordering "Intelligence Support for the Democratic Resistance Forces in Nicaragua." (Declassified: 2011; Uploaded July 18, 2013.)

NSC 81 Issue Papers on START. (Uploaded July 18, 2013.)

"Modification of Sanctions": Memo sent from George Shultz and Malcolm Baldridge to President Reagan, Nov. 5, 1982. (Uploaded July 18, 2013.)

"Arms Sales to China": memo prepared by James Lilly for National Security Council Adviser Richard Allen, July 8, 1981. (Uploaded July 18, 2013)

Analysis of "Exceptional Circumstances Clause" prepared for NSC 36, Jan. 5, 1982 (uploaded July 18, 2013)

Letter from King Hussein of Jordan to President Reagan, Oct. 19, 1983.

"The Terrorist Threat to U.S. Personnel in Beirut." CIA analysis dated Jan. 12, 1984.

"Repositioning of U.S. Forces in Lebanon." Memo to Reagan from SecDef Weinberger recommending moving the Marines out of Beirut. Dec. 12, 1983.

"Terrorist Threat to Western Interests in Lebanon." CIA analysis dated Nov. 1983

Memoranda of Conversation: Reagan and Kinnock, Feb. 14, 1984 (nuclear weapons).

Foreign Intelligence and National Security Policy, Oct.-Dec. 1983

NSDD 99: US Security Strategy for the Near East and South Asia

NSDD 115: Visit of Prime Minister Shamir

President Reagan's Talking Points for his December 1, 1983 NSPG meeting on Lebanon

President Reagan's Talking Points for his January 3, 1984 NSPG meeting on Lebanon and discussion paper for the NSPG meeting

NSPG Meeting of Oct. 18, 1983 (Talking Points for McFarlane; discussion paper; post-NSPG memo from SecDef Weinberger)

NSPG Meeting Agenda for Oct. 23, 1983

NSDD 111: Next Steps Towards Progress in Lebanon and the Middle East. (Last redacted in 2009)

NSDD 111 background papers and discussion of U.S.-Israeli political and military cooperation

Oct. 23, 1983: Cables first reporting the attacks against the American forces at the Beriut International Airport and against the French multinational peacekeeping forces.

PRAISE FOR THE

REAGAN FILES

Ronald Reagan and his advisers wage a twilight struggle with a decaying Soviet Union—and each other—in this fascinating documentary history. -- Kirkus Review

Did Ronald Reagan Win the Cold War? Jason Saltoun-Ebin has spent nine years at the Reagan Presidential Library and other archives finding the original documents and Oval Office notes that take us as close as we are likely to come to answering one of the great questions of the twentieth century.

-- Richard Reeves, bestselling author of books on Presidents Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan.

The Reagan Files provides fascinating new material about the decision-making process of the Reagan presidency in the final years of the Cold War. The book takes the reader through the original letters, meetings and policy documents that chronicle the era, compiled with great energy and dedication by Jason Saltoun-Ebin.

-- David E. Hoffman, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and Its Dangerous Legacy.





Click here to read David Hoffman’s review of The Reagan Files in his blog at Foreign Policy

Jason Saltoun-Ebin has painstakingly assembled an invaluable collection of documents that provide new insight into the quest for national security during the Reagan years. Bravo!

-- Laura Kalman, author of Right Star Rising: A New Politics, 1974-1980.





Dear Jason,

I received the hard copy of The Reagan Files yesterday -- thanks so much! The book and the website are invaluable for understanding both President Reagan and the era. ...

While writing my first book on Reagan entailed divining information from scraps here and there, this time around I have the good fortune to have scholars like yourself and Tom Blanton, Svetlana Savranskaya, and Vlad Zubok who have done so much to make primary documents widely available. Thank you!

-- Beth A. Fischer, author of The Reagan Reversal: Foreign Policy and The End of the Cold War.

“Your web site is invaluable. I've used it innumerable times in my own research. I am the author of “The Presidency of Ronald Reagan,” which will be published next year by the University Press of Kansas. Your web site made it possible for me to reduce the amount of time I spent copying files at the Reagan Library and also to have ready access to some documents that I might have missed in my own research. I have quite a few graduate students working on Reagan topics, and all of them know about your web site.”

-- Chester Pach, Ohio University

Students of history will find fodder for dissertations and discussions in the transcripts of the National Security Council meetings and declassified letters contained in The Reagan Files.

-- ForeWord Clarion Reviews

The Reagan Files ... is a rich collection of declassified letters, transcripts and National Security Council meeting minutes gleaned from the Reagan Library concerning U.S.-Soviet relations and the end of the Cold War.

-- Steven Aftergood, Secrecy News