0013300 Current Handling Document Number 1976BUEN0506276 Page 1 Channel n a Case Number 200000044 A PAGE 01 BUENOS 06276 241619Z 43 ACTION SS-ZS INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SSO-OO 026 0 2415352 SEP 76 FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES To SECSTATE WASHDC 7269 i BUENOS AIRES 6276 E O 11652 TAGS PFOR SHUM AR US 101650 PROTECT 5200000044 Enke Daw EmmbeQ h mu SUBJECT AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES RELATIONS WITH PRESI- DENT VIDELA RER A BUENOS AIRES 6177 B STATE 227379 1 AS REPORTED IN REF A PRESIDENT VIDELA RECEIVED ME AT 11 15 A M YESTERDAY SEPT 21 AND I WAS WITH HIM ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF I OPENED CONVERSATION BY GOING DIRECTLY INTO HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE I TOLD HIM OF GREAT CONCERN I HAD FOUND IN US THERE WAS GREAT SYMPATHY FOR HIS GOVERNMENT WHICH HAD TAKEN OVER UNDER FICULT CIRCUMSTANCES AND WHICH ALL UNDERSTOOD TO BE INVOLVED IN STRUGGLE TO THE DEATH WITH LEFT-WING SUBVERSION HOWEVER SUCH THINGS AS THE MURDER OF THE PRIESTS AND THE MASS MURDERGET PILAR WERE SERIOUSLY DAMAGING IMAGE IN THE US US WAS LY CONCERNED WITH HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE NOT JUST IN ARGENTINA BUT AROUND THE WORLD AND WE NOW HAVE LEGISLATION UNDER WHICH NO COUNTRY DETERMINED TO BE CONSISTENTLY GUILTY OF GROSS LATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS CAN BE ELIGIBLE FOR ANY FORM OF US ASSISTANCE BE IT ECONOMIC OR MILITARY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF HARKIN AMENDMENT WERE INVOKED AGAINST ARGENTINA SEE REF B I TOLD HIM HOWEVER THAT FOR THE MOMENT THIS HAD BEEN AVOIDED US WOULD VOTE FOR ARGENTINE LOAN IN IDB I EXPLAINED THAT QUESTION OF INTEREST RATES FOR SOME PORTIONS OF LOAN HAD STILL TO BE RESOLVED BUT THAT THIS NOT RELATED TO HARKIN AMENDMENT I TOLD PRESIDENT FRANKLY HOWEVER THAT I SAW THIS VOTE AS PROBABLY LAST IME US WOULD Current Class a UNBUISSIHED muwm__ C STATE 231122 I SAID I EXPLAINED TO HIM Page 1 HIE MSSIHEU Case Number I Current Class Page Current Handling Document Number 200000044 PAGE 02 BUENOS 06276 241619Z BE ABLETO AVOID INVOKING AMENDMENT AGAINST ARGENTINA UNLESS RPT UNLESS GOA MOVED QUICKLY TO DEMONSTRATE IT IS TAKING MEASURES TO GET HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN HAND I POINTED OUT THAT SO FAR AS I KNEW NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTIC OR EVEN DISCIPLINED FOR EXCESSES OF WHICH ELEMENTS OF SECURITY FORCES HAVE BEEN GUILTY I ALSO POINTED OUT TO HIM HUMAN RIGHTS PROVISIONS OF NEW SECURITY ASSISTANCE LEGISLATION SEE REFTEL C AND INDICATED URUGUAY HAD ALREADY LOST THREE MILLION DOLLARS IN MILITARY AID BECAUSE OF IT I PROMISED TO SENT TEXTS OF PERTINENT PROVISIONS OF NEW SECURITY ASSISTANCE LEGISLATION AND HARKIN AMENDMENT TO FOREIGN MINISTRY 2 PRESIDENT THANKED ME FOR FRANK EXPOSITION OF PROBLEM AND EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR US AFFIRMATIVE VOTE IN IDB HE SAID HE HAD BEEN OUTRAGED BY THE MURDERS AT PILAR WHICH HAD BEEN AN AFFRONT TO HIS GOVT INDEED 3 I ASKED THEN IF ANY SANCTIONS WERE GOING TO BETAKEN AGAINST THOSE RESPONSIBLE THUS SHOWING THAT HIS GOVT DID NOT CONDONE SUCH ACTS VIDELA AVOIDED REPLY I SUGGESTED THAT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS BEST WAY TO PROCEED AGAINST TERRORISTS WAS WITHIN LAW AND WHY I ASKED DID NOT GOA USE EXISTING COURT SYSTEM TO BRING MEMBERS OF FORMER GOVT TO TRIAL INSTEAD OF LEAVING THEM IN PRISON WITHOUT CHARGES 4 VIDELA DID NOT ANSWER EITHER RATHER HE LAUNCHED INTO LONG EXPOSITION OF DIFFICULT SITUATION HIS GOVT HAD HERITED ECONOMY HAD BEEN ON THE ROCKS AND TERRORISM FURTHER HE SAID ARGENTINA WAS NOW AT WAR WITH COMMUNISM WHICH THROUGH PENETRATION OF THE SCHOOLS AND EVEN THE CHURCH HAD BEEN ON VERGE OF TAKEOVER ALTHOUGH HE HAD EARLIER DEPLORED TO ME MASS MURDER AT PILAR CERTAIN OF HIS SUBSEQUENT STATEMENTS SUGGESTED THAT HE VIEWS KILLINGS OF SOME LEFTISTS AS GOOD OBJECT LESSON 5 HE SAID GOVT WAS TAKING ACTION TO CONTROL PROBLEM OF ANTI- SEMITISM IN ARGENTINA HE SAID HE THOUGHT PROBLEM HAD BEEN EXAGGERATED BUT THAT GOA WANTS NONE OF THAT SORT OF THING AND HAS ISSUED DEGREE BANNING PUBLICATIONS WHICH WERE PRINCIPALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR STIMULATING ANTI-SEMITISM Current Class Page 2 Channel n a MSSIHED Current Class ww Page 3 'Current Handling l Document Number Channel n a Case Number 200000044 PAGE 03 BUENOS 06276 241619Z 6 PRESIDENT SAID HE HAD BEEN GRATIFIED WHEN FONMIN GUZZETTI REPORTED TO HIM THAT SECRETARY OF STATE KISSINGER THEIR PROBLEM AND HAD SAID HE HOPED THEY COULD GET TERRORISM UNDER CONTROL AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE VIDELA SAID HE HAD IMPRESSION SENIOR OFFICERS OF USG UNDERSTOOD SITUATION HIS GOVT FACES BUT JUNIOR BUREAUCRATS DO NOT I ASSURED HIM THIS WAS NOT THE CASE WE ALL HOPE ARGENTINA CAN GET TERRORISM UNDER CONTROL DO SO IN SUCH A WAY AS TO DO MINIMUM DAMAGE TO ITS IMAGE AND TO ITS RELATIONS WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTS IF SECURITY FORCES CONTINUE TO KILL PEOPLE TO TUNE OF BRASS BAND I CONCLUDED THIS WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE I TOLD HIM SECRETARY OF STATE HAD TOLD ME WHEN I WAS IN US THAT HE WANTED TO AVOID HUMAN RIGHTS PROBLEM IN ARGENTINA 7 VIDELA REPLIED THAT HIS GOVT TOO WISHED TOAVOID SUCH A PROBLEM NOTHING HE SAID MUST BE ALLOWED TO UPSET GOOD RELATIONS WITH US 8 I ASKED WHAT HIS ATTITUDE WOULD BE IF CONGRESSMAN KOCK WISHED TO VISIT VIDELA ASSURED ME HIS GOVT WOULD POSE NO OBJECTIONS TO SUCH A VISIT LET THE CONGRESSMAN COME AND SEE FOR HIMSELF HE CONCLUDED 9 VIDELA EXPRESSED MARKED CONCERN OVER FIRE AT NEW CHANCERY SITE SEE SEPTELS AND ASKED ME FOR ALL THE DETAILS 10 PRESIDENT TOLD ME GENERAL MIRO ARGENTINE MILATT IN WASHINGTON WHO PRESIDENT SAID WAS CLASSMATE AND CLOSE FRIEND OF HIS CALLED HIM FROM US TO EXPRESS CONCERN OVER IMPACT MUSICH TION MIGHT HAVE MIRO HAD ASKED IF MUSICH DEPARTURE MEANT THAT ECONOMIC MISSION AROUND MUSICH WOULD ALSO GO AND THERE WOULD BE CHANGE OF POLICY PRESIDENT SAID HE HAD ASSURED MIRO THAT THIS NOT THE CASE ECONOMIC TEAM IN WASHINGTON WILL STAY AND THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE OF POLICY 11 OTHER ITEMS RAISED IN DISCUSSION WERE REPORTED IN REFTEL A SEPT 21 12 COMMENT I CAME AWAY FROM MEETING WITH VIDELA SOMEWHAT DISCOURAGED HE SAYS HE WANTS TO AVOID PROBLEMS WITH US Current Class Page 3 WASHER magma urrent Handling a Document Number 197SBUEN0806276 Channel n a Case Number 200000044 PAGE 04 BUENOS 06276 2416192 BUT HE GAVE NO INDICATION THAT HE INTENDS TO MOVE AGAINST THOSE ELEMENTS IN SECURITY FORCES WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THUS BEGIN TO GET SITUATION IN HAND INDEED HE MAY NOT BE IN ANY POSITION TO SO MOVE I CAME AWAY WITH VERY STRONG IMPRESSION THAT VIDELA IS NOT IN CHARGE THAT NOT THE BOSS AND KNOWS HE IS NOT HE IS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO MOVE AGAINST HARDLINERS HE IS A DECENT MAN BUT HIS WHOLE STYLE IS ONE OF DIFFIDENCE AND EXTREME CAUTION IN THE PRESENT ASSERTIVENESS THAN HE CAN PROVIDE MAY BE NEEDED TO GET HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION UNDER CONTROL HILL 4 Zurr nt Class I unsussmw