December 21, 2013
*Updated March 15, 2014
by Jason Saltoun-Ebin
On this page you will find a list of all the National Security Council and National Security Planning Group meetings held during the Reagan administration. This list is based on the list kept by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. If a document is highlighted it contains a link to the official meeting minutes for that particular meeting. Many of these documents were released, declassified, or further declassified as a result of Freedom of Information Act requests or Mandatory Declassification Review requests I filed at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Most of these documents were used in the “The Reagan Files: The Untold Story of Reagan’s Top-Secret Efforts to Win the Cold War” and in “The Reagan Files: Inside the National Security Council.” New documents used in the second edition of “The Reagan Files: Inside the National Security Council” (2014) will be put online in 2015.
See “The Reagan Files: Inside the National Security Council" for citation information.
1981
Feb. 6, 1981: NSC 1: Caribbean Basin; Poland
My own feeling – and one which I have talked at length – is that we are way behind, perhaps decades, in establishing good relations with the two Americas.
“We must change the attitude of our diplomatic corps so that we don’t bring down governments in the name of human rights. None of them is as guilty of human rights violations as are Cuba and the USSR. We don’t throw out our friends just because they can’t pass the ‘saliva test’ on human rights. I want to see that stopped. We need people who recognize that philosophy.
“In Angola, for example, Savimbi holds a large chunk of Angolan territory. With some aid, he could reverse the situation. We should also reestablish relations with countries like Chile who have made substantial progress – and stop worrying about Allende’s fate.”
“For too many years we have been telling adversaries what we can’t do. It’s time we make them start wondering what we will do.”
“We can’t afford a defeat. El Salvador it’s the place for a victory.
Feb. 11, 1981: NSC 2: Central America
If the Junta falls in El Salvador, it will be seen as an American defeat. We must not let Central America become another Cuba on the mainland. It cannot happen.
Feb. 18, 1981: NSC 3: Caribbean Basin, Poland, F-15 Aircraft, Saudi Arabia, El Salvador, Nicaragua
Click here to download a declassified Department of State paper on El Salvador which contains an analysis of War Powers and MTT for El Salvador.
Feb. 27, 1981: NSC 4: El Salvador; The Caribbean Basin, Poland, F-15 Enhancement Package
(Minutes are still classified. The link above is to the summary of conclusions released on April 13th, 2009. In 2010, the Reagan Library released background papers related to the sale of AWACS to Saudi Arabia which can be accessed by clicking here:
1981 documents related to sale of AWACS to Saudi Arabia.
March 4, 1981: NSPG 1: (Unknown)
March 9, 1981: NSPG 2: (Unknown)
March 19, 1981: NSC 5: Sinai Peacekeeping Force; Pakistan
Southern Africa, Nicaragua, Embassy Security
Poland, Nicaragua/Central America, Southern Africa
March 26, 1981: NSPG 4: (Unknown)
April 1, 1981: NSC 7: Haig Trip to the Middle East and Europe, Saudi AWACS, and Nicaragua
April 3, 1981: NSPG 5 & 6: (Unknown)
April 7, 1981: NSPG 7: (Unknown)
April 24, 1981:NSPG 8: (Unknown)
Theater Nuclear Forces – Negotiations Timing
May 11, 1981:NSPG 9: (Unknown)
May 14, 1981: NSPG 10: (Unknown)
May 15, 1981: NSPG 11: Libya, Caribbean Basin Initiative
May 22, 1981: NSC 9: US-USSR Standing Consultative Commission; The Caribbean Basin
Why should we preserve the illusion of SALT if we are going to slide around and do what we accuse the Soviets of doing (violating it).
May 28, 1981
NSC 10 US Policy for Caribbean Basin, US Relations with the Peoples Republic of China, and the Sinai Multinational Peacekeeping Force
June 1, 1981:NSC 11: Conventional Arms Transfer, Libya
1. List of decisions made at this meeting
June 3, 1981: NSPG 12: Sudan, Mauritius
June 4, 1981:NSC 12: China, Cuba, and Secretary Haig’s trip to the Far East
*Minutes uploaded Nov. 1, 2023
Supplemental documents:
June 9, 1981: NSPG 13: (Unknown)
June 10, 1981: NSC 13: China, Greece, Poland
June 10, 1981: NSPG 14: (Unknown)
June 11, 1981: NSPG 15: Libya
June 12, 1981: NSC 14: Non-Proliferation and Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation Policy
June 18, 1981: NSPG 16: Libya
June 30, 1981: NSPG 17: Israeli Attack on Iraq; Leaks
(A) Oral Demarche to PM Begin and his response;
(B) July 1, 1981: Interagency Intelligence Assessment, "Implications of Israeli Attack on Iraq."
July 6, 1981: NSC 16: East-West Trade Controls
We are held by our Allies to be most rigid (in our approach) to maintain a stricter position. Our allies note they have the Soviets next to them. Trade is more essential to them. But, how do we say to our own people that we must continue to sacrifice – and to our Allies – if we are not prepared to use all our weapons? Don’t we seem guilty of hypocrisy – weak – if we are not prepared to take a strong position?
(July 8, 1981: Memo on Arms Sales to China)
July 9, 1981: NSC 17:East-West Trade Controls
There are sometimes leaks –perhaps in background briefings. I don’t think by anyone in this room. Perhaps by persons not here, who know only a little. But if we can get through another week, perhaps it will become a habit. I want to see an end to the stories of our speaking with different voices. We only speak with different voices in this kind of briefing. If there is no other way to cure it – other than blowing up the Post and the Star – then, if I found out about them, then they are going back to South Succotash, Wisconsin, in a hurry.
July 14, 1981: NSPG 19: Economic Aid to Poland; Security Assistance For Pakistan; East-West Trade
July 22, 1981: NSPG 20: Grain Agreement with the USSR; Credit Sale of Corn to Poland
Supplemental documents:
B) July 23 ,1981: Memo on decisions regarding the US-USSR Grain Agreement
Aug. 3, 1981:NSC 19/NSPG21: Space Shuttle Policy, Space Programs
Aug. 4, 1981: NSPG 22: Gambia
Aug. 7, 1981: NSPG 23: (Unknown)
Aug. 17, 1981: NSC 20: Central America; East-West Trade; Strategic Forces
Sept. 15, 1981: NSC 21: Further Economic Aid to Poland
Oct. 6, 1981: NSPG 26: Sadat
Oct. 13, 1981: NSC 22: Theater Nuclear Forces, Egypt, NATO, Nuclear Weapons, USSR
Do we really want a "zero-option" for the battlefield? Don’t we need these nuclear systems? Wouldn’t it be bad for us to give them up since we need them to handle Soviet conventional superiority?
Oct. 16, 1981: NSC 23: East-West Trade Controls, USSR, Oil
It seems to me this gets down to showing that if the free world had not helped them and had let their system deteriorate, we wouldn’t have the problems we have today. But we (the U.S.) can’t do it alone. The question is have we worked in good faith with our Allies to get their cooperation? And, if we don’t get their cooperation, at what point do we (by unilateral embargo actions) simply cut off our nose to spite our face and add to our own (economic) problems by not selling – by depriving ourselves without depriving them (the Soviets) as was the case with grain. Can we make alone a decision to hold them back?
Oct. 16, 1981: NSPG 27: Caribbean
Nov. 10, 1981: NSC 24: Strategy Toward Cuba and Central America
*Note from Dr. Diego Trinidad, a Cuban scholar: “This is the first time in my 45 years of research that I found such an admission from a high American official.” Dr. Trinidad is referring to the discussion of the U.S.-Soviet accord in which the United States promised not to invade Cuba. Sec. Haig, specifically, said: “The Soviet threshold on Cuba is clear: it is the 1962 accords – the promise not to invade [Cuba] is the line. Invasion is the trigger for a serious Soviet response. Up to that point, there is a free play area.”
Nov. 12, 1981: NSC 25: Theater Nuclear Forces, NATO, Strategic Forces
Nov. 16, 1981: NSC 26: Cuba, Central America, Proposed U.S. Peacekeeping Force in Chad, Military Assistance
Nov. 19, 1981: NSPG 29: Intelligence, Liberia, Lebanon
Dec. 3, 1981: NSC 27: Monitoring Overseas Direct Employment; Civil Defense
Dec. 7, 1981: NSC 28: Counterterrorism, Libya
Dec. 8, 1981: NSC 29: Libya, Global Negotiations, Foreign Assistance, Terrorism
Dec. 8, 1981: NSC 30: FY 1983 Foreign Assistance Budget
Dec. 14, 1981: NSPG 31: Update on Poland
Supplemental document: Dec. 14, 1981 CIA Briefing Note on Poland
Dec. 17, 1981: NSPG 32: Intelligence Capabilities, 85-90
Dec. 18, 1981: NSC 32: Peacetime Draft Registration
Dec. 19, 1981: Poland
That doesn’t bother me at all. If we don’t take action now, three or four years from now we’ll have another situation and we wonder, why didn’t we go for it when we had the whole country with us. I am tired of looking backward.
We could say that we cannot continue trade (if events in Poland continue) and that we will press our Allies to follow us unless the Polish situation is alleviated. But again holding out our hand. Can he envision what it would be like if trade with the West were open? It would be a different, much better, world. He can have that one, giving up nothing, or the one that will result if we are forced to take trade-cutting actions.
Let me say something in the form of a positive question. This is the first time in 60 years that we have had this kind of opportunity. There may not be another in our lifetime. Can we afford not to go all out? I’m talking about a total quarantine on the Soviet Union. No détente! We know – and the world knows – that they are behind this. We have backed away so many times! After World War II we offered Poland the Marshall Plan, they accepted, but the Soviets said no.
Well, Al, it seems to me on this we make up our minds on what is right to do. We say to the Soviets tomorrow night, we will proceed with actions, without spelling them out – actions that will isolate them politically and economically. We reduce political contact; we do all we can to persuade our Allies to come along, unless and until martial rule is ended in Poland and they return to an antebellum state. We have to deal with out own labor movement. They are shutting off shipments to Poland, though Church shipments are still going.
1982
Jan. 5, 1982: NSC 36: Poland/Golan Heights
(Supplemental document: NSC Analysis of Exceptional Circumstances clause)
Jan. 7, 1982: NSPG 33: Taiwan
Suppplemental documents: Briefing papers, including draft talking points, an Options Paper, and discussion paper.
(further declassified version uploaded 10.27.23)
Jan. 21, 1982: NSC 38: Law of the Sea
Jan. 22, 1982: NSPG 34: Cuba
Supplemental document: NSC Executive Summary: “Responding to Floggers in Cuba."
Feb. 4, 1982: NSC 39: Scope and Interpretation of Oil and Gas Equipment Controls
Feb. 10, 1982: NSC 40: The Caribbean Basin
Can we do a speech without making it sound like war? We are seeking to offer the advantage of our economic system to others. We have had good neighbor policies before. None of them succeeded. We forget our size and our strength. We tried to impose our way. We should go to the Caribbean and say we are all neighbors. Let’s hear your ideas and together bring about the things you are interested in. The problem is how I am perceived. I was a hawk in Vietnam because I believe if you ask people to die you should give them a chance to win. The best way to prevent war is to get to the problem early. Can I do something without adding to the perception of me as a hawk?
Feb. 19, 1982: NSC 41: Caribbean Basin Policy
Feb. 25, 1982: NSC 42: Libya
Feb. 26, 1982:NSC 43: Terms of Reference for Mission
Feb. 26, 1982: NSPG 35: Cuban Excludables
March 11, 1982: NSPG 36: Cuban Excludables
March 25, 1982: NSC 44: Debrief of Under Secretary Buckley's Trip to Europe
Let me raise a question from the world of fantasy. So far we are doing things which threaten to deny. But they are still in Afghanistan, they are still supplying Cuba, they are still preventing Jews and Christians from emigrating. Is there a right time for the West to cooperate? The Europeans do not understand. Can we foresee a time when they (the Soviets) are in a desperate plight, when the military deprives the people of food, and we might be able to say to them: ‘Have you learned you lesson? If you rejoin the civilized world we will help you bring wonderful things to your people. But you must get out of Afghanistan, deal realistically in Geneva. No one wants to attack you.
April 5, 1982: NSPG 37: Central America
April 7, 1982: NSPG 38: (Unknown)
April 16, 1982: NSC 45: NSSD 1-82 (U.S. National Security Strategy)
April 27, 1982: NSC 47: NSSD 1-82
(U.S. National Security Strategy)
NSSD 1-82, Part III, Section B: The Role of the Allies
April 30, 1982: NSC 48: South Atlantic Crisis (Falkland Islands)
May 24, 1982: NSC 50: Review of Dec. 30, 1981 Sanctions
June 14, 1982: NPSG 39: Lebanon
June 18, 1982: NSC 51: East-West Sanctions
Supplemental document: Ronald Reagan’s concluding remarks as recorded by Richard Pipes
June 25, 1982: NSC 52: START
June 29, 1982: NSC 53: Law of the Sea
July 13, 1982: NSPG 40: Central America
July 16, 1982: NSC 54: U.S./EC Economic Relations (coming soon)
July 19 1982: NSC 55: Nuclear Testing, Nuclear Weapons
July 21, 1982: NSC 56: Eastern Europe, Poland
July 27, 1982: NSPG 41: Kampuchea, Lebanon, NATO
Aug. 4, 1982: NSC 57: Lebanon Situation
Aug. 6, 1982: NSC 58: U.S.-E.C. Steel Dispute and Soviet Sanctions Implementation
Aug. 19, 1982: NSPG 42: Middle East
Aug. 12, 1982: NSPG 43: Middle East
Sept. 13, 1982: NSPG 44: Arms Control
Sept. 20, 1982: NSC 60: Lebanon
Sept. 22, 1982: NSC 61: Pipeline Sanctions
President Roosevelt called for a quarantine on Germany in 1939. He had his brains kicked out. What would history have been like if he had been listened to?
Sept. 24, 1982: NSPG 45: Central America
Sept. 30, 1982: NSC 62: Polish Debt; Private Sector Initiative for Poland; Latin American Debt
Oct. 13, 1982: NSC 63: NSDD on Japan
Oct. 15, 1982: NSC 64: East-West Trade, Poland Sanctions
Click here for a background paper on NSC 64 (uploaded 10.27.23)
Nov. 2, 1982: NSPG 46: Poland, Latin America
Nov. 3, 1982: (Redacted) Program; Central American Update
Nov. 9, 1982: NSC 65: Allied Agreement on East-West Trade; Sanctions
NSC 65 concludes: “On November 16, the President signed NSDD 66 which approved the 'Summary of Conclusions' on East-West economic relations resulting from consultations with the Allies by Secretary Shultz; approved cancellation of the December 30 sanctions and the June 22 amendment; and laid out the President’s objectives for the studies with the Allies in the area of East-West economic relations.” Reagan announced the cancellation of sanctions during his Nov. 13, 1982 radio address.
Supplemental document:
Memo from Shultz and Baldrige to Reagan: Modification of Sanctions
Nov. 18, 1982: NSC 66: M-X Basing Decision
Nov. 23, 1982: NSC 67: The President's Trip to Latin America
Dec. 7, 1982: NSC 68: MX Missiles, Energy
Dec. 10, 1982: NSC 69: Alternative Energy
Dec. 13, 1982: NPSG 47: Suriname
Dec. 16, 1982: NSC 70: U.S. Relations with the USSR
1983
Jan. 4, 1983: NSPG 48: Suriname
Jan. 10, 1983: NSPG 49: U.S. - Soviet Relations
Supplemental documents:
A) Briefing papers for the President
Jan. 13, 1983: NSPG 50: Arms Control/INF
Jan. 14, 1983: NSC 71: Preparations for Visit of Japanese PM
Jan. 25, 1983: NSC 72: Preparation for Round III of START
Jan. 28, 1983: NSC 73: Discussion on Defense Program
Feb. 4, 1983: NSPG 51: Lebanon
Supplemental documents: Decision memo and background paper
Feb. 8, 1983: NSPG 52: Suriname
Feb. 11, 1983: NSC 74: VP’s Trip to Europe, Shultz trip to Asia
Feb. 14, 1983: NSPG 53: Libya & Sudan
Feb. 18, 1983: NSPG 54: Central America
Feb. 24, 1983 NSPG 55: Central America
Feb. 25, 1983: NSPG 56: Middle East Policy
Feb. 25, 1983: NSC 75: Briefing on Defense Guidance
March 9, 1983: NSPG 57: Central America
March 11, 1983: NSPG 58: Lebanon Policy
March 18, 1983: NSPG 59: INF Negotiations; Next Steps in the Israeli-Lebanon Negotiations
Supplemental documents:
A) Agenda and Briefing Paper on Lebanon
March 23, 1983: NSC 76: Export Administration Act
April 4, 1983: NSPG 60: Suriname
April 8, 1983: NSPG 61: Poland
April 14, 1983: NSC 77: Strategic Forces Modernization
April 22, 1983: NSPG 62: Middle East
April 29, 1983: NSC 78: Briefing on Soviet Technology Acquisition Effort
May 10, 1983: NSC 79: START
May 18, 1983: NSC 80: Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions
May 31, 1983: NSPG 63: Central America
June 7, 1983:NSC 81: START
Supplemental documents: NSC documents on START
June 10, 1983: NSC 82: Nuclear Weapons Security/Safeguards
June 16, 1983: NSC 83: International Debt Crisis, International Finance
June 21, 1983: NSPG 64: Lebanon
Supplemental documents: Briefing memo and draft talking points
July 8, 1983: NSC 84: Central America
July 15, 1983: NSPG 65: Lebanon
Supplemental documents:
A) Briefing Memo for the President
July 20, 1983: NSPG 66: Lebanon
Supplemental documents:
A) Briefing memo for the President
B) Department of State Discussion Paper
July 29, 1983: NSPG 67: Update & Review
Aug. 9, 1983: NSC 85: Mexico
Aug. 12, 1983: NSC 86: Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces
Sept. 2, 1983: NSPG 68A: KAL 007
According to an archivist at the Reagan Library, notes from this meeting do not exist.
Supplemental documents:
A) Agenda, briefing memo and discussion paper
B) NSDD 102: US Response to KAL Disaster
Sept. 3, 1983: NSPG 68: Lebanon
Supplemental documents:
A) Briefing memo and State discussion paper
C) Talking Points for Phone Call to PM Begin
Sept. 6, 1983: NSC 87: Mutual and Balanced Forced Reductions, Lebanon
Sept. 10, 1983: NSC 88: Lebanon
Sept. 16, 1983: NSPG 69: Central America
Sept. 23, 1983: NSC 90: Central America
Sept. 27, 1983: NSPG 70: Nicaragua/Lebanon
Sept. 29, 1983: NSPG 71: START
Oct. 14, 1983: NSPG 72: Lebanon
Oct. 18, 1983: NSPG 73: Review of Strategy in Lebanon
*Documents above were copied at the Reagan Library on October 31, 2023
** Three days after the NSPG meeting, Secretary of Defense Weinberger prepared a Memo for the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs dated Oct. 21, 1983. Secretary Weinberger warns that the “Static position of the Marines ashore presents an extremely difficult defensive situation, and the ongoing sniper fire against the Marines indicates the MNF may be being targeted by factional elements.” See page 29 in the link above for the full Memo.
Oct. 23, 1983: NSPG 74/75: Grenada
Oct. 25, 1983: NSC 91: Japan Trip
Nov. 1, 1983 (NSC 92): Japan Financial Issues
Nov. 3, 1983 (NSC 93): Defense and Foreign Assistance Aspects of Japan and Korean Visits
Nov. 3, 1983 (NSC 94): Overall Trip Strategy
Nov. 7, 1983: NSC 95: Japan Trip
Nov. 7, 1983: NSPG 76: Iran-Iraq; Bombing of Marine Barracks at BIA
Nov. 7, 1983: "Chemical Warfare in Iraq." Supplement to NSPG 76.
Nov. 14, 1983: NSPG 77: Lebanon
Nov. 16, 1983: NSPG 78: (Unknown)
Nov. 30, 1983: NSC 96: Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
Dec. 1, 1983: NSPG 79: Lebanon
Dec. 2, 1983: NSPG 80: Lebanon
Dec. 2, 1983: NSC 97: Libya; Oil and Gas Export Control Issues
Dec. 20, 1983: NSPG 81: Soviet Noncompliance with Arms Control Agreements
Dec. 22, 1983: NSPG 82: Iran-Iraq War
1984
Jan. 3, 1984: NSPG 83: Next Steps in Lebanon
Jan. 5, 1984 (NSC 98): China
Jan. 6, 1984: NSPG 83A: Central America
Jan. 9, 1984: NSC 99: Soviet Non-Compliance on Arms Control
Jan. 13, 1984: NSC 100: Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions
Feb. 6, 1984:NSPG 84: Lebanon
Feb. 17, 1984: NSPG 85: Central America
Feb. 24, 1984: NSC 101: Lebanon
Feb. 27, 1984: NSPG 85a: (Unknown)
March 2, 1984: NSPG 86: Combatting Terrorism
March 13, 1984: NSC 102: Visit of French President Mitterrand
March 20, 1984: NSC 103: (Emergency Energy Preparedness)
March 27, 1984: NSC 104: Nuclear Arms Control Discussions
March 29,