November 18, 1983

The unity of the Atlantic Alliance has been a paramount concern of my public life. It has occasionally been threatened by intemperate or one-sided public demonstrations. Occasionally the actions of government have contributed. I will admit that there have been instances over the years where the United States has lacked sensitivity to the concerns of its allies. But, a recent example on the European side moves me deeply. I am referring to the European response to the American actions in Grenada. I do not claim that the process of consultations on our side was adequate. Yet, when the United States acts in what it considers its vital security interest in a traditional area of American concern, it deserves more understanding than was shown in Europe in recent weeks. I have supported President Reagan's decision. But whether one agreed or not, when its outcome was in the balance was hardly the time for the conspicuous dissociation at the UN and in public media practiced by allies with whom we had been so closely associated in recent trials. The impression left on our public was painful. It emphasized the need for a new look at our procedures and practices.

Henry A. Kissinger

TO: President Gerald Ford