May 12, 1994

President Francois Mitterrand
Palais de L'Elysee
55 & 57 Rue du Faubourg-St. Honore
75008 - Paris
FRANCE
Dear President Mitterrand:

I hope you will remember me from my many years of association with Schlumberger and Jean Riboud. Jean and I were the closest of friends and I saw him with you occasionally at his bedside in the hospital. You may remember that you and I walked together at his funeral. I have not been feeling well myself as of late, and therefore have not been traveling abroad for the last several years. I do miss Europe and the many friends I have there.

I write to introduce you to two of my dear friends and colleagues: Dr. Daniel Ellsberg and Dr. Margaret Brenman-Gibson who are deeply involved in an effort to bring about a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and other measures to stop proliferation and end the danger of nuclear war. Dr. Ellsberg is the Director of Manhattan Project II (the name of this program) and a former RAND Corporation analyst and Defense and State Department official who served under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Dr. Ellsberg was a special consultant on U.S. nuclear war planning for Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and continues to be a leading analyst of U.S. nuclear strategy. Dr. Margaret Brenman- Gibson, Senior Associate of MPII, is a professor working on interdisciplinary studies at Harvard University. Dr. Brenman-Gibson was a friend and colleague of the late Leo Szilard.

Manhattan Project II is an international project involving physicists, physicians, defense experts and others designed to bring the same urgency to the effort to end the threat of nuclear war and prevent nuclear proliferation that marked the original Manhattan Project. As you will see from the enclosed material, the long term aim of the MPII project is, so far as possible, to undo the legacy of Manhattan Project I. It seems to me that it would be extremely useful if you could possibly meet with my friends in the near future to discuss nuclear non-proliferation, a comprehensive test ban and other urgent matters before your summit meeting with President Clinton in June. Dr. Ellsberg meets regularly with various U.S. officials and members of the Congress. He would offer many valuable insights into how our mutual goals could be reached.

Given the urgency of these matters and short time before the summit, if you are able to meet with Drs. Ellsberg and Brenman-Gibson please have your staff contact their office directly. Their office phone number is: 202/898-0150, fax: 202/898-0172.
Address: C/O Physicians for Social Responsibility
1101 14th Street, NW #700
Washington, DC 20005

Sincerely,

Jerome B. Wiesner
President Emeritus

JBW/cm
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