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tactics for negotiations with the Sultan about Britain's future
relationship with Brunei.
Five Power Defence Arrangements (paragraph 30)
OPD (74) 23 suggested that: "At the minimum we would confirm the consultative commitment and leave only our contribution (5 men) to the Integrated Air Defence System". (I.A.D.S.) "We agree with the first part of this, but question the wisdom of the second part. The consultative commitment is the core of the Arrangements and is the only agreed political basis for continued deployment of Australian and New Zealand forces in the area. Without this the Arrangements would collapse. Our Commonwealth partners have been unanimous in urging that we
should continue to maintain at least a token force in the area,
They would regard a continuation of our consultative commitment
supported by no forces at all as meaning that we had lost
interest in the stability of the area. We should not therefore present our partners, as a fait accompli, with a decis ion to
reduce our military contribution to the virtually invisible
level of 5 men. Nor should we close our options until we have had a further round of consultations with them, and been able to
discuss the Defence Review as a whole with the Americans and find
out what importance they attach to the retention of naval and
maritime reconnaissance facilities in Singapore for "estern
purposes.
If when we consult our parters, as Mr Mason has told Mr Barnard recently we will do, they urge us to retain a British contingent in Singapore, we should be prepared to con- sider this. The figure of 100 meanwhile recommended by the
Minister of State for Defence is not aacrosanct. It may well
be that the most we shall be asked is to provide a few special-
ists to help maintain New Zealand forces in Singapore.
Instructions for our negotiators should be framed accordingly. They should also have authority to agree to a gradual and phased programme for withdrawals in order to avoid
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/shaking