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4.09
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Mr Jackson (Defence Dept)
Reference
DEFENCE REVIEW: BRIEFING BY MR MASON
1.
нку
MWilford
Mu Stat
10
224)
My Delancey leland Misawand..
Pracha
Mr Mason gave an unattributable briefing on the defence review for the British press after the statement in the House this afternoon. At the same time, Mr Rogers briefed the foreign press. Transcripts will follow; here in the meantime is a record of the main points of most interest to the FCO.
General
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He felt that the House had found his statement a lot to take in at one go and the question-time had, as a result, been rather unsatisfactory.
Simonstown
4/11
This had not been included in the defence review "on money grounds". But because of the other proposals in the review, its importance to us would lessen anyway. There was no reason why, after the negotiations to end the review were over, our vessels, would not be able to use the base on a customer basis, or in case of need, like those of any other nation. He could give no indication of the timing of the start or the course of the negotiations. If the South Africans were difficult, we could always let the agreement wither on the vine.
Diego Garcia
There was no intention to turn it into a major base or place nuclear weapons there. Anyone could see this when they looked at the money the Americans proposed to spend.
NATO
Consultations were beginning today. He would listen
All items to what NATO had to say at the DPC next week. affecting NATO were genuinely open to negotiations. After seeing the going-over Mr Vredeling had been given, he would consider any counter-proposals carefully so long as he could maintain the projected savings.
Five Power defence arrangements
Our commitment to co-operate on a consultative basis remained. Our reinforcement capability was still possible (we could land anything we wanted on Diego Garcia and we had not yet left the Gulf), but clearly it would be very slow.
CODE 18-77
/SEATO