A
B
They
on
won't be keen
Her either for Mysechoven
This
HKK OS: |1.
Mr Mansfielande
PARAMILITARY
Problem
No thompson
HY 43. 51
-- JUN 1978
DICK OFFICER.
PA
INZA
REC RY Action Taken
see esp. pera 4: (SAD did indeed clear this with us after consulting me, As Upton told them that we saw no boom in their trying this out on Kong, though that Hong Kong had troned down the idea that Japanese police might be
Hong
we reminded them
FOR ZEBIAN POLICE given anti-terrorist training i
Hong Kong, on the grounds that it might working the Chinese)
W. Chantill
1. The Zambians have requested the provision of an SAS team to train the paramilitary wing of the Zambian police.
Background
2. The Zambian Minister for Home Affairs, Wilted Phiri, recently asked our High Commission in Lusaka if there was any possibility of our providing training for the paramilitary wing of the Zambian police force. Initially Mr Phiri sought advice on commercial companies who might undertake such training. Mr Allinson has however suggested to Mr Phiri that
Mr Allinson an SAS training team might be sent to Zambia. suggests that he offered this idea on the advice of Mr Macoun. Mr Macoun however does not recall advising that an offer of SAS assistance should be made to the Zambians nor that the question of the SAS was discussed in his talksne with the
Zambians.
3.
Mr Phiri enthusiastically welcomed Mr Allinson's suggestion, and has since put the idea to President Kaunda, who has endorsed the request. Politically we would obviously like to be able to meet the Zambians' wishes. Furthermore, we would welcome a more efficient Zambian police force in the context of our concern at deteriorating security in Zambia and
But unfortunately, its implications for British subjects there.
I believe that the idea of an SAS team going to Lusaka is a non-starter. There would be serious logistic difficulties; the SAS has only one squadron in this country and its commit- ments are such that a training team would be unable to go to Lusaka for at least nine months. Quite apart from this, the SAS have an unfortunate reputation acquired during the conflict
It is true over the recruitment of mercenaries for Angola. that the Zambians evidently see no difficulty in accepting help
But from the SAS in spite of its interventionist mystique. this could rise to difficulties elsewhere in Africa, or to domestic opinion. We are for example receiving a small but steady flow of letters protesting that we are doing too much
56
/200