5 I ASKED HIM ABOUT THE RUMOURS THAT HE HIMSELF MIGHT BE ON THE MOVE (BCARFE'S ALLOT 1). HE SAID IT WAS TRUE THAT WIWEKO AND THE MINISTER WERE TRYING TO MOVE HIM ON, PROBABLY TO ICAO AT MONTROL. THE MINISTER HAD ALREADY MADE SIMILAR CHANGES AMONG SENIOR OFFICIALS IN THE DIRECTORATE OF SEA COMMUNICATIONS, AND AIR COMMUNICATIONS' CHANGES WERE DUE TO BE DISCUSSED NEXT WEEK. WIWEKO DID NOT LIKE
RISAKOTTA, WHOM HE REGARDS AS AN OBSTACLE TO HIS PLANS FOR GARUDA AND WIWEKO AND THE MINISTER WERE FELLOW TECHNOCRATS. BUT RISAKOTTA
HAD THE BACKING OF THE ARMED FORCES, AND HE DID NOT EXPECT TO BE MOVED. AFTER MARCH, OF COURSE, THERE WOULD BE A NEW BALL GAME AND PROBABLY A NEW MINISTER.
6. ALL THIS ILLUSTRATES THE LIMITS OF RISAKOTTA'S KNOWLEDGE AND
OF HIS INFLUENCE. HE ADMITTED THAT IT WAS NOT INCONCEIVABLE THAT
WIWEKO HAD SPOKEN TO HIS MINISTER AND THAT HE, RISAKOTTA, WAS UN AWARE OF THIS. FURTHERMORE, HE COULD NOT APPROACH EITHER HIS MINISTER OR WIWEKO INFORMALLY WITHOUT A PEG TO HANG IT ON, SUCH
AS THE PROPOSED LETTER FROM ME. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, I THINK
THE BEST SOLUTION IS TO SUGGEST AN INFORMAL VISIT BY BCARFE AS PROPOSED. EVEN THEN, FROM RISAKOTTA'S REFERENCE TO TAIPEI, IT SEEMS UNLIKELY. THAT HE WOULD FALL IN WITH THE WIWEKO/BLUCK PROPOSAL
WITHOUT LOOKING FOR A QUID PRO QUO OF SOME KIND.
7. THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TO CEASE PUSSYFOOTING WITH
RISAKOTTA ON THE GROUNDS THAT HIS OPPONENT WIWEKO NOW SEEMS TO BE
MORE ANXIOUS THAN HE DOES TO GIVE US WHAT WE WANT., THAT WIWEKO HAS THE MINISTER'S EAR WHILE RISAKOTTA NEEDS AN EXCUSE TO APPROACH EITHER OF THEM., AND THAT RISAKOTTA MAY BE ON THE WAY OUT. BUT THIS WOULD MEAN ASKING THE MINISTRY FOR OFFICIAL TALKS AS
DEMANDEURS WITHOUT ANY CERTAINTY OF THE OUTCOME, OR OF THE REAL
ATTITUDES OF WIWEKO AND THE MINISTER.. I ALSO THINK IT WOULD BE
A MISTAKE AT THIS STAGE TO WRITE OFF RISAKOTTA AS AN ALLY. HE
HAS POWERFUL FRIENDS AND THE ONLY NEAR-CERTAINTY IS THAT THERE WILL BE ANOTHER MINISTER AFTER MARCH. AT A MOMENT WHEN MINISTER
SALIM'S POLITICAL FUTURE IS IN THE BALANCE, I DOUBT WHETHER HE WOULD ANYWAY BE IN THE MOOD TO GIVE AWAY SOMETHING FOR NOTHING, THOUGH HE MAY BE FEELING A BIT SHAMEFACED ABOUT CONCORDE.
*
8. THE ONLY, TACTICAL POINT ON WHICH RISAKOTTA IS CLEARLY NOT TO BE RELIED UPON IS THE FORMALITY OF OUR APPROACH, SINCE IT IS NO
SKIN OFF HIS NOSE IF WE PUT OURSELVES IN THE POSITION OF DEMANDEURS. I THINK THEREFORE THAT THE BEST COURSE IS STILL
MOMISSION METH RESAKOTTA. BUT WITH SUFFICIENT