CONFIDENTIAL
FM KATHMANDU
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER NFR
CONFIDENTIAL
Rसायन
Miss Maraden Mr Stone
ente
OF 080905Z NOVEMBER 1990
This should spark
22
a response from Sir Di Wilor.
052173
MDTTAN 2000
12/1
регоруй
INFO TELELETTER MOD, HONG KONG, NEW DELHI
ΤΟ : ANDREW BURNS ESQ CMG, AUSS FROM: T J B GEORGE, KATHMANDU
COPIED TO N BROOMFIELD ESQ, DUSS COPIED ΤΟ N BEVAN ESQ, AUS, MOD COPIED TO : SIR D WILSON, HONG KONG COPIED TO : P FOWLER ESQ, NEW DELHI
GURKHAS : THE FUTURE.
1.
PS/M. Lennox-Bayd
PS/PUS
ukec 062 15 M. Mclaren of
M. Goulden M. Blatherril
Iaso NPDD
SEAD
Head of SAD Advice needed.
POAT/ S/i
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEXT FORMAL STEP IN CONSIDERING THE
FUTURE OF THE GURKHAS IS FOR THE ARMY BOARD TO TAKE A PAPER ON
14 NOVEMBER. I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TOLD THAT ARMY BOARD DOCTRINE
SINCE 1989 HAS BEEN THAT IF REGIMENTS ARE TO BE DISBANDED, THE BRIGADE WILL BE THE FIRST TO GO. IF TRUE THIS WOULD CONFLICT WITH THE MORE CONSIDERED VIEW, PUT TO ME BY CGS, AND MORE RECENTLY BY THE ADJUTANT GENERAL, THAT IN THE WAKE OF QUOTE OPTIONS
FOR CHANGE UNQUOTE PAIN MUST BE SEEN TO BE SHARED. INDEED I
WOULD FEEL THAT I HAD BEEN SERIOUSLY MISLED IF THE LATTER WERE
NOT SO.
2. CLEARLY THE DECISIONS ARE EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT AND
WILL BE TAKEN ON THE BASIS OF HMG'S MILITARY REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE NINETIES AND BEYOND. I WILL TRY TO AVOID SPECIAL PLEADING FROM HERE. I WOULD, HOWEVER, LIKE TWO ARGUMENTS TO BE ADVANCED, TO THE EXTENT THAT THE FCO IS ABLE :
A)
THERE WILL BE NO CROAKING, AT LEAST FROM THIS EMBASSY, ABOUT DECISIONS ON GURKHA DEPLOYMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT, SUBJECT T TO COMMON SENSE POINTS ABOUT PUBLICITY ETC, WHICH WOULD APPLY TO ANY DEPLOYMENT. GURKHA UNITS MAY NOT AT PRESENT BE NEEDED IN THE GULF, BUT IF FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS MEANT THAT THEY WERE, SO BE IT. INDEED, I SUSPECT THAT THE MILITARY HERE WERE HINTING THAT THEY WERE CONTENT T
OUR
GURKHAS GO IN THEIR RATHER HALF-BAKED SUGGESTIONS ABOUT POSSIBLE
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CONFIDENTIAL