HKB 063/1
д
تسم مام
CONFIDENTIAL
From: PS/Mr Garel-Jones Date: 12 July 1991 cc: Mr Goulden
PS/Mr Hogg
P8/Mr Lennox-Boyd PS/Lord Caithness PS/PUS
Mr Weston
Mr Broomfield
Sir J Coles
Mr Fairweather Mr Beamish Mr Burns WIAD
Mr Lax Mrlax
M
1617
Mr Stone is calm 1078
Pal
LAD
SAAD
SEAD
HKD
MED
SED
SAD
EAD
Sec Pol Dept
Policy Planning Staff
Private Secretary
OUT OF AREA DEFENCE COMMITMENTS
1.
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Mr Garel-Jones has seen Mr Goulden's submission of 11 July covering a draft minute from the Secretary of State to the Defence Secretary. As he commented on an earlier version of the submission, Mr Garel-Jones believes we should not offer up some of our out of area defence commitments as low priorities. He still believes, for tactical reasons, we should at least at this stage stand firm.
2.
Mr Garel-Jones is particularly concerned at the paragraph in the draft minute covering the Belize garrison. Given the news in Guatemala telno 137 of 11 July (not copied to all recipients) that Guatamala is about to begin talks with Belize, we should do nothing which might reduce the Guatemalan incentive to negotiate. He therefore would see objection to beginning contingency plans for the withdrawal of the garrison and its replacement by a rapid reinforcement plan; he thinks it extremely unlikely such an exercise could remain confidential for long. The most we should do in the minute is flag up the possibility of a settlement in the next 12 months.
Tim Kitchen,
Tim Hitchens
Private Secretary to Mr Tristan Garel-Jones
132