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THE DEFENCE SECRETARY, said that our first objective must remain to At the same time it was planned rid ourselves of the Aden commitment.
to narrow our commitment to Kuwait and to reduce military stockpiles there accordingly. As regards the Persian Gulf our aim should be to remove all our forces as soon as consistent with our interests but for the present we could not, without serious consequences to them, reverse the decision to station a second battalion there.
In discussion there was general agreement with the course recomended
The Committee attached importance by the Foreign and Defence Secretaries. however to the fact that this course should not prejudice, or influenc e the consideration of our longer term position in the Persian Gulf in the course of the further defence studies.
The Committee
Approved OPD(67) 1.
2
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