TNAG-0755-FCO40-959-Security-arrangements-at-Kai-Tak-Airport-1978 — Page 75

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5. WE SHOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO TRY TO MEET YOUR REQUEST TO

SEND TWO OFFICERS TO ZAMBIA. HOWEVER, FOR THE REASONS EXPLAINED ABOVE, THIS COULD ONLY BE UNDERTAKEN IN FEBRUARY WHEN THE C.0 IS DUE TO HAND OVER COMMAND TO ANOTHER OFFICER, WHOM HE WILL BE TRAINING IN THE LATTER PART OF THIS YEAR. IF YOU WISH WE ARE PREPARED TO ASK THE C.O TO DEFER HIS LEAVE AND PROCEED TO ZAMBIA IN FEBRUARY, ACCOMPANIED BY A PREVIOUS C.O OF THE UNIT, WHOM WE COULD MAKE AVAILABLE FOR THREE MONTHS.

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6. WE ARE STILL UNCERTAIN PRECISELY WHAT SORT OF TRAINING THE

ZAMBIANS WANT. IN PARA. 1 OF YOUR TELNO.453, THE TASK WAS DESCRIBED AS TURNING THE PARA-MILITARY WING INTO A CRACK UNIT CAPABLE OF DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM OF HIJACKING AND OF SOPHISTICATED BANDITRY'. THIS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY WITH WHICH OUR S.D.U IS TASKED. ON THE OTHER HAND, PARA.2 OF LUSAKA TELNO.410 TO F.C.0 AND PARA.1 OF YOUR TELNO.561 IMPLY A MUCH LESS SPECIALISED TRAINING FOR A LARGER GROUP BY REFERRING TO THE PROVISION OF TRAINING TO THE PARA-MILITARY WING OF THE POLICE EN MASSE'', COULD YOU BE SPECIFIC ABOUT HOW MANY OFFICERS AND MEN ARE INVOLVED AND WHAT IS THE FINAL PRODUCT

REQUIRED.

7. IN MAKING OUR OFFER TO TRAIN THREE OR FOUR ZAMBIAN OFFICERS

IN HONG KONG WE HAD ENVISAGED A TRAINING PERIOD OF SEVERAL MONTHS. THIS STILL SEEMS LIKELY TO PROVIDE FURTHER TRAINING CAPACITY FOR THE PARA-MILITARY WING AT AN EARLIER DATE THAN A VISIT OF ONLY

TWO OFFICERS FROM HERE IN FEBRUARY.

S. ALTHOUGH WE FULLY UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN TO MEET THE ZAMBIAN

REQUEST, AS SEEN FROM HERE IT SEEMS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE TRAINING FOR LONG ENOUGH TO ACHIEVE SOME SIGNIFICANT RESULTS IF FUTURE RECRIMINATIONS ARE TO BE AVOIDED. WE WOULD

NOT WANT HONG KONG TO BE BLAMED IF, AT SOME FUTURE OCCAS! ON, THE ZAMBIAN SECURITY FORCES FAIL TO COME UP TO SCRATCH, AGAIN, AS SEEN FROM HERE, TWO OFFICERS BEING SENT INTO A COMPLETELY NEW ENVIRONMENT FOR THREE MONTHS SEEMS A VERY INADEQUATE MEANS OF TRAINING A COMPLETE ZAMBIAN PARA-MILITARY FORCE. IT IS ALSO DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHY INSTRUCTORS WITH MORE APPROPRIATE - BACKGROUNDS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR A LONGER PERIOD FROM THE U.K.

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