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НКВ сасо 13
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166146
MDHIAN 1131
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FM CANBERRA
TO DESKBY 29090OZ FCO
TELNO 77
OF 290415Z JANUARY 91
INFO IMMEDIATE POLAD HIGH WYCOMBE
SIC
MY TELNO 71: GULF CRISIS: BURDEN SHARING
1. MY T.U.R. WAS SENT WHILE I WAS PAYING A FAREWELL VISIT TO
SOUTH AUSTRALIA. I AGREE WITH IT.
2. I THINK THE AUSTRALIANS WOULD BE SURPRISED TO RECEIVE A REQUEST OF THIS KIND AND MOST UNLIKELY TO AGREE TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION. THEY WOULD PROBABLY REGARD THE REQUEST AS AN INDICATION THAT WE CONSIDERED THEIR CONTRIBUTION INADEQUATE AND, AS SUCH, RESENT IT.
3. THEY CONSIDER, FOR THE REASONS GIVEN IN MY T.U.R. THAT THEY ARE ALREADY ENDURING A GOOD DEAL OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP AS A RESULT OF THE WAR. THE ECONOMY IS IN DEEP TROUBLE (SEE MY ANNUAL REVIEW).
4. BUT, ECONOMIC FACTORS APART, THE AUSTRALIANS ALSO CONSIDER THAT FOR A COUNTRY THAT IS SO FAR FROM THE SCENE THEY HAVE MADE
A GOOD EFFORT. THEIR RESPONSE TO THE CRISIS IN AUGUST WAS PRACTICALLY IMMEDIATE. THEIR DECISION TO DESPATCH SHIPS TO THE GULF WAS TAKEN WELL AHEAD OF SIMILAR DECISIONS BY OTHER CONTRIBUTORS TO THE FORCE (THE US AND UK EXCEPTED). IN ADDITION, THEY HAVE JUST DECIDED TO SEND A TEAM OF DIVERS (MY TELNO 73).
I HAVE SAID BEFORE THAT I REGARD THE AUSTRALIAN CONTRIBUTION
AS MORE IMPORTANT SYMBOLICALLY THAN MILITARILY BUT THAT IS NOT
HOW AUSTRALIANS SEE IT. THEY WOULD ALSO ARGUE, AS THE PRESS DO HERE THAT THE US/AUSTRALIAN JOINT COMMUNICATIONS AND SATELLITE
MONITORING FACILITIES HERE ARE MAKING A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE WAR EFFORT.
5. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD FIND SUBSTANTIAL POLITICAL DIFFICULTY IN MEETING OUR REQUEST. IN ORDER TO KEEP THE LEFT-WING OF THE LABOR PARTY ON BOARD THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEY DO NOT
ENVISAGE ANY FURTHER COMMITMENT (AND HAVE HAD TO PRODUCE SOME PRETTY TORTUOUS ARGUMENTS TO EXPLAIN WHY THE DIVING TEAM IS NOT AN ADDITIONAL COMMITMENT). THE LEFT-WING AND THE ''PEACE MOVEMENT''
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