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FM TOKYO
TO DESKBY 28120OZ FCO
TELNO 76
OF 28090OZ JANUARY 91
INFO IMMEDIATE MODUK, WASHINGTON, HM TREASURY INFO IMMEDIATE POLAD HIGH WYCOMBE
>
SECO) (C) HM TREASURY FOR FELLGETT
MODUK FOR SEC) (C)
MY TELNO 69 AND YOUR TELNO 63
FURTHER JAPANESE CONTRIBUTION TO UK GULF COSTS
SUMMARY
·
RIYADH,
281.
1. FURTHER LOBBYING OF MFA. DIRECTOR GENERAL OF NORTH AMERICAN BUREAU EXPRESSES SYMPATHY WITH HELPING THE UK BUT RESISTS A PRO-RATA ALLOCATION. HE SAYS JAPAN PLANS TO SPEND THE MONEY ON LOGISTICS NOT MILITARY HARDWARE.
DETAIL
W2. IN A CALL ON 28 JANUARY ON THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE MFA'S NORTH AMERICAN BUREAU, I AGAIN PUT FORWARD OUR CASE FOR SUBSTANTIAL FURTHER ASSISTANCE FROM JAPAN. MATSUURA SAID THAT JAPAN APPRECIATED THE UK CONTRIBUTION IN THE GULF AND WAS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING WHETHER IT COULD PROVIDE FURTHER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. FRANKLY, HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNDER VERY STRONG AMERICAN PRESSURE FOR ALL THE 9 BILLION DOLLARS TO MEET US COSTS. THEY HAD TOLD THE AMERICANS THAT THE MONEY WAS FOR THE MULTINATIONAL FORCES AND NOT THE US ALON, BUT CLEARLY THE LION'S SHARE WOULD HAVE TO GO THE AMERICANS. THEY HAD NOT YET DECIDED HOW MUCH WOULD BE LEFT FOR OTHERS AND HOW THAT WOULD BE SPLIT. THE SAUDIS WERE PRESSING THEM TO HELP ALSO THE LESS DEVELOPED, ISLAMIC NATIONS WHICH WERE CONTRIBUTION TROOPS.
3.
THE ALLOCATION WAS THEREFORE VERY DIFFICULT. THE AMERICANS SAID THAT THET SHOULD RECEIVE THE 9 BILLION DOLLARS AND THAT IF JAPAN WISHED TO HELP OTHER COUNTRIES THEY SHOULD INCREASE THE TOTAL FIGURE ACCORDINGLY. HOWEVER NO SUCH INCREASE WAS POSSIBLE FOR JAPAN. MATSUURA HOPED THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TALK TO THE AMERICANS TO EASE THE PROBLEM.
4. I SAID THAT THE AMERICANS THEMSELVES STRESSED THE MULTINATIONAL NATURE OF THE FORCES IN THE GULF AND HAD BEEN CONTENT FOR US TO
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