TNAG-2224-FCO40-3195-Gulf-War-burden-sharing-Hong-Kong-contribution-1991 — Page 51

RESTRICTED

49

050676

HKB 02013

MDHOAN 7942

RESTRICTED

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE CAIRO

TELNO 143

OF 15104OZ FEBRUARY 91

N

AND TO IMMEDIATE BRUSSELS, QUITO, KINSHASA, HARARE, ABIDJAN AND TO IMMEDIATE BUCHAREST, NEW DELHI, HAVANA, SANA'A, VALLETTA AND TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, VIENNA, OTHER ISLAMIC POSTS AND TO IMMEDIATE OECD POSTS, OAS POSTS, OAU POSTS, HONG KONG AND TO IMMEDIATE EAST EUROPEAN POSTS, PEKING, NICOSIA, PRETORIA AND TO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE, UKMIS NEW YORK, BIS NEW YORK, BANGKOK AND TO IMMEDIATE SEOUL, HOLY SEE, MANILA, UKDEL NATO AND TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, UKDEL STRASBOURG, BERLIN AND TO IMMEDIATE CAPE TOWN, UKMIS VIENNA, WINDHOEK

AND TO IMMEDIATE POLAD HIGH WYCOMBE, HANOI, JOHANNESBURG

AND TO IMMEDIATE RANGOON, SAN SALVADOR, SAO PAULO, HAMILTON AND TO IMMEDIATE KINGSTON

า

FCO TELNO 139 TO CAIRO: INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY AND

BURDENSHARING

·

TUR MAY CREATE THE IMPRESSION THAT WE ARE LIKELY TO RECEIVE MORE IN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES THAN WE ARE SPENDING

ON THE COSTS OF OUR MILITARY DEPLOYMENT AND OPERATIONS. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE. YOU SHOULD ADD THE

FOLLOWING POINTS (AND MAKE THE CORRECTIONS INDICATED):

IMPOSSIBLE TO ESTIMATE WITH PRECISION WHAT EVENTUAL COSTS OF HOSTILITIES WILL BE, BUT FOR UK LIKELY TO EXCEED BY A SUBSTANTIAL MARGIN THE VALUE OF CONTRIBUTIONS WE HAVE BEEN PROMISED.

BUT THIS ASSISTANCE MOST WELCOME FROM THE UK POINT OF VIEW: REPRESENTS AN IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY OF INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY. MILITARY COSTS TO WHICH THE UK ALREADY COMMITTED AMOUNT TO SOME POUNDS ONE AND A HALF BILLION.

ALLOWING FOR CONTINUATION OF AIR CAMPAIGN AND PROBABLE NECESSITY OF LAND CAMPAIGN, EVENTUAL COSTS LIKELY TO BE MUCH HIGHER. AS THE CHANCELLOR SAID IN THE HOUSE ON 13 FEBRUARY, POUNDS THREE BILLION IS PROBABLY NOT FAR FROM THE MARK.

2. CONTRIBUTIONS PROMISED TO THE UK SO FAR, INCLUDING HOST NATION SUPPORT, ARE WORTH APPROXIMATELY POUNDS 1.4 BILLION. THESE INCLUDE CASH PLEDGES (EXPRESSED IN POUNDS MILLION) FROM GERMANY (275), JAPAN (25), HONG KONG (15), KUWAIT (660), UAE (250) AND HOST NATION SUPPORT WORTH SOME 200 MILLION POUNDS FROM SAUDI ARABIA. THESE FIGURES CORRECT THOSE IN TUR IN SOME RESPECTS.

1

PAGE

RESTRICTED