CAB148-30-Defence and Oversea Policy Committee Meetings Relating to 1967 Disturbances-1967 — Page 112

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(Previous Reference: OPD (67) 11th Meeting, Item 1)

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (LORD CHALFONT) recalled

that the Cabinet had agreed that we should offer to the Federal Government

of South Arabia independence on 1st November with six months protective air

support thereafter from carrier-based forces. The proposal had been put

to the Federal Government by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Thomson) on 18th March, but they had insisted on being given further

time to consider it. The main objection of the Federal Rulers was to the

earlier date of independence, since they said that their forces would not

be sufficiently trained to take over responsibility for internal security

by then. They also objected that the time limit on our air support would

constitute an invitation to aggression thereafter, and to a lesser extent

they took exception to the absence of any land based forces.

They felt

that they were being asked to give a hurried decision on the eve of the

arrival in Aden of the United Nations Mission, and stated that they wished

to discuss the date of independence with the Mission and subsequently with

us. They asked us not to announce our proposals; the United Kingdom Representative at the United Nations (Lord Caradon) had given the same

advice, on the grounds that offence might be caused to the United Nations

Mission if we announced the proposed date of inedpendence before their

arrival. Some publicity had, however, occurred in Aden as a result of a

leakage of information on the Federal Government side. In the light of the

Federal Government's position and the advice of Lord Caradon, the statement

which the Foreign Secretary had intended to make to the House of Commons had

been deferred, and in the debate on 20th March Government spokesmen had described Mr. Thomson's visit as a further stage in the discussions with the

Federal Government which had begun in London. Reference had also been made in the debate to the failure of the President of the United Arab Republic, President Nasser, to respond to the overtures made to him but no mention was made of the proposed discussions with the Adeni nationalist leader Al Asnag. A further debate after the Easter recess was envisaged. Discussions with the Federal Government would be resumed after the end of the visit to

South Arabia by the United Nations Mission.

THE FOREIGN SECRETARY said that he had just come from discussions with

the United Nations Mission earlier that afternoon in London. His impression was that the Mission would favour an earlier rather than a later date for

independence. They were also likely, when they visited Cairo on their way to Aden, to try to persuade President Nasser and the South Arabian

nationalists to make a public appeal to call off terrorism.

The Mission

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