NOTE TO: MR. HUNTER ESTEP (Sanitized)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R00603A002700060002-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 7, 2006
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: June 30, 1977
• Content Type: NOTES

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THE DIRECTOR OF
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
I\lational Intelligence Officers
NOTE T0: Mr. Hunter Estep
INR/RAR
Rm. 7538 State Dept.
Attached is the Interagency Intelligence
Memorandum requested by Acting Assistant
Secretary Luers on behalf of Under Secretary
Habib concerning Guatemalan arm: purchases and
military capabilities.
Assistant a Iona n e igence ~cer
for Latin America
Atts: (5)
Approved For Release 200710.3/06 ~ CIAO-RDP79R00603A002700060002-8
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Approved For Release 2007/03/06 :CIA-RDP79R00603A002700060002-8
 s SECRE'T'
INTERAGENCY INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
A Review of Guatemalan Arms Purchases and Military Capabilities
Introduction
1. Guatemala has claimed sovereignty over Belize
(formerly British Honduras) since the mid-19th Century, but
did not press-its claim for decades. The dispute flared in
1964 when the British granted the colony a degree of self-
government and Guatemala broke diplomatic ties with the UK.
In 1975 the two sides agreed to talks, but there has been
little progress toward resolution of Guatemala's terrirorial
demands. More recently, Guatemalan President Laugerud ordered
the mobilization of reserve forces and informed the US he is
prepared to go to war over the Belize issue if upcoming talks
with the UK fail.
2. Guatemalan arms purchases in recent years have
brought new weaponry into an area which has generally been
known for low military expenditures. This interagency memo-
randum describes Guatemala's recently concluded and planned
weapons purchases, compares Guatemalan capabilities to those
of British forces in Belize, and examines the reasoning behind
and implications of this force improvement.
SECRE'~
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