STAFF NOTES: WESTERN EUROPE CANADA INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00865A001000250001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 17, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 27, 1975
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865AO01000250001-4
Confidential
No Foreign Disrem
,44p",
guavp UJ@ThEE
Western Europe
Canada
International Organizations
Confidential
No. 0197-75
May 27, 1975
Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A001.000250001-4
 Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A001000250001-4
Warning Notice
Sensitive Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved
NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions
Classified by 005827
Exempt from general declassification schedule
of E. 0. 11652, exemption category:
? 5B (1), (2), and (3)
Automatically declassified
on: Date Impossible to Determine
Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A001000250001-4
 Approved For Releaa 0 I;r1{~~:NGT;,j 79T00865AO01000250001-4
WESTERN EUROPE - CANADA - INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
This publication is prepared for regional specialists in the Washington com-
munity by the Western Europe Division, Office of Current Intelligence, with
occasional contributions from other offices within the Directorate of
Intelligence. Comments and queries are welcome. They should be directed to
the authors of the individual articles.
Icelandic Workers Issue Strike Threat . . . . . 1
Finnish Government to Resign Soon . . . . . . . 2
Spain Reacts to Basque Terrorism. . . . . . . . 3
NATO Defense Ministers Oppose Link
to Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
May 27, 1975
Approved For Rec'QNEd l '/ T4gIRDP79T00865A001000250001-4
 Approved For Release 2Mp4lTq ~CA9LT00865A001000250001-4
Icelandic Workers Issue Strike Threat
The Icelandic Federation of Labor has threat-
e.ned to begin a general strike if a new wage settle-
ment is not reached by June 11.
Labor and management negotiators have been
meeting for the last two weeks in an effort to
hammer out an agreement to replace the current
temporary settlement which expires on June 1.
The temporary wage settlement, which was signed
last March, averted a general strike set for April
7. The IFL threatened the strike then because
negotiations to reach a long term contract were
making little progress and because it believed that
proposed government remedies to ease the country's
economic troubles were not tough enough.
Labor's attitude has hardened since the tempor-
ary agreement was reached. A list of labor's
demands for the new agreement includes a 38 or 39
percent wage increase and restoration of the wage-
price link. The government insists that the
economy cannot tolerate such demands. (Confidential
No Foreign Dissem)
May 27, 1975
Approved For ReleasecP2/ti'1ITI 1A' I 4JT00865A001000250001-4
 Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A001000250001-4
CONFIDENTIAL
Finnish Government to Resign Soon
Members of :Finland's four party coalition
government will ask President Kekkonen on May
29 or 30 to dissolve parliament and call elec-
tions.
If Kekkonen dissolves parliament in May,
August elections will follow. Kekkonen is more
likely to wait until June, however, with elec-
tions scheduled for September.
This scenario will allow more time for
parliament to finish work on current legislation
that Kekkonen is anxious to see passed. In
addition, the summer vacation exodus may be
another reason for Kekkonen to prefer September
elections.
Kekkonen also would Tike to avoid conducting
an election campaign while Helsinki is hosting
the European security conference summit later
this year. The date of the summit continues to
slide, however, and Kekkonen may have decided
that the summit is not likely to be complicated
by September elections. (Confidential)
May 27, 1975
Approved For Release 2002(6o'9jfAg865A001000250001-4
 Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A001000250001-4
CONFIDENTIAL
Spain Reacts to Basque Terrorism
Continuing unrest in the Basque provinces
has triggered tougher countermeasures by
the government and reinforced demands by
the right. wing for the removal of Prime
Minister Arias.
Last week the government ordered a domestic
news blackout on all but official reporting
from the two Basque provinces where a state
of emergency was imposed last month. The
ban followed reports of widespread arrests
and mistreatment of political suspects,
and was intended to prevent anti-regime
elements from exploiting the government's
problems with the Basques.
Right-wing vigilante groups continue
to harass supporters of the Basque cause
in the northern provinces with sporadic
attacks on persons and property. Right-wing
opposition actions spread to Madrid last
week where a memorial mass for victims
of Basque terrorism--including several
policemen--concluded with a march to police
headquarters to express disapproval of
Prime Minister Arias' handling of Basque
unrest and his alleged tolerance of Basque
separatist activities. Leaflets urging
Arias to step down were circulated, including
one alluding to President Ford's visit
to Madrid this week-end that said that
Spain should have a leader representative
of the people who would "defend the bases."
The police made no effort to halt the demonstration
and some even saluted during the singing
of the Falangist hymn.
May 27, 1975
-3-
Approved For Releas q,1119 9T00865A001000250001-4
 Approved For Release 200206KTftffNRQ865A001000250001-4
The right is trying to exploit popular
revulsion to the killing of policemen
to further its goal of ousting the prime
minister who is identified with the drive
to liberalize the political system. The
rightists are rot likely to succeed in
having Arias ?emoved now but they probably
believe that they can induce Prince Juan
Carlos to choose another prime minister
when he succeeds Franco.
Meanwhile, the lines are being drawn
on the issue of public order. The commanding
general of the sixth military region,
during a visit to security forces in the
Basque area, told the police that the
army is behind them even if its mission
is not to maintain public order. The
Spanish'Bisliops' Conference, on the other
hand, has issued a statement repudiating
violence in terms that make it clear that
violence even in the name of public order
is unacceptable. (Confidential)
May 27, 1975
-4-
Approved For Release 2002WNFIDE065AO01000250001-4
 Approved For Release 202/b1"AJ0865A001000250001-4
25X1A
one: 25X1A
NATO Defense Ministers Oppose Link
to Spain
The Spanish press has played the decision
taken by NATO defense ministers last week to in-
clude a reference to the US-Spanish defense
arrangements in the final communique in a favor-
able light, but Madrid is upset with the unfavor-
able reaction this decision is receiving else-
where in Europe.
The Spanish foreign ministry official in
charge of base negotiations with the US has
noted that foreign press accounts of the meeting
were having a "very negative effect" on Spanish
public opinion. He believes it could pose addi-
tional problems in the negotiations for a new
agreement.
The thirteen ministers agreed only reluctantly
at their annual spring meeting to take note of the
US presentation on Spain--the first time Spain has
ever been mentioned in a NATO communique. The
Europeans generally understand the problems fac-
ing the US in bilateral negotiations with Spain
over base rights, but are strongly opposed to a
direct link between Spain and NATO.
Formal recognition of Spain's contribution
to the defense of Western Europe was rejected out-
right by most of the European ministers. Their
opposition reflected concern that a reference to
Spain could:
--give rise to serious domestic political
repercussions, threatening public support
for NATO in Europe,
May 27,'"1975
Approved For Release "NKID& ~Bk AO865AO01000250001-4
 Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A001000250001-4
CONFIDENTIAL
--be misinterpreted as a gesture of support
for Francc,
--prove counterproductive in a post-Franco
Spain, and.
--entail a further deterioration in relations
with Portugal.
Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands, in parti-
cular, opposed any mention of Spain in the commun-
ique. (Confidential No Foreign Dissem)
May 27, 1975
Approved For Release 20P~61j 9i T 9Aj0865A001000250001-4
 Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865AO01000250001-4
Confidential
Confidential
Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865AO01000250001-4