MIDDLE EAST AFRICA SOUTH ASIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00865A000400300001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 1, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 28, 1975
• Content Type: NOTES

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Secret
No Foreign Discern
NR
Middle East
Africa
South Asia
Secret
No. 0437/75
February 28, 1975
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No Foreign Dissem
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. O. 11652, exemption category:
? 5B (1), (2), and (3)
Automatically declassified
on: Date Impossible to Determine
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MIDDLE EAST - AFRICA - SOUTH ASIA
This publication is prepared for regional specialists in the Washington com-
munity by the Middle East - Africa 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.
Organization of African Unity: Ministerial
Council Meets in Addis Ababa . 1
Africa: ECA's Gardiner to Retire . . . . . . . 3
China-India: Peking Signals Interest in
Better Ties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Iraq-Syria: Trading Accusations . . . . . . . . 6
Feb 28, 1975
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Organization of African Unity
Ministerial Council Meets in Addis Ababa
The foreign ministers' council of the Organi-
zation of African Unity approved resolutions on
southern Africa, Afro-Arab cooperation, and the
Middle East during its annual budget session last
week in Addis Ababa. Although the fighting in
Eritrea had prompted some speculation that the
Eritrean problem might be discussed, the issue was
not formally raised in keeping with the organiza-
tion's policy of not interfering in the internal
affairs of member states.
The council adopted an Algerian proposal
calling for an extraordinary foreign ministers
meeting in Tanzania in April to discuss a coor-
dinated diplomatic policy toward South Africa and
Rhodesia. Several ministers and liberation group
representatives took Tanzania, Botswana, and
Zambia to task for negotiating with South Africa
concerning a Rhodesian settlement outside the
framework of the OAU. Liberian President Tolbert
was criticized for his recent meeting in Monrovia
with South African Prime Minister Vorster. The
organization's official position is still governed
by a resolution, adopted several years ago, express-
ing opposition to any dialogue between South
Africa and black African states.
With the Portuguese presence in Africa all
but ended, the council urged member states to
normalize relations with Portugal. A number of
African governments have already re-established
ties with Lisbon and others are in the process of
doing so for the first time. The ministers recom-
mended that the OAU liberation committee now focus
its activities on Namibia and Rhodesia.
The ministers pledged continuing support for
the principle of Afro-Arab cooperation and for
Arab positions on the Middle East. They called
(Continued)
Feb 28, 1975 1
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for Palestine to be discussed as an "African"
question at the OAU summit meeting later this year
in Uganda and for an invitation to Palestine
Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat to
address the summit. The ministers said the OAU
liberation committee should give at least token
aid to the PLO as it has to other liberation
movements in Africa.
The council called for a summit meeting
between African and Arab heads of state to discuss
closer cooperation, and recommended that a special
committee be established to arrange such a meet-
ing, which has also been endorsed at Arab con-
ferences.
Despite the outward show of Afro-Arab soli-
darity, frictions did surface during the council
session between the OAU's black African majority
and its North African members who have wielded
influence disproportionate to their numbers.
Evidence of the black Africans' effort to reassert
themselves can be seen in the replacement of the
Sudanese head of the OAU's oil committee by Tan-
zania's foreign minister and in the selection of
Addis Ababa over Cairo as the site for a proposed
office of Afro-Arab cooperation. In addition, the
black Africans continued to complain-privately
that Arab financial aid to help them meet their
higher oil costs is too small and has been too
slow in coming. (CONFIDENTIAL NO FOREIGN DISSEM)
Feb 28, 1975 2
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Africa
ECA's Gardiner to Retire
Robert Gardiner intends to retire soon as the
executive secretary of the UN's regional Economic
Commission for Africa. A Ghanaian, Gardiner has
held the post since 1963 and has achieved recogni-
tion as one of Africa's ablest economists. Secretary
General Waldheim reportedly plans to replace Gardiner
with Nigeria's respected commissioner for economic
development, Dr. Adebayo Adedeji. Such an appoint-
ment would please the Lagos government which aspires
to play a leadership role in African affairs.
The commission is valued by the black African
countries. Although answerable only to UNESCO, the
commission shares quarters in Addis Ababa with the
Organization of African Unity and has the same member-
ship. In effect, it serves as the OAU's economic arm
for coordinating Africa's economic and social develop-
ment. It has been effective in persuading African
governments to harmonize some of their economic and
development policies and has established several
cooperative institutions such as the African Develop-
ment Bank. (CONFIDENTIAL)
Feb 28, 1975 3
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China-India
Peking Signals Interest in Better Ties
Chinese V:Lce Premier Chen Hsi-lien, who is
also a Politburo member, told the Indian press this
week that Peking is prepared to talk to New Delhi
about moving toward normal relations. This is the
most authoritative indication to date that China
wants to improve ties with India. The vice premier
made his remarks to newsmen during a brief stop at
a Calcutta airport en route home from the corona-
tion of the Nepalese King. The stopover itself has
political significance. The Chinese could have
obtained permission to overfly India without landing
in Calcutta.
There have been other signs that Peking wants
better relations with New Delhi. For the first: time
in years, Chinese officials in Hong Kong--including
the editor of the Peking-controlled Wen Hui Pao--
have sought out Indian diplomats and spoken favorably
about prospects for better ties between the two
countries. During the past three weeks, Peking has
halted anti-Indian propaganda, a staple of its press
reporting since last summer. The Chinese press has
also soft-pedaled the new political arrangement in
Kashmir and has replayed, without comment, protests by
Pakistan, China's ally.
The Indians have been cautious in responding to
the Chinese initiatives. Chen was greeted at the
Calcutta airport by the West Bengal state agriculture
minister, but apparently not by any high-rankin
official from the central government.
Meanwhile, -a -Chinese
table tennis team that came to India recently for a
tournament was treated correctly but not lavishly by
the Indian government; the group departed quietly
for Peking on February 26.
(Continued)
Feb 28, 1975
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New Delhi's
restrained public response to the Chinese initia-
tives reflects its desire to wait for additional
assurances that
Peking is an eyes e in c oser ties. New Deli
still smarts from China's failure in the past to
reciprocate such Indian measures as the easing of
visa restrictions for transiting Chinese air passengers.
Nonetheless, New Delhi probably is buoyed by
the :recent signs of friendship from the Chinese,
particularly by Chen's positive remarks on his
departure. India is probably anxious to explore
whether the Chinese are ready to open a dialogue and
eventually upgrade relations from charge to ambassa-
dorial level.
Prime Minister Gandhi strongly
avors improve ino- ndian relations and, if there
were considerable progress in this direction, she
would be prepared to accept an invitation to visit
Peking. At the same time, India will be careful not
to jeopardize its relations with the Soviets, parti-
cularly while it is trying to secure better deals
for substantial Soviet economic and military aid.
(SECRET NO FOREIGN DISSEM)
Feb 28, 1975
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Iraq-Syria
Trading Accusations
The latent hostility between the ruling Baath
parties in Iraq and Syria has surfaced over the
issue of alleged Syrian support of Iraqi Kurdish
rebels.
The latest round between Damascus and Baghdad
began a week ago when Iraqi strongman Saddam Husayn
Tikriti complained in a Cairo interview that a
"certain Arab power" was assisting the Kurdish
rebels. Several days later an Iraqi-subsidized news-
paper in Beirut named Syria as the culprit and cited
a number of "proofs" to corroborate its charges.
While critici.ing Syria's inability to "liberate its
own national Soil," the paper said Syria was com.
mitting "national treason" because its aid to the
Kurdish rebels prevented Iraq from contributing to
the Arab war effort against Israel.
The Syrians responded by charging the Iraqis
with cowardice during the October 1973 Arab-Israeli
war. The Syrian deputy prime minister told a
Damascus audience that Baghdad had sent troops to
the Syrian-Israeli front only in response to popular
pressure and that the troops-abandoned the battle-
field in fear when they thought Damascus was being
besieged. The Syrian official also made derogatory
references to the Iraqi Baathi movement, branding
the Iraqis as separatists- preventing the unity of the
Baath revolution.
Damascus, in fact, appears to be at least
acquiescing in the support being given by Syrian
Kurds to their kinsmen in Iraq. Official Syrian
support for the Iraqi Kurdish rebels however has
not been confirmed. Late last year,
claimed Damascus had given the rebels $1
mi on and was supplying them with arms.
11alleged that Syria was using Syrian Kur is
ea ers as a channel to the Iraqi rebels.
(Continued)
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Although aid from Syria is useful to the Iraqi
Kurds, it is not crucial. Iran and, to a lesser
extent, Israel have been the primary sources of
support for the Kurdish rebellion in northern Iraq.
The current dispute between Syria and Iraq should
be viewed as the latest chapter in the quarrel
the two Baath parties have carried on since their
falling out in 1966 over differing approaches to
"Arab socialism." (SECRET NO FOREIGN DISSEM)
Feb 28, 1.975 7
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