STAFF NOTES: WESTERN EUROPE - CANADA - INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00865A001800040001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 20
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 14, 2007
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 18, 1975
• Content Type: NOTES

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Secret
~90
Western Europe
Canada
International Organizations
,State Dept. rvil,v co
rr~Kltl:?
Secret
No. 0272-75
September 18, 1975
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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.
Greece May Be Stalling Talks on
Resuming NATO Ties . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nationwide Steel Strike Looms in Britain . .
Spanish Justice Deals with Terrorism .
West European Socialists Support
Spanish Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
ANNEX: Prospects for the 30th UN
General Assembly . . . . . . . . . . 11
September 18, 1975
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Greece May Be Stalling Talks on Resuming NATO Ties
Greece apparently intends to stall substantive
negotiations on its relationship with NATO in order
to prod the Alliance into taking a more active role
in resolving bilateral issues between Athens and
Ankara.
Prior to the North Atlantic council meeting
on September 17, NATO representatives were cautiously
optimistic that Athens was prepared to discuss con-
crete proposals for reintegrating Greece into the
military side of NATO. Greek Ambassador Theodoropoulos
instead emphasized that "progress in the negotiations
will be a function of the overall political situation
within the alliance."
The Allies, and the Turks in particular, were
disappointed by the Greek stand. Turkey hoped to
keep the question of Greece's role in NATO separate
from the bilateral political issues involving Greece,
Cyprus and Turkey.
The Turks also have been urging NATO to act
quickly to define Greece's relationship with the al-
liance, particularly in those areas which most directly
effect Turkey--communications, overflights, air defense
and command and control in the eastern Mediterranean.
Ankara fears that Athens' attempts to delay the talks
will serve only further to isolate Turkey from its
NATO allies.
September 18, 1975
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Greece has agreed to continue discussions at
a meeting of the defense nlannina committee Fridav
September 18, 1975
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Nationwide Steel Strike Looms in Britain
A labor dispute at one British Steel
Corporation plant threatens to shut down
most of the industry by Sunday.
Earlier this week, blast furnace workers
refused management's order to place a new,
ultra-modern furnace into operation at one
of British Steel's Welsh facilities. The
furnace has been idle since its completion
eight months ago because of a dispute over
wages and manning requirements.
Union officials have declared that if
a settlement is not reached by Sunday they
will call a nationwide strike immediately.
Blast furnace workers at some other plants
have already begun to walk off their jobs.
The workers' monetary demands pose no
direct danger to the Wilson government's
policy of wage restraints. The jobs involved
are new and fall outside the government's
guidelines. The ultimate settlement, however,
is sure to exceed those limits, and will
probably spark a new round of demands from
other British Steel employees.
The general secretary of the Trades
Union Congress, as well as officials of other
steel industry unions, have warned the furnacemen
of the crippling effects of a nationwide
strike. Officials of the Advisory Conciliation
and. Arbitration Service have also intervened,
but. they too have failed to resolve the conflict.
September 18, 1975
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The effects of a prolonged steel strike
could be devastating on an economy that is
already beset by rising unemployment and
inflation. Steel stocks are at a high level,
but these could disappear quickly, leaving
British manufacturers to face the prospect
of importing steel or cutting Production.
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Spanish Justice Deals With Terrorism
The prospect of a storm of protests
at home and abroad has put heavy pressure
on Franco to commute the latest death sentences
handed down to five terrorists, but the
Spanish, government would face a strong reaction
from police and rightist forces should he
show leniency.
Two young pregnant women and three men
were sentenced to death yesterday by a military
court for the killing of a police officer
on August 16. The verdict was the first
handed down under the new anti-terrorism
law which makes the death penalty mandatory
for killing a policeman as an act of terrorism.
The fact that civilian defense lawyers
were expelled from the court for persistently
interrupting the prosecution and were replaced
by army officers with no judicial experience,
will give opponents of this example of Spanish
justice an added sense of outrage.
The accused admitted membership in
the outlawed Revolutionary Anti-Fascist Patriotic
Front, whose members have been convicted
of other police killings, but they denied
any part in the murder and claimed confessions
they made during detention had been obtained
under torture. A sixth defendant who claimed
he was a sympathizer but not a member of
the group received a 20-year sentence.
The new anti-terrorist law bars the
usual appeal to the Supreme Military Tribunal,
but General Franco can grant clemency. He
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and the cabinet at their regular meeting
today will "take note" of the death sentences.
Death by garrote or firing squad will follow
within 12 hours unless Franco commutes the
sentences.
In the famous Burgos trial of six Basque
terrorists in 1970, Franco commuted the
death sentences. The wave of terrorism
is more pronounced this year, however, and
Franco is more likely to heed the demands
for punishment. He may decide to commute
the sentences of the two women to life imprisonment.
No women have been executed Spain during
Franco's 36-year reign. 25X1
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West European Socialists Support Spanish
Party
The West European Socialists, despite
the Franco regime's opposition, are attempting
to bolster ties to the illegal Spanish Socialist
Workers' Party.
The visit to Madrid last week by Ludwig
Fellermaier, the West German head of the
socialist faction in the EC's European parliament
in Strasbourg, was clearly intended to be
a gesture of support to democratic opposition
forces in Spain.
At a hard-hitting press conference,
Fellermaier said that the West European
parties are counting on the Spanish Socialists
to restore democracy in Spain. He described
the national associations--the embryonic
political parties being organized under
regime auspices--as a farce and labeled
Spain's new anti-terrorist law an instrument
to repress democratic forces. He added
that the West German Social Democrats would
continue to maintain close ties to the Spanish
Socialists, a policy publicly confirmed
by Party Chairman Willy Brandt earlier this
week.
Fellermaier's visit follows up a meeting
last June in Strasbourg between his faction
and several Spanish Socialists. At this
meeting, the Spanish leaders publicized
the formation of the "Democratic Convergence"--
a front organization of sixteen outlawed
parties.
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The closer ties that have developed
with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
evolved in part from an incident last spring
in which the Spanish government withdrew
the passports of Spanish opposition figures--
largely communists--after they met in Strasbourg
with seven EC Commissioners. This incident
reminded the West European Socialists of
the need to distinguish more closely between
the communist and socialist opposition in
Spain. They have subsequently invited the
leader of the Spanish Socialists, Felipe
Gonzalez, to attend th next session of the
European Parliament as an observer.
The Franco government is suspicious
of any contacts between the illegal parties
and foreign groups. It confiscated Gonzalez'
passport when he criticized the government
earlier this year.
September 18, 1975
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ANNEX
Prospects for the 30th UN General Assembly
The 30th UN General Assembly opened Tuesday in
an atmosphere markedly different from that which
has prevailed at most recent Assembly sessions.
The successful conclusion of the Special Session
on economic issues--which adjourned that morning--
clearly demonstrated that cooperation and compromise
can reap results favorable to both the major
UN interest groups: the developed and developing
states. Equally important as this reaffirmation
of the UN's basic purpose as an internationally
effective negotiating forum, however, has been
the recognition by many UN members that the major
powers are still committed to making the world
body work.
The Special Session successfully avoided
confrontation--although there remain serious
differences between developed and developing
countries on such issues as the status of economic
declarations issued by the developing states
and aid targets--primarily because of US efforts
to respond comprehensively to the grievances
of the developing nations. For their part, the
moderate faction within the caucus of developing
countries finally succeeded in overturning what
has until now been the radicals' virtually unchal-
lenged domination of economic policy formulation
and negotiation.
The goodwill generated by the outcome of
the Special Session will undoubtedly influence
the regular Assembly's deliberations on many
issues. In addition, the Assembly this year
will be presided over by Luxembourg Prime Minister
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Thorn who--in contrast to his predecessor, Alger-
ian Foreign Minister Bouteflika--views his role
as one of promoting conciliation and moderation.
The recent conclusion of a new Sinai disengagement
agreement will also contribute to the general
feeling of cooperation.
On some issues, however, the old East-West
political alignments that dominated UN debates
during the organization's earlier period will
determine the outcome of many votes. Events
in Indochina during the past year have eliminated
some of the perennial Asian-related issues--
Cambodian representation, for example--that the
Assembly had debated. UN involvement in Korea
continues, however, and on this issue in particular
the old East-West lines are likely to hold and
the votes will probably be close.
The US and South Korea have proposed the
dissolution on January 1, 1976 of the UN Command--
the body responsible for preserving peace and
security in the Korean peninsula--conditional
only upon agreement by the North Koreans and
their supporters to maintain the armistice agreement.
The North Koreans and their supporters, however,
have resubmitted their usual proposal calling
for the withdrawal of all forces from Korea and
the conclusion of a peace treaty between the
US and North Koreans, which would exclude Seoul
as a treaty party.
Cyprus and the Middle East situation remain
the other major political topics likely to be
raised at this session. To a large extent, however,
both issues depend on negotiations and events
outside the Assembly forum and the Assembly is
likely to become involved only if such efforts
fail.
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The issue of financing UN peacekeeping forces
in the Middle East, nevertheless, may be reopened,
with probably harmful consequences. The developing
countries want the developed countries and permanent
Security Council members to pay more of the force's
costs. The Soviets, on the other hand, may use
the issue to underline their dissatisfaction
at their exclusion from the recent successful
disengagement negotiations. One Soviet diplomat
has argued that the new agreement serves as a
peace treaty and the Egyptians and Israelis no
longer need a military force between them.
Disarmament and non-proliferation issues
are likely to play a major role in the work of
this year's session. The Soviets have already
indicated that they expect to give disarmament
top priority. Likewise the nonaligned nations
at their ministerial meeting last month in Lima
discussed a number of topics related to disarmament
and stated their resolve to call a special session
on this issue if progress in convening a World
Disarmament Conference continues to be stalled
in New York.
The General Assembly will also be called
upon to review the activities of two major non-
Proliferation/disarmament meetings of the past
year: the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference
in May and an unusually productive session of
the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament--
the major multilateral forum for disarmament
negotiations.
The Soviets have already started their annual
disarmament offensive by presenting a draft treaty
for "full and universal prohibition of nuclear
weapons tests". The Soviets are undoubtedly
aware that many of the provisions of the draft
treaty are unacceptable to the other nuclear
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powers; the major stumbling block in most current
disarmament negotiations is the procedure for
verifying compliance, and the Soviets continue
#_o press for only national and not international
verification systems. While the proposal has
no chance of being accepted under this Soviet
(_Juise or under its more traditional rubric--
a comprehensive test ban treaty--the Soviets
apparently hope to gain some propaganda points
by emphasizing the refusal of other countries,
notably China, to discuss the draft seriously.
Although Assembly review of the implementation
of the NPT Review Conference's recommendations
is not formally scheduled until next year's session,
some nonaligned nations may raise the topic this
year to underscore their dissatisfaction. These
states feel that the conference's final document
merely papered over significant differences between
the nuclear and nonnuclear states regarding the
success of the Treaty's implementation. These
states argue that the nuclear states have not
fulfilled their obligations to provide nuclear
development assistance to the non-nuclear states,
while the latter have fulfilled their part of
the bargain by refraining from developing nuclear
explosives.
The annual report of the Conference of the
Committee on Disarmament as well as its special
study on nuclear free zones are also likely to
spark debate between nuclear haves and have-
nots. Mexico, in particular, feels the nuclear
states prevented consensus regarding the nuclear
zone study and has stated that it will ask the
General Assembly to draw up its own internationally
valid definition of nuclear weapon free zones.
In any case, nuclear-free zones, however
defined, remain excellent propaganda vehicles:
Pakistan will continue to needle India by repeating
its call for a South Asia nuclear-free zone,
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while proposals for study of a Middle East nuclear
free zone may also be resurrected. New Zealand
and Fiji have submitted a resolution calling
for Assembly approval of a South Pacific nuclear
free-zone which would apply the nuclear free
zone concept to large areas of the high seas.
The extent of UN involvement in colonial
issues has been drastically reduced because of
events in recent years:
--Portugal has granted or is in the process
of granting independence to its former
colonies;
--Papua-New Guinea received its independence
Tuesday, leaving the Trust Territory of
the Pacific Islands--administered by the
US--the only remaining UN trusteeship.
South Africa does not recognize UN trustee-
ship of Namibia.
Three decolonization-related issues, however,
may be raised at this session:
--Representatives from the British crown
colony of Belize--located in Central
America--may attempt to gain UNGA endorse-
ment of their demands for independence.
Britain is willing to grant the colony,
independence but fears Guatemalan terri-
torial claims on the colony would lead
to its incorporation into Guatemala by
military force.
--Spain's attempts to extricate itself from
the African territory of Spanish Sahara
have led to renewed UN involvement in
this issue also. The UN sent a visiting
mission to determine the political aspira-
tions of the territory's inhabitants--
Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco all claim
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historical ties with the area--and the
mission's report will be discussed by
this Assembly. The International Court
of Justice is also involved in ruling
on the issue.
--Although the UN is not yet involved in
the situation in Portuguese Timor, re-
newed fighting or further deterioration
of the situation could lead to calls for
UN peacekeeping or refugee resettlement
assistance.
Prospective Administrative Hurdles
The generally routine administrative matters
of any UN meeting may not be as easily disposed
of this year. The Assembly has refused every
year since 1970 to accept the credentials of
South Africa's delegation--a strictly technical
procedure--in order to register UN objections
to Pretoria's apartheid and Namibia policies.
This year, however, Pretoria may not try to take
part in the session but the refusal of credentials
may be extended to additional UN members.
Actions at the July meeting in Kampala of
the Organization of African Unity and the August
nonaligned ministerial conference may have defused
a campaign led by the Palestine Liberation Organization
and Syria to suspend or expel Israel from the
UN. A continued stalemate in negotiations on'
the Golan front, however, may lead to renewed
attempts to use the credentials process to curtail
Israel's participation at the UN. There has
also been some indication that Cuba may challenge
Chile's representation at the session, arguing
that Chile's last-minute refusal to allow a UN
Human Rights group to study Chilean conditions
illustrates Chile's disdain for the world body.
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UN membership will this year increase to
at least 141 with the admission of Sao Tome-
Principe, Mozambique and the Cape Verde Islands
early in the session and with the possible admission
of Surinam, Angola and Papua-New Guinea before
the session ends in December. Despite earlier
Security Council vetoes of their applications
for UN admission, both the Vietnams have resubmit-
ted applications. There is little prospect for
favorable action at this session, even if the
Assembly--as expected--passes a resolution urging
their admission.
Possibly in an effort to concentrate its
diplomatic capital on its major UN battle, the
Seoul government will not press for reconsideration
of its membership application until next year.
In its final housekeeping chore--elections
to the many UN organs and committees--the Assembly
may be faced with one of its nastiest battles.
Most UN positions are allocated on a regional
basis and each geographic group is usually able
to resolve its intra-regional disputes before
the matter reaches the full Assembly. This year,
however, both the African and Asian groups have
competing candidates for one Security Council
seat allocated to each region and the full Assembly
will be required to decide the election. The
Asian contest in particular--between India, Pakistan
and the Philippines--may lead to splits in the
nonaligned grouping and the Group of 77, with'
possib implications for cooperation in other
areas.
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