Greece - US Department of State

Greece to maintaining a strong US–NATO position in the Eastern
Mediterranean.
Ambassador Tasca has been working while here on an interdepartmental
memo to you detailing a plan for carrying out his proposal,
including a message from you to Prime Minister Papadopoulos.
This memo should come to you in a few days and will be useful in
preparing your decision memorandum.
The points to make to Tasca today are: 5
1. You still favor early resumption, as you told him last November.
2. You will want to hear Secretary Rogers’ views on Congressional
and NATO opinion but will make a decision in a few days.
3. You will clear a reply to Prime Minister Papadopoulos as soon
as you get the inter-departmental memo.
The points to make at the NSC 6 are:
1. Greece is increasingly important, given Soviet pressures in the
Eastern Mediterranean.
2. You will be making a decision on this issue shortly and would
like to have the inter-departmental memo this week.
5 A note attached to the memorandum reads: “Mr. President—Henry wants the following
item added to the points you should make to Amb. Tasca: ‘You want him to
return to Greece immediately. You do not think it advisable that he appear before the
Senate For. Relations Committee.’ a. 2:30 p.m.” (National Archives, Nixon Presidential
Materials, NSC Files, Box 593, Country Files, Middle East, Greece, Vol. I, Jan 69–Oct 70)
6 See Document 283.
283. Editorial Note
Greece 719
On June 17, 1970, the National Security Council met in the Cabinet
Room of the White House with President Richard Nixon to discuss
U.S. policy toward the Mediterranean, with particular reference to Italy
and Greece. According to the President’s Daily Diary, the meeting
lasted from 3:11 to 4:44 p.m. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential
Materials, White House Central Files) Ambassador Henry Tasca, who
was in Washington for consultations, attended.
The meeting began with a briefing by Director of Central Intelligence
Richard Helms, who stressed U.S. interest in the southern flank
of Europe, the security of Israel, and the security of oil shipments for Europe
from the Middle East. Helms then noted that the Soviet Union in
the 1950s provided arms to radical Arab states and in the 1960s estab-