Greece - US Department of State

632 Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, Volume XXIX
State Department has just about completed a memo laying out
your options with regard to our continuing military aid program in
Greece. 2 However, there is one action that must be taken before the end
of the fiscal year if we are to take full advantage of the funds appropriated
for the FY 69 program.
As you know, our shipments of major military aid items were suspended
after the April 1967 coup. Spare parts and non-major items (like
trucks) continued to flow.
Last fall the Johnson Administration in a one-shot decision released
about 40% of the equipment that had been withheld. This 40%
consisted mainly of aircraft and a few ships. Items for the army which
could be associated with political repression, such as tanks, were withheld.
All of this was funded from grant military aid.
Now there is a possibility of concluding a $20 million sales agreement
for equipment other than that on the suspended list—the spares
and other items that were never cut off. This money is available from
FY 69 appropriated funds but will have to be allocated before June 30
if it is to be used.
We would not bother you with this issue except for the Reuss
Amendment to the Foreign Military Sales Act. 3 This states the sense of
Congress that foreign military sales authorized under the Act shall not
be approved where they would have the effect of arming “military dictators
who are denying social progress to their people.” The Amendment
states that the President may waive this limitation if he determines
that it would be important to the security of the United States.
In the future, we may decide on procedures under which you
would personally make such determinations. For the moment, since
this is a “sense of Congress” amendment, it is possible for State Department
to make this finding. However, because of the political sensitivity
of the military aid to Greece, we want to put the issue to you.
We can go in one of three directions in our Greek military aid
program:
Option 1: Cut it off altogether. This would mean, in addition to maintaining
suspension of major items, even cutting off the flow of nonmajor
items which has gone on uninterrupted. Congressional liberals
and friends of the Greek politicians silenced or exiled by the military
government urge us to disassociate ourselves completely from the military
government by totally suspending our military aid relationship.
Even this sale of non-major equipment would meet some objections in
2 For the response to NSSM 52, see Documents 256 and 257.
3 For text of the Reuss amendment to the Foreign Military Sales Act of 1968, P.L.
90–629, approved October 28, 1968, see 82 Stat. 1322.