Greece - US Department of State

Greece 661
V. What are our options?
A. The first choice is between continuing present policy—symbolic
suspension of major items, continued flow of lesser items and spares—
and removing the suspension. The pros and cons of continuing present
policy are:
1. Pro:
—This policy has enabled us to maintain the desired access to
Greek facilities.
—It may have contributed to the junta’s efforts to appear to be
moving toward representative government.
—Even if it has not, it has enabled the US to straddle the fence between
continuing basic supplies to a NATO partner while maintaining
a semblance of disapproval for domestic political purposes.
—More important, it has enabled the US to maintain a bridge to a
succeeding representative government. The civilian politicians who will
presumably one day govern Greece again, are constantly looking for signs
that the US has thrown in its lot with the military government. This policy
permits us to maintain a posture that our military aid is exclusively
for NATO purposes and does not constitute political endorsement.
2. Con:
—The junta is becoming more and more annoyed with the present
policy. While it may not soon deny US access, it has already begun
seeking additional sources of arms, and this will over time erode the
cooperative relationship desirable to maintain that access.
—It has made clear that it will follow its own timetable regardless
of the US position and that US policy is achieving nothing more than
to irritate US-Greek relations.
—Storage costs for suspended items for FY 1970 are estimated at
$950,000.
3. Conclusion: The present policy of symbolic suspension will not
hurry the return of representative government to Greece. It may not
immediately jeopardize US access to bases and facilities but it increases
the chances over time that the government in Athens will begin
to harass or restrict that access. To continue the present policy is
to take that risk for the sake of maintaining a semblance of disapproval
of the military regime, primarily to maintain a bridge to a future representative
government.
B. If the decision were to end the symbolic suspension of major
items, a second choice would then remain between two methods of resuming
shipment of all equipment programmed.
1. Option 1: A quid-pro-quo policy, looking toward lifting the present embargo
as the regime takes specific steps toward constitutional, representative