Greece - US Department of State

678 Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, Volume XXIX
265. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National
Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon 1
Washington, December 19, 1969.
SUBJECT
Your Meeting with Ambassador Tasca—10:00 a.m., December 20
The main purpose of Ambassador Tasca’s call—apart from the
usual opportunity to have a photo taken—is to hear directly from you
the policy you want carried out toward the military government in
Greece. As you know, it is necessary to strike a delicate balance, and
the Ambassador is the one man who can inject discipline so that our
mission in Athens will speak with one voice.
You will recall that you approved the following instructions to Ambassador
Tasca. 2
1. He is to tell Prime Minister Papadopoulos that we are prepared
to resume normal military aid shipments, including all items on the
suspended list.
2. At the same time, he is to make clear that movement toward a
constitutional situation would ease our problems in speeding the release
of the suspended equipment.
3. Ambassador Tasca is then to report the Greek government’s response
and, after you have reviewed his report, shipment of the suspended
items could begin gradually, beginning with the less dramatic
items.
4. In general, the Ambassador would attempt to develop a relationship
with the Greek government leaders that would permit him to
exercise influence for democratic reform and a relationship with civilian
political leaders that would maintain a bridge to possible future
civilian governments.
The key issue to be discussed with the Ambassador is the degree
to which you see a linkage between (a) release of the suspended items
and restoration of a normal relationship and (b) Greek movement toward
fully constitutional government. This boils down to the question:
If the government gives him little satisfaction about future movement,
will we release the suspended equipment anyway?
My understanding of your position is that the answer is that the
decision has been made to release the equipment and that Ambassador
1 Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 593, Country
Files—Middle East, Greece, Vol. I Jan 69–Oct 70. Secret; Nodis. Sent for information.
2 See Document 262. Nixon met with Tasca from 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. on December
20. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Central Files, Daily
Diary) No substantive record of the conversation has been found.