Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

OFFICE OF DECLASSIFICAD THE SECRETARY OF STATE the 3-402 State Dept. E.O. Guidelines, NLT, Date 9-9-85 12065, Sec. March 6, 1982 WASHINGTON April 30, 1952 SECRET SECURITY INFORMA TION SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS TUNISIA We have sent Embassy Paris a statement of our position on the Tunisian situation with instructions to show it to the highest levels of the Foreign Office. The Department expresses its concern over the failure of the French to move ahead with the Tunisian program during the breathing spell which resulted largely from our abstention in the Security Council vote on Tunisia. We note that the French have not yet named their representatives to the Mixed Committee, and we would not normally expect the Tunisians to name theirs until the French had done so. In the light of continued overwhelmingly unfavorable public opinion on our abstention coupled with the disappointing results to date, the Department feels that it must take up the whole matter again with the French. We have the impression that some feeling exists on the French part that the immediate danger has been avoided and the burden now rests on the US to undertake a program to educate public opinion as to the necessity of full support for the French North African policy. We are convinced that this shows a misconception of the depth of public feeling on the North African question. Accordingly, far from being able to under - take further measures to assist the French, the Department has done its utmost in this matter and the French must now perform substantially to justify the position we have taken in the Security Council. Pressure at the UN in New York continues to mount and there seems considerable likelihood of a special session of the General Assembly to discuss the Tunisian problem. We understand that the Arab-Asian bloc can obtain the 31 votes required to call a session with only a minimum of lobbying. Such a session would pit the so-called colonial powers against the African-Asian group, the Soviet bloc and others and might adopt a resolution condemining France and proposing a UN investigation. Our Embassy is therefore instructed to tell the French that unless they move ahead rapidly in their negotiations with the Tunisians, on the basis of a program for bringing Tunisia along the road to internal autonomy, we will have to reconsider our earlier position in the matter. SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION