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    "label": "Spain Vol. I thru February 1970 [1 of 2]",
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    "title": "Spain Vol. I thru February 1970 [1 of 2]",
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    "seq": 28,
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    "ocrText": "263\nSpain\nO.B, E. 6-19\nEd Roberts\nSECRET\nINFORMATION\nApril 24, 1969\nMEMORANDUM FOR MR. KISSINGER\nFROM:\nHelmut Sonnenfeldt\nSUBJECT: US-Spanish Base Negotiations\nOn April 23 I sent you a memorandum noting that US-Spanish base\nnegotiations were running into trouble.\nDifficulties with all sorts of ramifications continue. For example,\nGeneral McConnell has followed up his promise to the Spanish Air\nForce Chief of Staff to explore third country supply of F 104 Gs\nby asking General Burchinal to see whether the Germans might be\nprepared to part with two squadrons of these aircraft. (Germany and\nHolland are the only two countries that have these aircraft available. )\nThis, however, raises offset questions with the Germans just at the\ntime we are about to begin another round of offset talks. It could also\nhave domestic political repercussions in Germany because of the Franco\nangle. Many people in State are uneasy about this development, but\nGeneral McConnell apparently feels that since he had made a commit-\nment to explore the matter he had an obligation to make a check with\nthe only two countries that have these aircraft.\nThere is the more basic point that the Pentagon, specifically Packard,\nmay perhaps be beginning to wonder whether we may be approaching\nthe point where the price for keeping the bases outweighs their utility.\nI don't think this point has been reached yet but one can sense a trend.\nThere are many in the Government who have had their doubts of the\npolitical wisdom of continuing the base agreement but who have supported\nit because Secretary Laird made the finding that the bases were militarily\nnecessary.\nIn looking at this situation, we will need to keep in mind not only\nthe future of our relations with Spain but also the fact that the termination\nfor the base agreement, whatever its proximate cause, will occur in an\nenvironment of heavy criticism in the Congress and the press. I don't\npretend to have examined all the ramifications of this intterms of the\nPresident's relations with Congress and of the impact on other issues\nDECLASSIFIED\nE.O. 12958, as amended, Sect 3.5\nSECRET\nNLN 03-17/3 per ltr 16 Jun 2008\nBy CIM\nNARA, Date 16 Oct 2008\n[p.1.f2]"
}