Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

OFFICE OF the THE SECRETARY OF STATE DECLASSIFIED WASHINGTON E.O. 12065, Sec. 3-402 State Dept. Guidelines, March 6, 1982 November 14, 1952 By DEB NLT, Date 9-10-85 SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS ARAB LEAGUE The Egyptian Foreign Office has delivered a note to the German Ambassador in Cairo on behalf of the Arab League protesting ratification of the Israeli- German reparations agreement. Ambassador Caffery notes that through the persistent and able effort of the German envoy, precipitate action on a break in Arab-German economic relations has been forestalled. The Arab League's note protests "the huge assistance which the Federal Republic is rendering" to Israel; it maintains the agreement, violates the principles of neutrality and of aditional Arab-German friendship, and is likely to cause renewed conflicts in the Middle East. In these circumstances, the Arab States might feel obliged to break off economic rela- tions immediately and they reserve the right to take appropriate measures to safeguard their interests in case of ratification. In the hope that they will not be obliged to follow such a course, the Arab States "expect that the Federal Republic will immed- iately make a move in compliance with the offer to start con- versations through diplomatic channels with the states of the Arab League." INDOCHINA Our Embassy in Saigon believes it would be in the best interest of the US to grant the $125 million "differences" which France has requested between the $650 million projected for aid this year and the $525 million now available. In agreeing with the views of Embassy Paris, our representative in Indochina points out the larger sum was promised last June in Washington to the French High Commis- sioner, Letourneau, conditioned on favorable Congressional açtion which was not forthcoming. The Embassy in Saigon is con- cerned over the weariness of large sections of the French public with the Indochina situation and the possibility that a short fall in US aid might be seized on by the French as an excuse to reduce their efforts there. Comparing the magnitude and importance of the fighting in Indochina with that in SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION