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CONFIDENTIAL

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(AME1TOED D I S T R I B U T I O N

CONFIDENTIAL

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FM WASHINGTON



4 OCTOBER , :

P M

0 3 2 3 3 7 Z OCT 79

TO PR I0R ITY F C O

X)

TELEGRAM NUMBER 2980 INFORMATION

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BELFAST.

MY TELEGRAM NO 2906 1.

1979)

VEST ( A S S I S T A N T

: ARMS FOR THE R U C . SECRETARY FOR EUROPE, STATE DEPARTMENT)

ASKED

ME TO CALL ON 3 OCTOBER. HE SAID THAT HE HAD R A I S E D THE MATTER OF ARMS WITH VANCE WHEN THE LATTER HAD BEEN IN WASHINGTON WEEKEND TO DEAL WITH THE CUBAN A F F A I R . CONVEY TO ME H I S VIEW THAT

VANCE HAD ASKED HIM T O

IT WOULD BE BEST FOR NO NEW

REQUESTS FOR ARMS FOR THE RUC TO BE PUT FORWARD DURING PERIOD OF " P O L I T I C A L

OVER THE

LIABILITY".

THIS

IN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION

VEST CONFIRMED THAT VANCE HAD NOT MADE ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW WE MIGHT FIND A WAY ROUND T H I S PROBLEM. 2.

SPEAKING P E R S O N A L L Y , VEST ADDED THAT HE WAS NOT ANXIOUS TO S E E

THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S P O L I C Y

REVIEW CARRIED FORWARD TOO F A S T .

HE COULD NOT SAY HOW LONG T H I S MORATORIUM LEFT ME IN NO DOUBT THAT ELECTIONS.

V.OULD L A S T , BUT

IT WOULD~BE " U N T I L AFTER THE P R E S I D E N T I A L

IT RAM I NED H I S VIEW THAT ANY P R E C I S E ACTION

CREATE SERIOUS P O L I T I C A L

DIFFICULTIES:

THE CLEAR MESSAGE THE •

STATE DEPARTMENT HAD R E C E I V E D FROM SPEAKER O ' N E I L L RECOMMENDATION

WAS THAT A

TO RESUME S A L E S OF ARMS FOP THE RUC WOULD

O ' N E I L L AND OTHER MODERATES EXTREMISTS.

WOULD

IN CONGRESS INTO THE ARMS OF THE

J POINTED OUT THAT

NO L E S S GREAT D I F F I C U L T I E S

DRIVE

I N D E F I N I T E DELAY WOULD CAUSE

IN THE U K . VEST SAID HE FULLY

UNDER­

STOOD T H I S : BUT THE PROBLEM HERE WAS THAT WE WERE DEALING IRRATIONAL EMOTIONS

IN THE CONGRESS WHICH

IT WOULD BE VERY

WITH RISKY

TO STIR U P . 3.

I WONDERED ALOUD

IF IT MIGHT HELP

PROBLEM WITH DEFENCE SECRETARY BROWN, OF ARMS S U P P L I E S TO A NATO A L L Y . THIS

IF

I WERE TO DISCUSS THE

SINCE T H I S WAS A MATTER

VEST CLEARLY DID NOT L I K E

IDEA AND POINTED OUT THAT THE QUESTION OF APPROVAL OF

EXPORT L I C E N C E A P P L I C A T I O N S

WAS E X C L U S I V E L Y A MATTER

FOR THE

STATE DEPARTMENT AND NOT THE DEPARTMENT OF D E F E N S E .

CONFIDENTIAL

/ 4. I ALSO

CONFIDENTIAL

4.

I ALSO TOLD VEST THAT WHEN NORTHERN

HOWELL'S BREAKFAST MEETING

IRELAND

CAME UP AT MR

(

WITH DR SCHLESINGER ON 2 OCTOBER,

SCHLESINGER HAD DESCRIBED THE SUSPENSION OF SALES OF ARMS FOR THE RUC AS SCANDALOUS AND HAD S A I D THAT HE WOULD SPEAK TO B R 2 E Z I N S K I ABOUT 5.

IN FURTHER

IT.

CONVERSATION

I FLOATED THE P O S S I B I L I T Y

THAT ARMS

NEEDED BY THE RUC MIGHT BE ORDERED BY HMG FOR THE ARMED FORCES FOR GENERAL PURPOSES WITHOUT S P E C I F Y I N G THE END U S E . THEY BE ORDERED BY HMG AND CONSIGNED TO A UK PORT OUTSIDE IRELAND.

WE WOULD SAY THEY

OF THE R E A L M .

WERE FOR USE IN THE UK FOR THE DEFENCE

IT NOT THEN BE P O S S I B L E FOR EXPORT L I C E N C E S TO

BE APPROVED WITH NO QUESTIONS OFFICE OF NORTHERN

ASKED? VEST AND FUMSLTH

EUROPEAN A F F A I R S )

UNDERTOOK

TO LOOK

EXACT WORDING OF THE EXPORT L I C E N C E A P P L I C A T I O N THIS MIGHT BE F E A S I B L E .

RUT THEY

POINTED OUT THAT THE A P P L I C A T I O N SPECIFIC EVEN

IF

NORTHERN

IT WAS THEN UP TO US TO DO WHAT WE L I K E D WITH THE

WEAPONS. MIGHT

ENT A V A I L A 3 L E

WOULD

FOR INSPECTION

DESCRIPTION

(DIRECTOR, INTO THE

FORM TO SEE IF

WERE CLEARLY UNHAPPY.

FUNSETH

FORM (WHICH WAS AN OP EN DOCUM­

BY ANYBODY)

REQUIRED

A FAIRLY

OF THE END USE TO WHICH ARMS WOULD BE P U T .

IT WERE P O S S I B L E TO FUDGE T H I S ,

IT WAS ALMOST

INEVITABLE

THAT NEWS OF A FURTHER LARGE ORDER FOR HANDGUNS C F THE T Y P E ALREADY

DELIVERED TO THE RUC WOULD GET OUT.

OPPONENTS OF ARMS S A L E S

IN CONGRESS WOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT AND

WOULD BE SURE TO CREATE FRESH T R O U B L E . 6.

THEY PROMISED TO GET INTO TOUCH WITH ME AGAIN

TELEGRAPHING

AND I WILL B E

AS SOON AS P O S S I B L E .

HENDERSON

F I L E S

ADDITIONAL NORTHERN

D

DEFENCE D

PUSD

PS

PS/LPS

PS/PUS

S I R A DUFF

LORD N G LENNOX

MR FERGUSSON

-

2 ~

CONFIDENTIAL

DISTRIBUTION IRELAND