341. Intelligence Information Cable1

TDCS DB–315/00729–65

COUNTRY

  • United Nations

DATE OF INFO.

  • Late February 1965

SUBJECT

  • 1. Activities Affecting the United Nations
  • 2. Views of the United Nations Secretary General and Assembly President on Chances for a Successful Negotiation of UN Financial Problem

PLACE & DATE ACQ.

  • 1 March 1965
  • [less than 1 line of source text not declassified]
  • [less than 1 line of source text not declassified]

SOURCE AND APPRAISAL

  • [8 lines of source text not declassified]
1.
United Nations General Assembly President Alex Quaison-Sackey and Secretary General U Thant are currently wondering if the newly-formed United Nations Committee on Peace-Keeping Operations (Committee of 33) will be able to operate effectively in the atmosphere created by the Vietnam crisis. United States military operations in Vietnam seem to be bringing about a hardening of the Soviet attitude toward the United States. The situation appears to be getting worse despite the fact that the United States made a major concession to the Soviets by agreeing to exclude Nationalist China from participation on the Committee.
2.
U Thant and Quaison-Sackey originally planned to contact personally the French, Soviet, British and United States permanent missions to the United Nations in order to lay a solid groundwork for the Committee of 33 prior to the Committee’s meetings. However, U Thant and Quaison-Sackey now feel that in view of the Vietnam crisis, it is pointless to approach the Soviet Union because the Soviets will probably not be very cooperative. Under these circumstances, Quaison-Sackey and U Thant feel that the Committee of 33 will not accomplish anything. ([less than 1 line of source text not declassified] Comment: [Page 743] According to the intermediate source, [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] heard that an unknown country has already advised U Thant and Quaison-Sackey that the Soviets will not be receptive to any approaches on peace-keeping matters at this time.)
3.
Field Dissem: Sent USUN.
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, United Nations, Article 19, Vol. 2. Secret; No Foreign Dissem; Controlled Dissem; No Dissem Abroad; Background Use Only. Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency.