332. Letter From the Ambassador to Greece (Tasca) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Davies)1
Dear Rodger:
We have been considering some of the problems that are likely to arise in any hearings in the Congress on homeporting, particularly those of the Rosenthal Subcommittee.2 The line of attack and of questioning seems quite predictable, and we should not lose sight of the opportunity this occasion affords to reiterate certain points that can be particularly helpful, both in meeting critics of Greek policy in the U.S. and in assuaging Greek sensitivities.
I have in mind in particular the recent sharp reaction here provoked by the statement of the Department press spokesman, Charles Bray, reiterating our disappointment about Greeceʼs slow progress toward restoration of democracy.3 More statements of this kind could begin to cause real damage to our relations. To the extent possible I hope in the hearings we will continue to emphasize, as you did in your excellent statement before the House Committee last July,4 the key points (a) in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter we have carefully avoided interference in the domestic politics of Greece, and (b) in the final analysis only the Greeks can determine what kind of government they want. I am not suggesting, of course, that there should be any uncertainty as to where the U.S. stands on the issues of civil liberties and parliamentary rule, but simply that there must be no misunderstanding that the real need in this regard is for the Greeks themselves to act.
It would also be useful to highlight various other points for the record. In particular I have in mind the fact that for several years now [Page 830] there has been a continuing significant U.S. Navy presence in Greece through ship visits. The requirements for ship repairs in Greek shipyards are also increasing. Both points will bring out clearly that for some time we have relied heavily on Greek ports to sustain Sixth Fleet operations so that permitting homeporting for dependents to reside in Greece will not change the present situation in any major way. It is really a question of degree, particularly since homeporting will be on an austere basis. In the same connection I believe we should stress the administrative aspects of implementing homeporting.
The hearings can also provide the occasion to underscore the fact that the GOG will not in any sense control or influence Sixth Fleet operations; complete freedom of action in deployments will continue.
Finally, homeporting should be described in the context of our overall commitment to NATO. This will enable us both to emphasize that no further specific commitments to Greece are involved, and that we are not undertaking any new commitments beyond those already recognized under Article V of the NATO Treaty.
We should, of course, stress homeporting is to provide for families of men and officers of the Sixth Fleet and does not involve any new strategic considerations.
I hope the Embassy will have an opportunity to cooperate with the Department on the preparation of any statements for the record, and there may be other suggestions to pass along in this process. One idea that occurs to me (since in the past both you and I have appeared before the Rosenthal Subcommittee) is that this would be a first-rate occasion for Joe Sisco to carry the Departmentʼs position forward, particularly since he can address the problem from the standpoint of the broadest strategic considerations applicable to American policy in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Sincerely,5
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, DEF 15 GREECE–US. Confidential; Official–Informal.↩
- The hearings took place March 7–8 and April 12–13, and 18. For text, see Political and Strategic Implications of Homeporting in Greece. Joint Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Europe and the Subcommittee on the Near East of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, 92d Congress, 2d Session (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1972). Representative Benjamin S. Rosenthal (D-New York) was the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe.↩
- At the March 13 press briefing, Bray noted that the homeporting agreement did not alter U.S. disappointment with the lack of democracy in Greece.↩
- For text, see Greece, Spain, and the Southern NATO Strategy. Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Europe of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, 92d Congress, 1st Session (Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1972), pp. 25–29.↩
- Tasca added the handwritten notation, “Best,” over the typed closing.↩