TELEGRAM
Department of State
220773

P 061936Z SEP 76

FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC POSTS PRIORITY
INFO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY
USLO PEKING PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY TAIPEI PRIORITY
USMISSION USUN NY PRIORITY
USMISSION EC BRUSSELS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY VIENNA PRIORITY
USMISSION OECD PARIS PRIORITY
USMISSION NATO PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BEIRUT BY POUCH
USINT BAGHDAD BY POUCH

STATE 220773

E.O. 11652:GDS
TAGS: PFOR, UN

SUBJECT: PRE-31ST UNGA CONSULTATIONS: KEY POLITICAL ISSUES
REFS: A) STATE 178439; B) STATE 108501

1. SEPTEL PROVIDES GUIDANCE FOR CONSULTATIONS ON IMPORTANT ISSUES LIKELY TO ARISE AT 31ST UNGA EXCEPT FOR KEY ISSUES OF KOREA, PUERTO RICO, MIDDLE EAST AND PANAMA CANAL WHICH ARE COVERED IN THIS TELEGRAM.

2. KOREA: INSTRUCTIONS HAVE BEEN SENT TO SPECIFIC POSTS ON PARTICULAR MATTERS AFFECTING FORTHCOMING DEBATE ON KOREA IN UNGA, AND OTHERS WILL BE PROVIDED, AS REQUIRED. HOWEVER, IN PRE-UNGA CONSULTATIONS WITH YOUR HOST GOVERNMENT, POSTS ARE REQUESTED TO RECALL PREVIOUS REPRESENTATIONS AND, UNLESS THIS WOULD BE CLEARLY EXCESSIVE, TO USE TALKING POINTS BELOW AS MAY BE MOST EFFECTIVE. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ALL ACTION ADDRESSEES ENSURE THAT HOST GOVERNMENTS ARE AWARE OF U.S. VIEWS ON TWO RESOLUTIONS NOW PROPOSED FOR UNGA AGENDA.

A. POSTS HAVE COPIES OF PRO-NORTH KOREA RESOLUTION (STATE 211055), FRIENDLY RESOLUTION (STATE 212753), AND NORTH KOREA'S STATEMENT OF AUGUST 5 (STATE 205620). MOST POSTS ALSO HAVE EXCERPTS ON KOREA FROM SECRETARY'S JULY 22 SPEECH AT SEATTLE (STATE 181897, WHICH BEING REPEATED TO POSTS NOT ON ORIGINAL DISTRIBUTION.)

B. PRO-NORTH KOREAN RESOLUTION IS HARD LINE CONFRONTATIONAL DOCUMENT THAT REPEATS FAMILIAR NORTH KOREAN ANTI-U.S. PROPAGANDA THEMES. AS DID PRO-NORTH KOREAN RESOLUTION ADOPTED LAST YEAR, IT CALLS FOR WITHDRAWAL OF FOREIGN TROOPS STATIONED IN KOREA UNDER UN FLAG, DISSOLUTION OF UN COMMAND AND REPLACEMENT OF ARMISTICE AGREEMENT WITH PEACE AGREEMENT. SIMILAR RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED IN FINAL HOURS OF COLOMBO NON-ALIGNED SUMMIT AFTER HEATED DEBATE AND NUMEROUS RESERVATIONS (ARGENTINA, BAHRAIN, CAMEROON, C.A.R., GABON, GAMBIA, INDIA, INDONESIA, IVORY COAST, JORDAN, KENYA, LIBERIA, MALDIVES, MAURITANIA, MOROCCO, OMAN, SAUDI ARABIA, SINGAPORE, SIERRA LEONE, SRI LANKA, TRINIDAD/TOBAGO, TUNISIA, ZAIRE AND POSSIBLY CYPRUS. AS APPROPRIATE, POSTS MAY REFER TO THESE RESERVATIONS, WELCOMING HOST GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO APPROACH ISSUE IN CONSTRUCTIVE AND BALANCED MANNER AND NOTING IT IS CLEAR THAT NO NON-ALIGNED CONSENSUS EXISTS ON THIS QUESTION.)

C. AT CONCLUSION OF COLOMBO MEETING, DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN AUGUST 25 MADE FOLLOWING REFERENCE TO KOREA: QUOTE: THE CONFERENCE ADDRESSED THE ISSUE OF KOREA, WHICH FOR REASONS OF BOTH HISTORICAL INVOLVEMENT AND RECENT EVENTS IS OF DEEP CONCERN TO THE UNITED STATES, IN WORDS WHICH WERE SO TENDENTIOUS AND ONE-SIDED AS TO BE UNACCEPTABLE TO A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS AT COLOMBO WHO ENTERED WRITTEN OR ORAL RESERVATIONS. WE FIND THE ENDORSEMENT OF NORTH KOREA'S COMPLETELY UNFOUNDED CHARGES AGAINST THE UNITED STATES PARTICULARLY UNSEEMLY, COMING AS IT DID IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE BRUTAL MURDER OF TWO U.S. OFFICERS OF THE UN COMMAND IN THE JOINT SECURITY AREA OF THE DEMILITARIZED ZONE IN KOREA BY NORTH KOREAN ARMY PERSONNEL. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY COUNTRY WHICH SUPPORTS THE HIGHLY PARTISAN LANGUAGE ON KOREA CONTAINED IN THE DECLARATION AND EVEN MORE SO IN THE SEPARATE RESOLUTION ON KOREA CAN BE CONSIDERED NON-ALIGNED ON THIS ISSUE. UNQUOTE.

D. ALTHOUGH U.S. AND OTHER FRIENDS OF ROK WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO AVOID ANOTHER STERILE CONFRONTATION IN UNGA, WE WERE FORCED TO MEET THE CHALLENGE POSED BY THE ONE-SIDED PRO-NORTH KOREAN RESOLUTION INTRODUCED ON AUGUST 16 AND, THUS, SUBMITTED RESOLUTION ON AUGUST 20. OUR RESOLUTION CALLS FOR NORTH/SOUTH TALKS AND FOUR PARTY (U.S., PRC, SOUTH AND NORTH KOREA) NEGOTIATIONS TO PERMIT DISSOLUTION OF UN COMMAND BY ADAPTING OR REPLACING ARMISTICE AGREEMENT WITH MORE LASTING ARRANGEMENTS TO KEEP PEACE. IN CONTRAST TO NORTH KOREAN POSITION WHICH WOULD EXCLUDE ROK FROM DISCUSSION OF THESE ISSUES, PRO-ROK RESOLUTION RECOGNIZES THAT BOTH SOUTH AND NORTH OF KOREA MUST PARTICIPATE IN SUCH DISCUSSIONS.

E. TALKING POINTS:

--PRO-NORTH KOREA RESOLUTION IS BASED ON PROPAGANDISTIC AUGUST 5 STATEMENT BY NK ACCUSING U.S. OF AGGRESSIVE DESIGNS IN KOREA. IT IGNORES FACTS THAT WE AND ROK HAVE INVITED PARTIES DIRECTLY CONCERNED TO DISCUSS EASING OF TENSIONS AND THAT 30TH GA PASSED RESOLUTION EMBODYING THIS PROPOSAL. THIS INVITATION SO FAR HAS BEEN IGNORED BY NORTH KOREA AND ITS SUPPORTERS.

--PRO-NORTH KOREA RESOLUTION INDICATES NORTH'S CLEAR INTENTION TO FORCE CONTENTIOUS AND UNPRODUCTIVE DEBATE ON KOREA. IT SEEMS DESIGNED TO OBSCURE NORTH'S REFUSAL TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE ROK ON FUTURE OF PENINSULA AND ITS FAILURE TO RESUME DIALOGUE WITH ROK WHICH BOTH PARTIES AGREED TO IN 1972 AND WHICH ROK IS WILLING TO RESUME WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS.

--PRO-NORTH KOREA RESOLUTION IGNORES ROK WHICH GOVERNS TWO-THIRDS OF KOREAN PEOPLE, IS RECOGNIZED BY OVER 90 STATES AND IS A MEMBER OF VIRTUALLY EVERY SIGNIFICANT INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION (EXCEPT UN ITSELF).

--WE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE SUREST WAY TO PROGRESS ON KOREAN QUESTION IS THROUGH NORTH/SOUTH TALKS AND THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS ON EASING TENSIONS SUCH AS THOSE PROPOSED BY THE SECRETARY IN HIS JULY 22 SPEECH RATHER THAT BY CONFRONTATION AS CONTAINED IN NORTH KOREAN APPROACH.

--OUR APPROACH STRESSES NECESSITY OF PRESERVING THE ARMISTICE AGREEMENT OR SOME ALTERNATIVE WHILE BEING WILLING TO TERMINATE UN COMMAND. IT ALSO DEMONSTRATES U.S.-ROK READINESS TO DISCUSS REPLACEMENT OF ARMISTICE WITH MORE PERMANENT ALTERNATIVE. IT RECOGNIZES THAT ALL INTERESTED PARTIES MUST PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSIONS AFFECTING SECURITY OF PENINSULA.

--U.S. TROOPS IN KOREA ARE PRESENT ON BASIS OF BILATERAL MUTUAL SECURITY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE U.S. AND ROK. (NORTH KOREA HAS SECURITY AGREEMENTS WITH BOTH THE PRC AND USSR). DANGERS ON PENINSULA WERE HIGHLIGHTED BY RECENT MURDER IN THE JOINT SECURITY AREA OF DMZ OF TWO U.S. OFFICERS ATTACHED TO UN COMMAND.

--AVAILABILITY OF ARMISTICE MACHINERY TO DEAL WITH RECENT INCIDENT (KIM IL-SUNG'S MESSAGE OF REGRET TO UNC COMMANDER AND SUBSEQUENT NEGOTIATIONS FOR BETTER SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS AT PANMUNJON) SHOWS VALUE OF MAINTAINING ARMISTICE AGREEMENT UNTIL A SATISFACTORY ALTERNATIVE CAN BE FOUND.

3. PUERTO RICO: UN COMMITTEE OF 24 BEGAN DISCUSSION OF PUERTO RICO ON SEPTEMBER 2. IF, CONTRARY TO OUR EXPECTATIONS, COMMITTEE TAKES ACTION WHICH BRINGS PUERTO RICO BEFORE UNGA, POSTS WILL BE INSTRUCTED. WHILE POSTS SHOULD NOT RAISE PUERTO RICO AT THIS TIME, FOLLOWING IS FOR YOUR BACKGROUND AND USE IF THE HOST GOVERNMENT RAISES IT.

A. COLOMBO NON-ALIGNED POLITICAL DECLARATION CALLED FOR UNGA DISCUSSION OF PUERTO RICO AS COLONIAL ISSUE. IT DOES NOT CALL FOR RECOGNITION OF THE QUOTE NATIONAL LIBERATION MOVEMENT UNQUOTE AS DID THE LIMA DECLARATION LAST YEAR; A CUBAN RESOLUTION INCLUDING THIS POINT WAS DROPPED. BUT THE CALL FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION IS STRONGER THAN BOTH 1975 LIMA DECLARATION AND DRAFT PRODUCED BY THE NON-ALIGNED COORDINATING COMMITTEE AT ALGIERS IN MAY. A NUMBER OF STATES EXPRESSED RESERVATIONS TO COLOMBO LANGUAGE (ARGENTINA, BAHRAIN, BURUNDI, CAMEROON, INDIA, INDONESIA, IVORY COAST, JORDAN, LIBERIA, MAURITANIA, MOROCCO, OMAN, PANAMA, QATAR, RWANDA, SAUDI ARABIA, TUNISIA, U.A.E., AND ZAIRE. OTHER DELEGATIONS INDICATING THEY MIGHT MAKE RESERVATIONS, OR STATING THAT THEY HAD DONE SO, BUT ON WHICH WE HAVE NO CONFIRMATION, ARE: CYPRUS, YUGOSLAVIA, TRINIDAD/TOBAGO, AND PERU.) AS APPROPRIATE, POSTS MAY REFER TO THESE RESERVATIONS, EXPRESSING APPRECIATION FOR HOST GOVERNMENT'S UNDERSTANDING THAT STATUS OF PUERTO RICO IS INTERNAL MATTER. SUPPORTERS OF CUBAN SPONSORED LANGUAGE IN POLITICAL DECLARATION INCLUDE: ALGERIA, CONGO, DPRY, PLO, PUERTO RICAN SOCIALIST PARTY, ANGOLA, CUBA, LAOS, SOMALIA, BENIN, DPRK, MOZAMBIQUE, AND VIETNAM. THERE WERE OTHERS NOT YET IDENTIFIED.

B. COMMENTING ON ACTIONS TAKEN BY COLOMBO MEETING ON PUERTO RICO, DEPARTMENT PRESS SPOKESMAN ON AUGUST 25 SAID, QUOTE: WITH REGARD TO PUERTO RICO, THE CONFERENCE CALLED FOR DISCUSSION OF THIS MATTER BY THE UNITED NATIONS AS IF IT WERE A COLONIAL ISSUE. WE CONSIDER ANY SUCH DECLARATION AS INTERFERENCE IN U.S. DOMESTIC AFFAIRS. SINCE THE RECOGNITION IN 1953 BY THE UN OF PUERTO RICO'S ACT OF SELF-DETERMINATION, THERE ARE NO LEGAL GROUNDS FOR DISCUSSION OR ACTION WITH RESPECT TO THIS ISSUE BY ANY INTERNATIONAL BODY. AND WE WILL IGNORE ANY ACTION TAKEN BY AN INTERNATIONAL BODY ON THIS ISSUE. UNQUOTE.

4. MIDDLE EAST: A PRINCIPAL CONCERN HAS BEEN POSSIBLE EFFORT TO SUSPEND ISRAEL FROM UNGA, POSSIBLY BY DENYING VALIDITY OF ITS CREDENTIALS. AT COLOMBO SUMMIT, THERE WAS NO EXPLICIT CALL FOR SUSPENSION, BUT BOTH POLITICAL DECLARATION AND SEPARATE RESOLUTIONS CALLED FOR INCREASED PRESSURE ON ISRAEL IN ALL UN BODIES AND QUOTE THE POSSIBILITY OF DEPRIVING IT OF MEMBERSHIP, IF NECESSARY. UNQUOTE. A LAST MINUTE RESOLUTION CALLED FOR OIL EMBARGO AGAINST FRANCE AND ISRAEL BECAUSE OF THEIR ARMS SALES TO SOUTH AFRICA. WE HAVE NO INDICATION AT PRESENT THAT SUSPENSION ISSUE WILL ARISE AT UNGA, AND POSTS SHOULD THEREFORE NOT INITIATE DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME. SHOULD HOST GOVERNMENT RAISE ISSUE, TALKING POINTS IN REFTEL B REMAIN VALID AND MAY BE USED. DEPARTMENT WILL BE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IF SUSPENSION QUESTION RAISED BY HOST GOVERNMENT.

A. MAJOR DEBATE ON MIDDLE EAST ISSUES LIKELY ARISE IN CONNECTION WITH THE REPORT OF THE PALESTINE RIGHTS COMMITTEE (COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE OF THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE) SET UP AT 30TH GA. ALMOST CERTAINLY, THERE WILL BE A RESOLUTION ENDORSING REPORT'S RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE CALL FOR TOTAL ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM OCCUPIED TERRITORIES BY JUNE 1, 1977 AND TWO-STAGE RETURN OF PALESTINIAN ARAB REFUGEES TO THEIR HOMES IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES AND IN ISRAEL. WE HAVE OPPOSED THIS COMMITTEE FROM ITS INCEPTION BECAUSE OF ITS ONE-SIDED TERMS OF REFERENCE AND TOTALLY UNREPRESENTATIVE COMPOSITION. THERE WILL ALSO BE DEBATE ON ISRAELI PRACTICES IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES, INCLUDING QUESTION OF JEWISH SETTLEMENTS AND ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS RIGHTS. WHETHER MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT IS DEBATED SEPARATELY FROM THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE OR DEFERRED DEPENDS ON SITUATION IN MIDDLE EAST AND INTER-ARAB RIVALRIES. REGARDING LEBANON, THERE IS NO MOVE AT THE MOMENT TO INSCRIBE IT ON THE AGENDA, AND WE SEE NOTHING TO BE GAINED BY BRINGING THIS ISSUE TO THE GA, EXCEPT PERHAPS ITS HUMANITARIAN ASPECTS.

B. IF THE SUBJECT OF THE MIDDLE EAST (OTHER THAN SUSPENSION) COMES UP, OR IF IT SEEMS USEFUL TO RAISE IT, POSTS MAY DRAW ON THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH AND THE FOLLOWING TALKING POINTS:

--WE RECOGNIZE THAT SOME MEANS MUST BE FOUND TO RESUME MOMENTUM IN MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATIONS. U.S. IS COMMITTED TO DETERMINED PURSUIT OF NEGOTIATED SOLUTION, WITHIN AGREED FRAMEWORK OF SC RESOLUTIONS 242 AND 338, OF BASIC POLITICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AREA.

--IN THE MEANTIME, WE HOPE THAT UNGA DEBATES WILL NOT BE USED FOR USELESS GESTURES WHICH WOULD COMPLICATE FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS AMONG PARTIES INVOLVED FOR A JUST AND LASTING SOLUTION.

5. PANAMA CANAL: POSTS SHOULD NOT INITIATE DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME. FOR YOUR BACKGROUND INFORMATION, COLOMBO SUMMIT ENDORSED PANAMA'S GENERAL POSITION ON CANAL AND THE CANAL ZONE. IT DID NOT MENTION U.S. BY NAME. IF ASKED ABOUT THIS ISSUE, POSTS SHOULD USE GUIDANCE IN REFTEL A (NOTAL: BEING REPEATED TO ALL POSTS NOT ON ORIGINAL DISTRIBUTION).

ROBINSON

NOTE BY OC/T: POUCHED BEIRUT AND BAGHDAD.