108. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State 1
New York, December 20, 1972,
0143Z.
5635. Subj: SYG Waldheim on 27th GA.
- 1.
- In conversation with Amb Bush Dec 10, SYG Waldheim took somewhat philosophical view of 27th GA. He lamented that press in US, Europe and virtually everywhere else was taking very negative [Page 216] view of accomplishments of 27th GA, calling it dull. Waldheim thought this was unfair. Dullness of session was in large part a function of détente which had reduced incidence of verbal fireworks.
- 2.
- Waldheim said he was of course disappointed that his terrorism initiative had not borne more fruit. However, it was not fault of UN organization that this and other “failures” had occurred. If world community had attempted to deal with terrorism or other unresolved problems outside context of UN, same cast of characters would have been involved. Identifying Algeria, Libya, Syria and Iraq as particularly difficult to deal with on terrorism (he mentioned consulting them before announcing his terrorism initiative), he saw no reason to suppose that they would have been easier to deal with outside UN.
Bush
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, UN 8–3. Limited Official Use.↩