53. Editorial Note
On December 17, 1970, during British Prime Minister Edward Heath’s visit to Washington, December 17–18, British Foreign Secretary Alec Douglas-Home told Secretary of State Rogers that, since Britain could not itself put a fleet into the Indian Ocean, it seemed “only sensible” to maintain South Africa’s capability. If the United States “could do more in Indian Ocean,” however, “this would reduce U.K. dependence on South Africa.” (Telegram 206630 to London, December 20; National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 15–1 UK) In a January 11 telephone conversation, Under Secretary of State John Irwin told Kissinger of his concern that the British would “try to tie an interest in the Indian Ocean into effect our approving their actions in South Africa.” President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger stated that the United States intended to maintain the arms embargo on South Africa. (Ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 8, Chronological File)
At the Commonwealth Conference in Singapore, January 14–22, 1971, Heath presented the British policy of arms sales to South Africa “as necessary to counter the growing Soviet threat in the Indian Ocean and around the Cape.” National Security Council staff member Helmut Sonnenfeldt felt this reflected the further assessment that “South Africa can be counted on as a reliable partner in the future and the black Africans (except possibly Nigeria) cannot.” The policy provoked significant opposition throughout the Commonwealth, particularly in Parliament, in members of Heath’s government (including Douglas-Home and Lord Carrington), and in Africa. Indeed, India argued that the Indian Ocean should be free of great powers altogether. Sonnenfeldt noted that U.S. interests would suffer from the potential “anti-western” reaction and that the United States needed to make clear its support of the arms embargo against South Africa. If it did not make its support clear, Sonnenfeldt predicted, U.S. policies toward the Indian Ocean would become “enmeshed in Commonwealth politics” and “generate more controversy here at home.” By contrast, he noted, the Soviets portrayed their presence in the Indian Ocean as entirely peaceful. (Memorandum from Sonnenfeldt to Kissinger, January 21; ibid., NSC Files, Box 728, Country Files, Europe, United Kingdom, Vol. V)