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  3. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXIX, Eastern Europe; Eastern Mediterranean, 1969–1972
  4. Document 337

337. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State1

Athens, June 19, 1972, 1459Z.

3416. Ref: State 108826; Athens 3340.2 Subj: Briefing of military students.3 GOG reaction through General Angelis now appears to involve Prime Minister Papadopoulos more than I had first assumed. Reaction clearly in tune with character of Angelis. However, I now am inclined to believe PriMin has assumed leading role. His growingly serious opposition within the regime makes the alleged allegation of corruption very difficult to accept. With three officers directly involved and the High Hellenic Military Command, as well as Foreign Office and Greek Embassy Washington, it is now rather likely that incident will become widely known and certainly to his opposition within the regime. PriMin knows in fact corruption is occurring within his circle and that he is highly vulnerable on this issue with other leading and still potent conspirators of the April 21, 1967 coup. In my view, he again has acted unwisely and by his exaggerated reaction will find that incident may hurt his position far more within the regime than if he had played it down and accepted the Deptʼs eminently-wise handling of this case as a “misunderstanding.”

Tasca
  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 594, Country Files—Middle East, Greece, Vol. III Jan 72–Oct 73. Secret; Nodis.↩
  2. Telegram 108826 to Athens, June 17, instructed the Embassy to hold up delivery of a letter from Moorer to Angelis. Telegram 3340 from Athens, June 15, had suggested holding up the delivery. (Both ibid., RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, DEF 6–9 US)↩
  3. On May 10 three Greek officers attending the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College visited the Department of State for a briefing during which, according to the Greeks, an official of the Department of State criticized Greek arrest of student demonstrators and stated that the regime was “corrupt.” The Greek Government withdrew the students and filed a series of protests with U.S. officials. In a June 12 letter to Rogers, Laird expressed his displeasure over the incident. (Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Subject Files: FRC 330 75–0125, Greece 000.1–333, 1972)↩