3. SITUATION IN CENTRAL AMERICA SECRET GUARD THE COMMITTEE considered a revised draft report+ examining possible developments in the political and military situation in Central America, including the Caribbean Area, with particular reference to any possible threat to British possessions. MR. BARTON said that since the date of the completion of the revised draft report there had been published in the United States the report by a Five Nation Committee set up by the Council of the Organisation of American States, under the Rio de Janeiro Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, on the recent aggressive activities of Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. He therefore suggested that the findings of that report should be considered before the report by the Committee was finalised. There was general agreement with this suggestion. MR. WATSON said that the Joint Intelligence Bureau had had certain amendments to suggest to the revised draft report and these would now be passed to the Joint Intelligence Staff for consideration. They had generally been to the effect that the revised draft report had written down the volume of arms and equipment supplied to countries in the area which by local standards were substantial. In discussion, it was generally agreed that in redrafting the report in the light of the report published in the United States, the Joint Intelligence Staff should also emphasise the effect of the supply of arms to countries in the area, the dangers inherent in such supplies and the fact that at present United Kingdom withdrawal from that market would, without an international agreement, be of little avail since other countries would be only too ready to take advantage of the additional market so provided. It was also agreed that the value of the report would be increased if a suitable map were attached to it on the lines of the one produced by the War Office at the meeting. Brigadier Boucher undertook to arrange for its reproduction and for copies to be made available by arrangement with the Secretary. THE COMMITTEE:- Instructed the Joint Intelligence Staff to revise the draft report in the light of their discussion. + J.I.C. (50) 19 (Revised Draft). -2-
- Collection ID
- CAB159
- Conflict
- Cold War
- Document Reference
- CAB 159/7/36
- File Reference
- CAB 159/0007
- Identifier
- 10.1080/swwf.cab159.0007.036
- Keywords
- Chinese Civil War Communism Predicting Enemy Intentions Assessing Enemy Strength Invasion Threat Colonies Empire Imperial Defence Defence Chinese Foreign Policy Hong Kong British Army Troop Movements Security Geographic Intelligence Diplomacy Political Intelligence Intelligence Requirements Intelligence Reports Intelligence Gathering Politics Military Supplies First Indochina War Prisoners Of War Intelligence Channels Interrogation
- Pages
- 5
- Published in
- United Kingdom
- Themes
- Foreign Policy and International Relations Military Intelligence and Operations Intelligence Gathering and Surveillance