Department of State TELEGRAM PAGE 01 MADRID 00305 021020Z 3 ACTION INRD 10 INFO ES 061RSC 011/017 W R 01 !700Z AUG 67 FM AMEMBASSY MADRID TO SECSTATE WASHDC INFO AMEMBASSY BONN AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST ECLAS~ IFIED AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST E.O. l '295 ,.c. 3.6 AMEMBASSY LISBON NL.J g.,11;. AMEMBASSY MOSCOW AMEMBASSY PRAGUE By AMEMBASSY SOFIA AMEMBASSY WARSAW S E C ~ ~ 'r-MADRID 305 ROGER CHANNEL - SU9JECTi FUTURE OF R DID FREE EUROPE AND RADIO LIBERTY REFi STATE 9862 CI C lo FOR THE MOST PART GENERAL POINTS MADE IN NUM. SERED PARAS l AND 2 OF BONN 1065 APPLY1 WiTH MERELY OBVIOUS ALLOWANCES IN SUBSTITUTING PAGE TWO RUDKMD 305-5 Ii: C ~ E: T ­SPAIN FOR FEDERAL REPLUBLIC, TO SITUATION HERE AND LE AD TO VIRTUALLY SAME CONCLUSIONS. 2o PRESENT STATUS RADIO LIBERTY TRANSMITTER INQ STALLATION NEAR BARCELONA IS PROBABLY OPTIMUM 0Ra TAINABLE AND ANY CHANGE IS MOST LIKELY TO TURN TUT FOR THE WORSEo FROM STANDPOINT CONTINUED RL -sEcRET Department of State TELEGRAM -SE=~ET PAGE 02 MADRID 00305 021020Z OPERATIONS BEST WE CAN HOPE FOR IS UNDISTURBED COM~ PLETION OF CONTRACT WHICH RUNS UNTIL MARCH i 97 l o INDICATIONS ARE THAT GOS IS LOOKING FORWARD TO OBTAINING R EQUIPMENT FOR EXPANDED RADIO NACIONAL CNTERNATIONAL SERVICE WHICH REPORTEDLY IS PRIME ASPIRATION OF MINISTRY INFORMATIONG THERE IS THERE~ FORE VERY LITTLE REASONABLE HOPE OF SEEING RL CONTINUE OPERATIONS FROM SPAIN BEYOND 197 i AND OB COURSE ANY ACTION ON OUR PART TO TERMINATE OPERATION OF RL AT EARLIER DATE WOULD BE WELCOMED BY GOSo ALTHOUGH "THERE ARE NO PRESENT INDICA~ TIONS THAT SPANISH PROPOSE TO TERMINATE .CON TT RACT SOONER1 ANY CHANGE IN STATUS~ PARTICULARLY ANY CHANGE THAT WOULD REQUIRE MODfFICATION OF AGREE· PAGE THREE RUDKMD 305 S F C R E "f ­MENT WITH MININFO, WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY BE SEIZED UPON AS EXCUSE TO HASTEN DAY WHEN SPANISH COULD TAKE OVER OPERATION FOR OWN PURPMLESo 3o WORTH AT LEAST NOTING IN ADDITION TO DESIRE ADD RLOS ELABORATE PLANT TO SPANISH PROPAGANDA ARMORY ARE POWERFUL POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONSo AMONG MOST IMPORTANT ARE DESIRE IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH EASTERN EUROPE AND GROWING SENSfTIVITy TO BEING IDENTIFIED TOO CLOSELY WIHH US POLICY. ~o CONSEQUENLTY CONTINGENCY A IN REFTEL OFFERS BY FAR BEST PROSPECT, INDEED WE FEAR THE ONLY PROSPECT, OF SEEING CURRENT RL CONTRACT RUN rTs COURSE WITHOUT DAMAGING CHANGE• ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO MENTION OF RL IN SPANISH PRESS NOR D!D ANY GOS OFFICIALS PEFER TO IT IN CONVERSATIONS WITH US DURING RECENT PUBLICITY ON CIA, WE BEo LIEVE EXTENSIVE PRESS ATTACKS DIRECTED SQUARELY AT RFE AND RL SETUPS WOULD PROBABLY PROMPT GOS INTO CALLING FOR ErRLIER CONTRACT ABROGATION. MUCH WOULD DEPEND ON MATTER OF DEGREEQ FINANCING Department of State TELEGRAM 5~cRET • PAGE ~3 MADRID 00305 021020Z PAGE FOUR RUDKMD 3 ... 5 .. 5 E--e--R E T .. THROUGH US I A OR DEPT RATHER THAN .CI A MIGHT HELP1 BUT NOT MUCH• 5• REINCORPORATION ABROAD (CONTINGENCY Bl QR ANY MOVE REQUIRING RENEGOTIATION OF OPERATING AGREE~ MENT1 ESPECIALLY UNDER GLARE OF PUBLICfTYi WOULD WE BELIEVE MERELY TRIGGER GOS TAKEOVERQ THIS VIEW APPLIES ALSO TO CONTINGENCIES C AND DG 6• IN SUM IF WE WISH SEE RL CONTINUE OPERATIONS IN PRESENT CONTEXT WE HAD BEST LET SLEEPING DOG LIE AND COUNT OURSELVES AHEAD SO LONG AS THERE NO DISTURBANCE FROM SOME OTHER DIRECTION• WALKER