Hieronder twee gedeclassificeerde telexen uit 1977 met informatie i.v.m. legeraankopen waarin verwezen wordt naar communicatie met kolonel Gilbert Dupont (vader van de journalist) die toen op het kabinet van Vanden Boeynants werkte.
De eerste telex dateert van 13 december 1977:
Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 - Message Text
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PAGE 01 BRUSSE 18535 131749Z
ACTION EUR-12
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 EB-08 COME-00 CIAE-00 PM-05 INR-07
L-03 ACDA-12 NSAE-00 PA-01 SS-15 PRS-01 SP-02
USIA-06 TRSE-00 NSC-05 MCE-00 OMB-01 /079 W
------------------029508 132134Z /41
R 131717Z DEC 77
FM AM EMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3701
SECDEF WASHDC
INFO USMISSION USNATO
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GER
USNMR SHAPE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 18535
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: MPOL, NATO, BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN HAWK
REF: STATE 289234
1. IN A FOLLOWUP TO DELIVERY OF SECDEF BROWN'S LETTER TO MOD VANDEN BOEYNANTS (REFTEL), WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE MEMBER OF VANDEN BOEYNANTS' CABINET WHO FOLLOWS HAWK (COLONEL GILBERT DUPONT) THAT THE MINISTER EXPECTS THE USG TO FOLLOW UP ON SECRETARY BROWN'S OFFER TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT.
2. COMMENT: NEITHER EMBASSY NOR USNATO, WITH WHOM WE HAVE DISCUSSED ISSUE, IS BEST PLACED TO IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS IN WHICH GOB MIGHT BE MOST COMPETITIVE TO MAKE TENDERS FOR POSSIBLE DOD PURCHASES OF BELGIAN-PRODUCED DEFENSE ITEMS ON A PARITY WITH THE TENDERS OF US FIRMS. WE RECOMMEND THAT THIS AS WELL AS THE MECHANICS FOR RECEIVING SUCH BELGIAN TENDERS MIGHT BE AN APPROPRIATE SUBJECT FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH THE BELGIANS EITHER
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BY CORRESPONDENCE OR BY A VISITING DOD MISSION. END COMMENT.
3. IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS RELATED TO HELIP, SOCIALIST DEPUTY LOUIS TOBBACK, WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES' DEFENSE COMMISSION, HAS PUBLISHED A STRONG ATTACK ON HELIP WHICH WAS WIDELY REPORTED IN THE BELGIAN PRESS. HIS ATTACK FOCUSED ON (A) THE LACK OF ECONOMIC OFFSET AND (B) ALLEGED TECHNICAL DEFICIENCIES IN HELIP. IN REGARDS TO THE LATTER HE SAID THAT HELIP WOULD IMPROVE HAWK, BUT NOT AT ALTITUDES BELOW 150 METERS WHERE ANY ATTACKERS WOULD PENETRATE WESTERN AIR DEFENSES. HE NOTED THAT THE CRUISE MISSILE WAS DESIGNED BY THE WEST TO OPERATE IN THIS AREA AND THAT THE EAST, IF IT ATTACKED, WOULD ALSO USE ALTITUDES BELOW 150 METERS. HE THUS DREW THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE WOULD BE NO "60 KM GAP" IN WESTERN AIR DEFENSES BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WESTERN AIR DEFENSE. TOBBACK WENT ON TO CRITICIZE HAWK'S LACK OF MOBILITY AND SAID THAT HELIP WAS NO IMPROVEMENT OVER HAWK IN THIS REGARD. COMMENT: TOBBACK WAS PRESUMABLY REFERRING TO THE HAWK BELT RATHER THAN TO THE HAWK SYSTEM IN HIS CRITICISM OF ITS IMMOBILITY. END COMMENT.
4. DISCUSSING THE HELIP PROGRAM, THE WIDELY READ AND RESPECTED WRITER ON DEFENSE ISSUES, HERMAN DE WULF WROTE ON DECEMBER 13: "THE TINDEMANS GOVERNMENT IS FIRM: NO PARTICIPATION IN HELIP UNLESS THERE IS 100 PER CENT INDUSTRIAL COMPENSATION. MINISTER VANDEN BOEYNANTS HAS SCRAPED TOGETHER MOOEY FROM THE ARMY, AIR FORCE, NAVY AND MEDICAL SERVICE, GOING TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MONEY CHEST, AND HAS THUS COLLECTED 4 BILLION BELGIAN FRANCS. THE MONEY IS THERE. BUT THE GOVERNMENT DEMANDS
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COMPENSATIONS BEFORE IT IS SPENT. IT HAS BECOME AN ARTI-
CLE OF FAITH FOR THE BELGIAN SOCIALISTS. . .."
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Het tweede document dateert van 27 december 1977:
Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 - Message Text
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 BRUSSE 19332 271228Z
ACTION EUR-12
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 PM-05 CIAE-00 INR-07 L-03 ACDA-12
NSAE-00 PA-01 SS-15 PRS-01 SP-02 TRSE-00 EB-08
COME-00 MCE-00 NSCE-00 SSO-00 USIE-00 INRE-00
/067 W
------------------015479 271239Z /20
O 271255Z DEC 77
FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3987
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GER PRIORITY
USNMR SHAPE PRIORITY
DOD ISA/EUR WASHDC PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIAL BRUSSELS 19332
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: MARR, MPOL, NATO, BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN HAWK
REF: A) BRUSSELS 18647, B) STATE 306094
1. INFORMATION AND REQUEST FOR COMMENTS TRANSMITTED REFTEL B ON DRAFT USG-GOB MOU WAS GIVEN AT OPENING OF BUSINESS DECEMBER 27 TO COLONEL GILBERT DUPONT, THE OFFICER IN MOD VANDEN BOEYNANTS' CABINET WHO FOLLOWS HELIP.
2. DUPONT GAVE US A COPY OF MOD VANDEN BOEYNANTS' DECEMBER 21 LETTER TO SECDEF BROWN (SEPTEL), WHICH HE SAID HAD BEEN DELIVERED BY THE BELGIAN EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON. HE TOLD US THAT VDB'S PREVIOUS LETTER, DATED DECEMBER 12 (BRUSSELS 18602),HAD NOT BEEN CLEARED BY INTERESTED BELGIAN GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES, BUT THAT THE DECEMBER 21 LETTER WAS FULLY CLEARED (BY FOREIGN AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS) AND REFLECTED THE BELGIAN GOVERNMENT'S POSITION.
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3. DUPONT'S IMMEDIATE REACTION TO THE INFORMATION (REFTEL B) ON USG CONSIDERATION OF A MOU WAS HIGHLY FAVORABLE. HE SIGNALLED OUT AS PARTICULARLY USEFUL THE INFORMATION THAT THE USG WAS THINKING IN TERMS OF A MOU AND THAT THE OFFSET WOULD EQUAL THE NET DOLLOR FLOW TO THE U.S. FROM BELGIANPURCHASESOF AN IMPROVED HAWK (TAKING RAYTHEON PURCHAES IN BELGIUM INTO ACCOUNT). DUPONT SAID HE WOULD CONTACT THE FOREIGN AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS MINISTRIES IMMEDIATELY AND PROVIDE US WITH ANY OTHER COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS ASAP.
4. DUPONT WENT ON TO STRESS THAT SPEED IN ACHIEVING A MOU WAS ABSOLUTELY VITAL TO ASSURE BELGIAN PARTICIPATION IN CONFIDENTIAL HELIP. VANDEN BOEYNANTS TOLD DUPONT THAT HELIP WOULD BE DECIDED AT THE FIRST 1978 CABINET MEETING ON JANUARY 13. THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF DOCUMENTS FOR THAT CABINET MEETING WILL BE JANUARY 6 AND, THEREFORE, THE DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING A MOU, MUST BE READY BY JANUARY 3.
5. DUPONT WENT ON TO SUGGEST THAT NOT ALL THE DETAILS OF THE OFFSET PROPOSAL NEED TO HAVE BEEN WORKED OUT BY THAT DATE, BUT THAT AN UMBRELLA MOU UNDER THE TERMS OF WHICH EXPERTS CAN NEGOTIATE IMPLEMENTING DETAILS IS ESSENTIAL. HE UNDERLINED THE PROBLEM OF RISING COSTS AND THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF BELGIAN FINANCING AVAILABLE FOR HELIP. HE SAID THAT SUPPLEMENTARY CREDITS ARE OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR BELGIAN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC REASONS. HE WAS ESPECIALLY CONCERNED THAT AFTER MID-JANUARY, IF NO DECISION HAD BEEN MADE, RAYTHEON WOULD IMPOSE GREATER COSTS TO BELGIUM ON A "STAND ALONE PROCUREMENT" BASIS.
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6. DUPONT, THEREFORE, SAID THAT IT IS URGENT AND ESSENTIAL THAT NEGOTIATIONS, AT WHICH CONCRETE IDEAS CAN LEAD TO THE SIGNATURE OF A MOU, BEGIN IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE. THE BELGIAN GOVERNMENT IS WILLING TO START SUCH NEGOTIATIONS WHENEVER AND WHEREVER THE USG PREFERS.
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