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ACTION EUR-12
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SAJ-01 IO-11 ACDA-05 CIAE-00 DODE-00
PM-04 H-02 INR-07 L-03 NSAE-00 NSC-05 PA-01 PRS-01
SP-02 SS-15 USIA-06 AF-06 /082 W
--------------------- 059573
R 091801Z MAR 76
FM AMEMBASSY BONN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7060
INFO AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMCONSUL BREMEN
AMCONSUL DUSSELDORF
AMCONSUL FRANKFURT
AMCONSUL HAMBURG
AMCONSUL MUNICH
AMCONSUL STUTTGART
USMISSION USBERLIN
USMISSION NATO BRUSSELS
USNMR SHAPE
CINC USAFE RAMSTEIN
CINC USAREUR HEIDELBERG
CINC EUR VAIHINGEN
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 02 BONN 03956
E. O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: PFOR, PINT, PARM, GW
SUBJECT: FRG MEDIA REACTION TO GENSCHER "NEWSWEEK"
INTERVIEW
REFS: A. BONN 3574 DTG 031750Z MAR 76
B. BONN 2954 DTG 201827Z FEB 76
1. FOREIGN MINISTER GENSCHER'S INTERVIEW "COMMUNIST
AIMS ARE UNCHANGING" IN THE MARCH 15 ISSUE OF THE EURO-
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PEAN EDITION OF "NEWSWEEK" HAS ATTRACTED EARLY MEDIA
ATTENTION IN THE FRG, WITH EMPHASIS PLACED ON HIS RE-
JECTION OF COOPERATION WITH WESTERN COMMUNIST PARTIES
AND HIS HARD LINE VIS-A-VIS PRESENT INTERNATIONAL POLICIES
OF THE SOVIET UNION.
2. IN A FRONT-PAGE HEADLINE STORY ENTITLED
GENSCHER IN CONTRAST TO SCHMIDT CRITICIZES MOSCOW," THE
MARCH 9 ISSUE OF "DIE WELT" CLAIMED GENSCHER'S VIEW THAT
MOSCOW'S AFRICA POLICY "IS A STRAIN ON THE WHOLE POLICY
OF DETENTE" CONTRADICTED A RECENT STATEMENT BY CHANCEL-
LOR SCHMIDT (REFTEL A) THAT DETENTE IS NOT THEREBY
AFFECTED. THE ARTICLE POINTED OUT THAT SINCE PRESIDENT
FORD'S STATEMENT IN MIAMI CONCERNING DETENTE, THE WEST
GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER HAS BEEN WARNING ALMOST DAILY
AGAINST FORMING ILLUSORY HOPES ABOUT A RELAXATION IN
EAST-WEST TENSIONS. "DIE WELT" ALSO REPORTED IN THIS
ARTICLE ON A STATEMENT MADE YESTERDAY BY GENSCHER AT AN
EXECUTIVE SESSION OF THE FREE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, IN WHICH
HE REJECTED SOVIET CLAIMS THAT THE BERLIN FOUR-POWER
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ACTION EUR-12
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SAJ-01 IO-11 ACDA-05 CIAE-00 DODE-00
PM-04 H-02 INR-07 L-03 NSAE-00 NSC-05 PA-01 PRS-01
SP-02 SS-15 USIA-06 AF-06 /082 W
--------------------- 059581
R 091801Z MAR 76
FM AMEMBASSY BONN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7061
INFO AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMCONSUL BREMEN
AMCONSUL DUSSELDORF
AMCONSUL FRANKFURT
AMCONSUL HAMBURG
AMCONSUL MUNICH
AMCONSUL STUTTGART
USMISSION USBERLIN
USMISSION NATO BRUSSELS
USNMR SHAPE
CINC USAFE RAMSTEIN
CINC USAREUR HEIDELBERG
CINC EUR VAIHINGEN
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AGREEMENT MUST BE CONSIDERED AS A RESTRICTIVE DOCUMENT.
3. BONN'S "GENERAL-ANZEIGER" IN A HEADLINE STORY TODAY
SUMMARIZED THE GENSCHER INTERVIEW, AND NOTED THAT IT IS
BEING GIVEN CLOSE ATTENTION IN BONN. THIS "GA" STORY,
ENTITLED "THE SOVIET UNION REMAINS ON AN EXPANSIONIST
COURSE," STRESSED GENSCHER'S CONCERN ABOUT THE INSUF-
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FICIENCY OF DEFENSE EFFORTS BY SOME NATO COUNTRIES, AS
WELL AS HIS UNEASE ABOUT PRESENT CONGRESSIONAL EFFORTS
TO RESTRICT U.S. GOVERNMENT MANEUVERABILITY IN INTER-
NATIONAL AFFAIRS.
4. THE PRINCIPAL EDITORIAL COMMENT THUS FAR ON THE
GENSCHER INTERVIEW APPEARED IN THE MARCH 9 ISSUE OF
THE "FRANKFURTER NEUE PRESSE" UNDER THE HEADING "GEN-
SCHER'S REALITY." IT SUPPORTED THE DECLARATIONS BY
THE FOREIGN MINISTER, CLAIMED THAT THESE "COULD HAVE
BEEN TAKEN FROM THE TEXT OF A SPEECH BY CSU CHAIRMAN
STRAUSS," AND SURMISED THAT, AS A RESULT, THE SOVIET
UNION IS LIABLE TO BE VERY UNHAPPY WITH GENSCHER.
COMMENT: ON THE ONE HAND GENSCHER'S INTERVIEW CAN BE
SEEN IN THE CONTEXT OF CURRENT FRG UNEASE ABOUT THE
U.S. WORLD ROLE AFTER RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN WASHINGTON
(SEE REFTEL B). AT THE SAME TIME, HOWEVER, GENSCHER'S
STATEMENTS, PARTICULARLY ABOUT "DETENTE" AND SOVIET
EXPANSIONISM, SUGGEST FURTHER HARDENING ON HIS PART
TOWARD COMMUNISTS, WHETHER IN MOSCOW OR IN THE HEAD-
QUARTERS OF THE PCI AND PCF.
THE EMBASSY WILL POUCH SEPARATELY COPIES OF THE GENSCHER
INTERVIEW TO THE DEPARTMENT (EUR/CE, INR/REW).
HILLENBRAND
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