RAE REMAINS POSITIVE (SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00868R000100080096-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 17, 2007
• Sequence Number: 96
• Publication Date: May 19, 1980
• Content Type: CABLE

Approved For Release 2007/10/19: CIA-RDP84-00868R000100080096-2
S E C R E T 191249Z MAY 50 STAFF
CITE FBIS/LONDON 25780
TO : FB IS.
REF MY DISCUSSIONS WITH BBC*
1. RAE REMAINS POSITIVE I HE WILL
GO TO PLANNING COMMISSIONS FOR BOTH PROSPECTIVE SITES; HIS
FIRST CHOICE REMAINS THAT IS WHYO WOULD LIKE
CHART DEALING WITH -51TE A* HE FEELS CERTAIN, HOWEVER, THAT
ILL ATTRACT ATTENTION AND THAT THERE WILL BE QUESTIONS.
IN THIS REGARD HE WILL CHECK WITH BBC OFFICIALS AND PROBABLY FCO
TO MAKE SURE THAT HE IS IN POSITION TO ANSWER ANY EMBARRASSING
QUESTIONS. HE FEELS CERTAIN, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WILL BE INQUIRIES
FROM PRESS, AND HE WILL NOT FUDGE THE ISSUE. RAE HAS APPARENTLY
ALL ALONG SEEN AS BBC OPERATION; HE IS
AGREEABLE TO BEING HERE THROUGH SHAKEDOWN PERIOD BUT
SEES IT AS BEING OPERATED BY PEOPLE OVER THE LONG RUN.
AN FBIS ENGINEER HANDLING I LONG RUN WOULD, HE FEELS,
PROVOKE UNION TROUBLE.
9. RAE WTI-1- MOV AD TO DEVELOP A PROJECTED CONTRACT
HE REMAINS CONCERNED ABOUT ACCEPTING
UNDS AND OPINES THAT WE MAY BE ENTERING ON "SLIPPERY SLOPE,"
BUT HE WILL DISCUSS IT WITH HIS SUPERIORS AT BBC AND PRESUMABLY
WITH FCO. THERE IS A PRECEDENT: VOA LEASES A TRANSMITTER AT
WOLVERTON FROM BBC AND REIMBURSES BBC' ON MONTHLY BASIS. THUS
BBC ACCOUNTANTS HAVE NO PROBLEM IN ACCEPTING OUR FUNDS. ONE WORRY
IS WHETHER'BBC WILL BE ABLE TO FIND THE MONITORS; I ENCOURAGED
THEM TO INCLUDE MONEY FOR RECRUITING EFFORT. RAE IS CONVINCED
HE WILL HAVE TO "ANNOUNCE" THIS PROJECT TO HIS EMPLOYEES; THIS
MAY PRODUCE SOME CONCERNS BY LEFT-LEANING EMPLOYEES. RAE IS ALSO
RUNNING LARGE DEFICIT ON PERSIAN COVERAGE AND WILL TRY TO INCLUDE
SOME FARSI/PASHTO/DARI COSTS; I WAS NON-COMMITTAL. RAE HAS ONE
OTHER CONCERN: HE IS WORRIED THAT IF U.S. GOVERNMENT CHANGES ITS
M IND ON THIS EXTENSIVE SOUTH ASIAN COVERAGE HE WILL BE STUCK WITH
PAGE 2 FBIS/LONDON 25780 S E C R E T
NUMEROUS MONITORS WHICH9 UNDER BRITISH LAW, CANNOT BE FIRED. I
ASSURED HIM THAT MAJOR CHANGE IN OUR INTEREST IN SOUTH ASIA IS
VERY UNLIKELY, AND ALTHOUGH WE CAN ONLY COMMIT FUNDS ON A YEARLY
BASIS WE WOULD NOT LEAVE BBC IN THE LURCH ON THIS PROJECT.
3. RAE IS LIKELY TO LEAVE IN.LATE JULY (OFFICIALLY END
OF SEPTEMBER BUT HE HAS LEAVE TO TAKE). HIS BOSS HAS BEEN KEPT
INFORMED OF ABOVE DEVELOPMENTS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY MANSELL HIMSELF
IS RETIRING IN DECEMBER. I HAVE.INFORMATION ON HIS REPLACEMENT
AND WILL DESCRIBE THIS TO YOU N MY RETURN. RAE PLANS TO WRAP
UP AGREEMENT
E HE LEAVES. (THIS PARA SHOULD BE KEPT QUITE CONFIDENTIAL)*
4. FCS HAS INFORMED RAE THAT HE CANNOT EXPAND THE MALAWI
HE IS NOW MULLING THE IDEA OF AN
EXPANDED, OPEN OPERATION IN SALISBURY, A LA NAIROBI. HE WILL FEEL
OUT HIS BOSSES ON THE IDEA OF A JOINT FBIS-BBC OPERATION IN
SALISBURY, AS HE DOES NOT HAVE THE FUNDS FOR A PURELY BBC BUREAU.
5. RAE CONTINUES TO HOPE THAT NEXT BBC-FBIS MEETING WILL BE
IN WASHINGTON. I TOLD HIM WE AGREED.
6. RVW 19 MAY 00; DRV D9C.6.
S E C R E T
Approved For Release 2007/10/19: CIA-RDP84-00868R000100080096-2