WHOLESALE EXPULSION OF OUR DIPLOMATS FROM MADAGASCAR: PRESIDENT OF MADAGASCAR SENDING PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE TO YOU

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-294-2-6-7
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: August 11, 2010
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: June 3, 1971
• Content Type: MEMO

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MEMORANDUM.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
/SENSITIVE
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
;
(28995) '
INFORMATION
June 3, 1971
iTHE PRESIDE-ITT IIIIIS SEEN...
silk
FROM: HENRY A. KISSINGER
SUBJECT:
Wholesale Expulsion of our Diplomats
from Madagascar: President of Madagascar
Sending Personal Representative to You
(
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This action has been accompanied by a
number of public statements by President Tsiranana charging an un-
identified major power with interference in Madagascar's domestic
affairs. It is now an open secret in Madagascar that we are the "major
power" involved and the press is beginning to write stories accordingly.
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We have no choice but to pull the Ambassador out, and Ambassador
Marshall will arrive in Washington next Monday. He is a political
appointee, the son of Mrs. Vincent Brooke Astor and a major Republican
contributor
This morning, there were two new developments. The Madagascar Foreign
Minister informed our Ambassador that five additional members of our
Embassy staff should leave Madagascar immediately. They include the
a State Department political officer, the Embassy
Administrative officer, and two USIA employees. As with Ambassador
Marshall, the Madagascar Government asked that we withdraw these people
voluntarily "on consultation" and replace them. That subtlety, however,
has little meaning in view of the widespread publicity given to this affair
in Madagascar.
DOS, NSS reviews completed.
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/03/19: LOC-HAK-294-2-6-7
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SECRET /SENSITIVE
In another development, the Madagascar Ambassador informed the State
Department this morning that a personal emissary of President Tsiranana
to you will arrive in Washington tomorrow and would like to see you some-
time next week to present the evidence of American wrong-doing and,
assumedly, otherwise explain these developments to you.
We are genuinely unable to ascertain what has caused this dust up. The
Madagascar authorities have thus far not provided us with any specifics
about the charge of interference in their domestic affairs, although the
Madagascar President continues to assert that he has irrefutable evidence
of such interference, a total loss as to what the
"irrefutable evidence" might be. There is some speculation that the French
may have stirred all this up in irritation at Ambassador Marshall's con-
siderable success in getting American investment into the French preserve
of Madagascar. There is also speculation that the Madagascar President,
who has simultaneously arrested his heir apparent, may simply be using the
United States cynically as a scapegoat to justify his domestic political moves.
There is, however, no evidence for either of these theories and I find
neither of them very convincing.
At least at this stage, I cannot conceive that it would be wise for you to
receive the Madagascar emissary. I do think, however, that we should
find out what he has to say. I believe that this can best be done in a low
key by a member of my staff, working in concert with the State Department.
Our major interest in all this seems to me to be twofold: (1) to avoid losing
the NASA tracking station in Madagascar, try to prevent this
affair from blowing up into a full-fledged scandal. In view of
the performance of the Madagascar Government the chances for the first
look pretty good and the chances for the second rather bleak.
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/03/19: LOC-HAK-294-2-6-7
6' MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASZI1 0 TON
MEMORANDUM FOR A. KIS NGER
FROM: Marshall Wright
SUBJECT: Our Troubles in Madagascar
IP
(28995)
ACTION
June 3, 1971
The plot thickens nicely on this affair. As you know, our Ambassador,
Tony Marshall, was given five days to get out. This morning the
Madagascarians ordered five more members of our staff out,
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Formally, they are not being PNGid but recalled 25X1 25X1
by us for consultation from which they will not return to Madagascar.
In view of the publicity this is now receiving in Madagascar, however,
that subtle distinction has no real meaning. The latest complication in-
volves our President directly. State was informed this morning by the
Madagascar Ambassador that President Tsiranana's personal emissary
to President Nixon will arrive in Washington tomorrow and would like to
see President Nixon some time next week. The emissary is supposed to
be bringing the "irrefutable evidence" of American interference in
Madagascar domestic affairs which their President keeps referring to
in public speeches, without specifically identifying the U.S. as the
culprit. It is possible, but not likely, that they have something on us.
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There are several aspects of this that are troublesome: (1) Tony Marshall
is a major Republican campaign contributor. 5
and the nature of the expulsions give this whole story a potential for
becoming a big international scandal, however unjustifiable. (3) We have
a NASA tracking station in Madagascar which is the only alternative to the
one in South Africa and therefore a useful backup that we would not want to
lose. (4) In general, our relations with Madagascar have been excellent with
benefits accruing to us in such things as moderation in African councils and
support on United Nations issues such as Chinese Representation and the
resolution regarding prisoners of war in Vietnam.
All in all, this affair has developed to the point where the President should
know of it. Thus the attached memo from you to the President filling him in
on the present state of play.
RECOMMENDATION: That you initial the attached memo to the President.at
Tab A.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/03/19: LOC-HAK-294-2-6-7