U.S. withdrew from Sea Eagle-Mr Beazley

Press, 7 February 1985, Page 12

U.S. withdrew from Sea EagleMr Beazley

PA Wellington The Australian Defence Minister, Mr Beazley, has clarified a statement in Brussels by his Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, that the Sea Eagle defence exercise planned for next month has been cancelled.

The exercise had been cancelled "following the withdrawal of the United States,” Mr Beazley said.

In Washington a United States official said the naval exercise had been cancelled because of New Zealand’s refusal to grant port facilities to American ships with nuclear capability. In Canberra, Mr Beazley said talks would begin with the United States and New Zealand immediately to explore ways in which defence interests “can be separately pursued”. Mr Beazley emphasised that Australia valued defence co-operation with both the United States and New Zealand.

“The defence relationship with the United States is one that is fundamental to Australia’s national security in the broadest sense,” he said. “At the same time, Australia and New Zealand have a common strategic concern with the security of the South-West Pacific region and our Armed Forces have close historical ties.”

Mr Beazley said Australia’s association with New Zealand extended beyond defence matters.

The “New York Times” reported from Washington yesterday that a senior State Department official had said some top Adminis-, tration aides were particularly annoyed because New Zealand officials had assured Washington informally that they would approve the visit of the destroyer in connection with planned naval manoeuvres. “Many people in this Government feel we have been diddled by the New Zealanders for seven months, and we ought to'do something in retaliation,” the official said.

The Defence Secretary, Mr Caspar Weinberger, said the Administration was “very, very disappointed with the stand of the New Zealand Government, which constitutes a serious attack upon the alliance.” “At the moment, they are following a course that can only be of great harm to themselves,” he said. The “New York Times” reported that concern within the Administration went beyond the future of the A.N.Z.U.S. alliance to the impact the move might have on other allies that also have strong artinuclear movements.

A senior State Department official said that if the United States accepted the New Zealand action with equanimity, that might encourage West European Governments to take steps to curb nuclear weapons that were needed to offset Soviet weapons.