Wilson: On Portugal, the Socialists are meeting in Stockholm next week. Soares will be there. Palme wants to help him.
Ford: What kind of leader is he?
Callaghan: He has charisma but makes mistakes. But he is the only possible leader.
Ford: House action on Turkey was a real tragedy. Speaker Albert said it was the worst vote in his time. It resulted from lobbying by Greek Americans who don't realize it will not help Cyprus, Greece or Turkey while jeopardizing our defense installations. We are making a new effort in the House to get some action before it recesses. I won't know the Turkish reaction until I meet Dernirel. The press is now turned towards us. I believe it is the most ill-advised action in the past quarter of a century.
Kissinger: A word on the Middle East. Did you get a message from the Israelis? The Italians did.
Wilson: Yes, we received a letter from Allon Monday. They sent us most detailed info on points on a map.
Callaghan: But no map. Their information was very detailed.
Kissinger: We are strongly opposed to any demarche to Egypt by Europe. We can move them to about 80% of the Israeli position but not if it looks like a US-European gang-up for 100% of the Israeli position. Rabin gave us a map. We told him we wouldn't accept it. The President wrote a letter on getting out of the passes and access to oil fields. Their reply was to take everything back from their June position in return for what they gave on the passes. Then they proposed six American posts as hostages. The Egyptians have now taken the June map of the Israelis and added the passes, but now the Israelis reject it. They are trying to put the passes in a bag -- like the map on the Economist.
Wilson: How about the road to Shararn-el-Sheik?
Kissinger: We can probably handle the Southern part. Goodwill is needed. How to move the road further apart then 100 yards is a problem.
I told the Israelis I would try to persuade the Egyptians on a line but that they have to stop haggling. I want to tell the Egyptians as a friend that they can't get much more on the line. The last Israeli proposal is less generous than the
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