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f;) U:K CO FCO O?S300 CYPHER CAT A C F E S K 271 (SZ 10CZJ hlo r CONFIDENTIAL TC IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 37 OF 27 TH JANUARY AND SAVING TO NAIROBI. PRESIDENT AH IN t MY TELEGRAM NO 3 6 . 1 . I HAVE SPOKEN INFORMALLY OVER THE WEEKEND TO TRUSTWORTHY 03LLEAGUES,(PARTICULARLY AFRICAN) TO MINISTERS, OFFICIALS AND OTHERS, I AM MOW CONFIRMED IH THE VIEW EXPRESSED IN MY TELEGRAM UNDO? REFERENCE THAT AMIN WOULD REGARD AS PROVOCATION ANY OFFICIAL REPLY TO THE EFFECT THAT HIS PROPOSED VISIT TO THE UK WAS "IfcCONVENIEMT". TO HAVE TOLD HIM ON THE DAY WHEN HE « S RECEIVING DELEGATIONS AND TELEGRAM BEARING MESSAGES OF CONGRATULATIONS 0-D GOOD WISHES (ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE SECOND REf"'UUL IC) WOULD IN THE VIEW OF MOST OBSERVERS HAVE BEEN CALCULATED TO BRING A SWIFT .REACTION.IT PROBABLY STILL WOULD . THE CONCENSUS APPEARED TO BELIEVE THAT THE PRESIDENT'S TELEGRAM WOULD BE BEST IGNORED.THIS WOULD BE THE AFRICAN WAY OF SPYING THAT THE VISIT WOULD NOT BE tCLCOME . IF AMIN WERE THICK SKINNED ENOUGHT NOT TO TAKE THE POIWT AMD PRESSED FOR A REPLY (OPINION IS DIVIDED ON THE QUESTION OF HOW SERIOUSLY HE EXPECTED TO BE TAKEN)IT MIGHT, IN THE VIEW OF OUR AFRICAN FRIENDS, BE NECESSARY TO SPELL OUT THE REASONS FOR OUR SILENCE. AMD ACCORDING TO AFRICAN CUSTOM THIS WOULD BtST BE DONE INDIRECTLY ( I E BY SUMMONING ISINGOMA ttid ASKING HIM TO EXPLAIN THE POSITION TO HIS MASTER) 2. I POUBT WHETHER THE MATTER WILL BE RAISED HERE. IF IT IS I fcDULD PROPOSE TO REPLY ON THE LINES OF YOUR TELEGRAM NO 19 MAKING IT CLEAR THAT I HAD NOT RECEIVED - AND DID TOT EXfECT TO f£CEt¥£-INSTRUCT IONS , BUT THAT THIS IE WHAT I IMAGINED THE POSITION TO BE . 3. AUGUST IS A LOr.'G tfAY OFF-AKD ,'<"UCH CAN HAPPEN BEFORE THEN-BUT SHOULD THE VORST BtT/4.L US THERE IS PROBABLY LITTLE WE CAW DO TO STOP HIM, AS WE FOUND OVER THE ASlA\'S ATTEMPTS TO DEFLECT