GREEK MILITARY REGIME CONFRONTATION WITH KING CONSTANTINE

Created: 8/9/1967

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

L INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

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THIS Hi AN INFORMATION REPORT. NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.

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AUGUST 1ss7

GREEK MILITARY REGIME CONFRONTATION WITH KING CONSTANT iy?

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summary:

ey greek government figures

met with king constantine at his athens palace in what)howdown over the relationship between the regime and the i* throne. the militaryst urbed over growing indications that the king is working at cross purposes with the regime,ill of particulars on alleged actions of the king, demanded clarification, andledge fkom the king that he WaS not imposing any obstacles to the prosecution ofbusiness in fulfillment of the objectives of thepril coup.

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and minister expressed concern oveh what they described as severe pressure from king constant It E, prime minister

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konstantinos KOLLIaS, and american ambassador phillipspon the military mem8ers of the greek government . HkMUH.

|Th*ese pressures were for the immediate restorationree press, changing of regime ideas on the shape of constitutional reform, and speeding up the process;

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pressures were being exerted

proper appreciation of the facteturn to a ) constitutional system must be precedederiod ofduration in which the militaryust carky out the reforms necessitated by the situation which provoked thepril coup. moreover, there must be time to prepare for an orderly political succession, by the regime or its chosen political heirs as designated in the new constitution. in the absence of such prerequisities, tke re'gime cannot consider tlf lding to pressure and in fact is well aware that if it did, it would in all probability be overthrown by its own supporters among the more junior military officers, some of whom have even threatened to kill papadopoulos if he "betrays the revolut ion."

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|the regime did not take all the risks of thepril coup for the purpose of quickly restoring the greek situation to the same venal and leftist-influenced parties from whom it was temporarily saved. moreover, until the necessary reforms can be effected, the military regime and its supporters have no guarantee that their own necks will not be on the blockuccessor government .

SECURITY ALERT WAS MEANWHILE CALLED THROUGHOUT THE GREEK ARMED

FORCES. AT THIS MEETING THE GOVERNMENT LEADERS LAID BEFORE THE

ULL LISTING OF THE KING'S ALLEGED ANTI-REGIME

O ACTIVITIES, AND DEMANDED THAT THE KING

CLARIFY HIS POST USE TOWARDS THE REGIME, INCLUDING HIS VIEWS

ON PRESS CENSORSHIP, AN [VENDING GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE ,

AfU OTHER MEASURES ONEEL THEY MUSTREE HAND.

4. THE KING REPLIED THAT HE WAS NOT TO SLAME FOR VARIOUS STORIES BEING CIRCULATED BY FORMER PRIME MINISTER PANAGIOTIS KANELLO POuLOS, MANUFACTURER GEOHGIOS DRAKOS, AND OTHERS,

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TO THE EFFECT THAT THE KING WAS' THE FOCUS OF POPULAR SENTIMENT -GAINST THE PE*GIME. THE KING THEN GAVE HIS WORD OF HONOR THAT HE TKCPOUCHLY ENDORSED THE REGHE AND WOULD NOT IMPOSE ANY OBSTACLES TO ITS PROSECUTION OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS INCF TKE OBJECTIVES OF THE COUP. THE REGIME LEADERS THEN TOLD THE KING THAT THEY MUST STAY IN POl-'ER AS LONG AS WAS NEEDED TO CCROY OUT THEIR OBJECTIVES, WHETHER IT BE TWO, THREE, OR EVEN FIVE YEeRS. THE KING INTERPOSED NO OBJECTION. THE MEETING THENUP Ar.'O THE SECURITY Al

N THE LAST FEW DAYS THE REGIME HAD HELD TVC LONG CONFERENCES, AT ONE OF WHICH TEMPERS BECAME SO HEATED THAT MOST CF THE -EMBERS OF THE REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL DREW THEIR PISTOLS. THE POINTS AT ISSUE IN THE CONFERENCES WERE 3ELIEVED TORESS FREEDOM, WHICH MOST OF TKE COUNCIL OPPOSE, OVERNMENT RESHUFFLE TO REMOVE ALL INCOMPETENTS, INCLUDING

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L--EOR MINISTER ALEXflNOROS LEKKAS, FINANCE MINISTER ADAMANDWELFARE MINISTER EVANGELOS POULANDZAS,GEORGIOS PaPADIMITRAKOPOULCS, AND PUBLIC ORDERTOTOMIS, AND (C) PAPADOPOULOS' PLAN TO REPLACE THETHE PRIME MINISTER 'VITH AN OMNIPOTENT MINISTRY OFPOLICY 'OR GOVERNMENT ORIENTATION AND POLICY) HEADEDAND INCLUDING THREE DIVISIONS-COORDINATIONKONSTANTINOS XARYDAS, PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATIONGENERAL ILIAS PAPapOULOS, AND POLICY UNDER NT : THE LATTER IS PP03ABLY NOT THE

ELDERLY JURIST, INDUSTRY MINISTER NIXOLAOS OIKONOMOPOULOS, BUTOFFICER CLOSE TO

Original document.

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