Ankara Embassy files, lot 57 F 72, 400 MED, 1953–54
No. 160
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs
(Jernegan) to the Ambassador in Iran (Henderson)1
official-informal
Dear Loy: I refer to my letter of November 9,2 regarding the thought being given to a possible defense arrangement among Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Pakistan. Further to that same subject, I enclose a copy of a memorandum dated November 14 from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense.3 This was given to us informally yesterday and we expect to receive it formally in a few days with the endorsement of the Secretary of Defense.
As you will see, this memorandum constitutes adoption by the Joint Chiefs of the idea which I wrote you we had found at the working level. The only new note introduced is the suggestion that some method be found to provide indirect military aid to Pakistan in order to avoid adverse repercussions in India and Afghanistan. (Personally, I do not believe it is possible to work out an effective [Page 433] method of indirect military aid. If we decide to help Pakistan we shall just have to ride out the storm.)
I should like also to call to your personal attention a memorandum of conversation which I had on November 17 with the Turkish Ambassador here on this general subject. A copy is going forward through the usual channels.4
Ambassador Ward has just been here on consultation and I took the occasion to tell him about our ideas and ask his estimate of the probable Afghan attitude. He does not believe Afghanistan would feel able to risk joining up with any defense arrangement under present conditions and he thinks they would be considerably upset at participation by Pakistan. However, he did not feel that we need be deterred by an adverse Afghan reaction.
As before, I am sending copies of this letter to Ambassadors Warren, Berry and Hildreth.
Sincerely,
P.S. Since the Joint Chief’s memorandum has not yet been officially transmitted to us and we do not have formal clearance to send it to the field, please treat it in the utmost confidence and do not refer to it in any formal official communication.