267. Editorial Note
On February 5, representatives of the United States, led by Under Secretary of State Robert Murphy and Ambassador George Wadsworth, met with a Saudi Arabian delegation, headed by Prince Fahad, Minister of Defense, and Yusuf Yasin, Deputy Foreign Minister, to continue discussions on military assistance and the Dhahran Airfield. Discussion first focused on the types of military equipment the United States would provide, problems relating to delivery, and whether the Saudis would receive new or renovated supplies. Both Fahad and Yasin expressed concern over the latter question, indicating a preference for new equipment. Ambassador Wadsworth and Murphy assured the Saudis that they would receive the same arms with which the United States equipped its own forces. Discussion then moved to the financing of the supplies.
During the course of the conversation, Murphy asked Yasin whether he had a clear understanding of the American position. The United States, Murphy noted, was offering a 2-year credit for all Saudi orders to date, and was also ready to assume the cost of the Air Force maintenance and development programs, to augment the air training program, and to pay for the air terminal at Dhahran, provided the cost did not exceed $5 million. The total plan, Murphy continued, would amount to $50 million over the next 5 years and would be subject to annual congressional appropriations. Murphy stated that the United States was prepared to deliver all of this and to renew the Dhahran Agreement on a 5-year basis. Murphy then noted that there was one additional point to be discussed—the question of the United Nations resolution of November 2, 1956. The resolution, adopted by the General Assembly as 997 (ES–1), recommended, inter alia, that all member states of the United Nations “refrain from introducing military goods in the area of hostilities and in general refrain from any acts which would delay or prevent the implementation of the present resolution.” (U.N. doc. A/3526)
According to the memorandum of conversation, Murphy said:
“that, as Shaikh Yusuf knew, the U.S. always wished to try to prevent an arms race in the Middle East. Thus, since the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution restricted the shipment of arms into the area of hostilities, Saudi Arabia and the United States, as members of the UN, would of course both want to avoid the appearance of having violated the UN resolution. Mr. Murphy said that he knew that the Saudi Arabian Government was as anxious as the United States Government to preserve peace in the area. Therefore, such arms as were provided to Saudi Arabia by agreement were given because His Majesty had assured the United States that the arms and equipment he would receive would be used only for internal security, for the defense of his country, and for the defense [Page 463] of the Dhahran Airfield. Mr. Murphy said he believed that Saudi Arabia understood this as clearly as did the United States.
“Shaikh Yusuf said that he assumed Mr. Murphy had mentioned this so that the United States would not be accused of breaking a UN resolution.
“Mr. Murphy replied that this was the concern of both governments since Saudi Arabia had also voted for this resolution.
“Shaikh Yusuf said that as a legal precautionary measure, he thought both parties should agree to this but that, as long as the United States stipulated that the arms should be for the internal security and defense of Saudi Arabia, there was no need to mention the Dhahran Airfield. After all, was not Dhahran also a part of Saudi Arabia?
“Mr. Murphy said that the Dhahran Airfield did, of course, belong to Saudi Arabia but that in order to conform to the spirit of the UN resolution on arms to the Middle East, the U.S. felt it was essential that the defense of the Dhahran Airfield be mentioned in this connection.
“Shaikh Yusuf said that Saudi Arabia also had to keep a sharp watch on the impression its agreements would make on others. He said that he personally could say now that American arms would not be used for other purposes than for the defense of his country. He could see, he said, why it might be necessary for the Secretary of State to say to the Congress that the United States had given these arms for the defense of Saudi Arabia and then to have to say also that these arms were for the defense of Dhahran Airfield.
“Mr. Murphy asked Shaikh Yusuf whether this meant that Saudi Arabia agreed that the United States should say that.
“Shaikh Yusuf replied that Saudi Arabia was ready to agree to any necessary legal action in order to get the arms it needed. Shaikh Yusuf added, however, that in the final analysis His Majesty’s approval on this point and on all the other points brought up in these talks would have to be obtained before final agreement was reached.
“Mr. Murphy said he understood Shaikh Yusuf’s point.” (Memorandum of conversation by Stoltzfus, February 5; Department of State, Central Files, 786A.11/2–557)