Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Arab-Israeli Dispute; United Arab Republic; North Africa, Volume XIII

291. Instruction From the Department of State to the Embassy in Libya¹

CG–643

Washington, June 8, 1959—6:10 p.m.

USUN 1039, Dept G–800 to Paris repeated G–117 Rabat and G–81 Tunis.²

The Department is concerned by the recent trend of Algerian nationalists, statements on the subject of American arms in Algeria. These statements are probably designed in part to justify acceptance of Communist arms and to draw the U.S. Government into public exchanges which the FLN hoped would be distasteful to the French or would create an atmosphere favorable to US and other diplomatic intervention in the Algerian war. So far as the average North African is concerned, it is difficult to do anything to mitigate public feelings over the presence of American weapons in Algeria; no matter what their manner of arriving there, their origin is clear. However, the Algerian statements and their aftermath may have created certain impressions with regard to the role of the U.S. Government in this matter which it would appear well to set straight among officials of the Government to which you are accredited, and you may therefore make whatever use you deem fit of the following material. At the same time you should make clear US Government will not be provoked into public controversy on this matter with the FLN.

(1) No new American equipment of a type likely to be transferred to Algeria is being furnished to France under any current USG programs.

(2) Other matériel, including helicopters, has been the object of straight commercial purchase.

(3) Re statement “There is no agreement restricting the use of equipment once it has been turned over the French,” all equipment acquired by France under U.S. programs is subject to the provisions of the bilateral MDAP agreement between the U.S. and France. No arms have been furnished by the U.S. Government to France “for the purpose of prosecuting the war in Algeria.”

Further, there is the Monnet–Dillon agreement, which provided coverage for the sales agreement under which the U.S. provided foreign exchange assistance to the French to procure military materiel from U.S. commercial sources in FY 1958 and FY 1959.³ These sales were not for “arms” in the usual sense but covered maintenance items, spare parts, POL, certain specialized technical equipment for research and development projects, etc. The terms of the agreement limited such sales to equipment and supplies to meet the needs of French NATO units stationed in Europe. (FYI: We intend to attach similar conditions to any similar sales program in future.)

Although quantities of American arms of different vintages are available in one way or another in various parts of the world, the fundamental implication of the Algerian statements (i.e., that the USG is now engaged in providing new equipment which is being used to reequip or strengthen French troops to prosecute the war in Algeria) is thus incorrect.

(4) The Department has no knowledge of any arms deal for the Algerians that “has been blocked” by this Government. American arms have of course been furnished to many countries (including Tunisia and Libya) on a nontransferable basis entirely acceptable to the recipients. It would be unreasonable to expect that the USG would encourage the recipients to put the arms to uses other than those for which the governments in question originally expressed the need, e.g., to provide them for sale to third parties.

This instruction is repeated to Paris, Algiers and New York for information only.

Dillon

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/6–859. Confidential. Drafted by Bovey and Beigel on June 5, cleared by Fowler and Nes and with L. Dean Brown, and approved and signed for Dillon by Bovey. Also sent to Benghazi, Tunis, and Rabat and repeated to Paris, Algiers, and USUN.
2. Dated May 21, telegram 1039 from USUN transmitted the substance of Chanderli’s statements to the press on French use of U.S. arms in Algeria. (Ibid., 651.51S/5–2159) Airgram G–800 to Paris has not been found.
3. Under this January 1958 agreement, the United States agreed to extend to France certain financial facilities amounting to $274 million; see Department of State Bulletin, February 17, 1958, pp. 269–274.