Office of the Historian

44. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson1

Washington, March 17, 1964.

SUBJECT

  • Discussions with the Libyan Government Regarding the future of Wheelus Air Force Base, Tripoli

Recommendation:

If you concur, we plan to inform the Libyans that we are prepared fully to discuss the 1954 US-Libya agreement relating to the Wheelus Air Force Base2 without any limitation on the scope of the discussions, including the matter of tenure. Orally we will inform the Libyans that, if they wish, they may understand this as a willingness to negotiate in the sense of a review seeking a mutually agreed solution.3

Discussion:

1.
In a note of March 8, the Libyan Government of Prime Minister Muntassir requested that the United States enter into negotiations regarding the 1954 US-Libya agreement, now valid until 1971.4 The Muntassir Government has been under significant pressure, both internally and externally, to seek the early abrogation of this agreement, as well as a base agreement with the United Kingdom.
2.
Hopefully, the proposed discussions might extend over a prolonged period of time resulting in a formula satisfactory to both parties, but the pace of internal Libyan political events might make this impossible. The alternative of rejecting the Libyan request would be to risk possible unilateral Libyan abrogation of the agreement and demands for an early evacuation.
3.
The United Kingdom has already informed the Libyans of its willingness to discuss its base agreement.
Dean Rusk
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Libya, Vol. I, 11/63–6/64. Secret.↩
  2. For text of the U.S.-Libyan agreement relating to military bases in Libya signed at Benghazi on September 9, 1954, and entered into force on October 30, 1954, see 5 UST 2449.↩
  3. McGeorge Bundy initialed approval of the recommendation. Below his initials he wrote: “per LBJ telecon.”↩
  4. Ambassador Lightner reported in telegram 71 from Baida, March 9, that the Acting Foreign Minister had handed him the note. (Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15–4 LIBYA–US)↩