Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–5, Part 2, Documents on North Africa, 1969–1972

137. National Security Decision Memorandum 200¹ ²

Washington, January 5, 1973

TO:

• The Secretary of State
• The Secretary of Defense
• The Director of Central Intelligence

SUBJECT:

• Policy Toward Morocco, NSSM 160

National Security Decision Memorandum No. 200

Following the meeting of the Senior Review Group on Policy Toward Morocco November 30, 1972, the President has decided that the following views should guide our course of action in the coming months:

• —Our ties with Morocco are of sufficient importance that we should be responsive to Moroccan requests that we reduce our presence at the communications facilities if this is needed to preserve our overall relationship. To this end, we should engage in negotiations with the Moroccan government at an early date concerning our continued use of communications and base facilities.
• —We will continue to deal with the King as the focal point of authority and should take some steps to reassure him of continued U.S. support.
• —In addition to reducing our presence and profile at the communications facilities we should make contingency preparations for transferring some communications activities outside of Morocco as early as possible.

Henry A. Kissinger

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H-237, National Security Decision Memoranda, NSDM 200. Secret.
2. Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Kissinger forwarded President Nixon’s approval of the conclusions reached at the Senior Review Group meeting on Policy Toward Morocco.