684A.85/2–553: Telegram
No. 556
The Ambassador in Jordan (Green) to the Department of State1
642. Prime Minister explained to me February 5, measures have been taken in recent weeks to curb infiltration into Israel. He believes that these measures are about as effective as they can be made.
It is probable that measures to prevent infiltration can be improved and the present effort of the Jordanian Government to improve them may reduce infiltration though in the nature of things it can not be expected that the government can entirely prevent it. In any case I am convinced that Government is acting in good faith and is neither encouraging or conniving at infiltration. My British colleague who has carefully studied the matter concurs with me in this opinion.
Prime Minister stated that he fears large-scale Israeli aggression. He said that he had deliberately refrained from invoking tripartite declaration as yet in the hope that US and UK pressure on Israel would be sufficient to oblige Israel to cease attacks such as have kept the borders in a ferment during these last weeks. He believes US influence paramount in Israel and he requested me to recommend that US make forceful representations to Israeli Government to put an end to present situation.
[Page 1117]I recommend that action be taken in accordance with Prime Minister’s request and that I be authorized to inform Prime Minister of any such action taken.
Prime Minister said that if US and UK were not able by next week to bring about a change in Israeli policy and if Israeli incursions continued he proposed to summon my British colleague, French Chargé d’Affaires and me and formally request action under tripartite declaration.
- Repeated to Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Paris, London, Baghdad, and Jidda.↩