774.5/11–1852
No. 1028
Memorandum for the Record by
Leighton A. Cain, Chief of the Reimbursable Aid Section, Office
of Military Assistance, Department of Defense
secret
Washington, November 18, 1952.
Subject:
- Meeting regarding Military Assistance to the Government of Egypt
- 1.
- A meeting was held this date between representatives of the
Department of State and the Department of Defense regarding
subject assistance. The discussion centered on two lists of
equipment which in the view of the Egyptian Government comprise
an overall list of military equipment desired by their Armed
Forces. The first list of equipment which has been pending since
March 1952 comprises items originally intended for three mobile
police divisions, operating in Alexandria and Cairo, but now
desired for the Egyptian Army. The equipment has previously been
allocated and earmarked by the Department of the Army for this
project. The Department of Defense has been awaiting
instructions from the Department of State concerning the release
of this equipment for sale to the Government of Egypt since
early September 1952. The second list comprises additional
equipment for the Egyptian Armed Forces and is contained in a
State Department Dispatch from Cairo dated 24 October 1952.1
This list is quite elaborate and extensive as to quantities and
types of equipment desired. With respect to the first list of
equipment the following actions will be taken:
- a.
- The Department of State is currently negotiating with the Egyptian Government the necessary agreement to enable the U.S. Government to make available the equipment on the original list to the Egyptian Army rather than to the police divisions.
- b.
- At the conclusion of the agreement the State Department will approve the original request as a reimbursable aid transaction and authorize the Department of Defense to negotiate directly with the foreign government concerned.
- c.
- Upon receipt of the approval of the Department of State the transaction will be approved by OMA and forwarded to the Department of the Army for necessary pricing and availability study and letter of offer to the military representatives of the Government of Egypt.
- d.
- Upon acceptance by the Egyptian Government of the terms and conditions in the letter of offer, and deposit of funds for the equipment desired, the Department of the Army will make prompt [Page 1885] shipment to the designated shipping agent of the Egyptian Government.
- 2.
- With respect to the second list of equipment an official request will be forwarded by the Department of State to the Secretary of Defense inclosing the list of equipment and requesting the views of the Department of Defense as to the desirability of supplying the equipment, what type of aid it should be, i.e., Grant or Reimbursable, data concerning the cost and availability of the equipment and other pertinent points which will be outlined in the aforementioned letter.
- 3.
- All agencies of the Department of Defense concerned with the aforementioned lists of equipment have been alerted.
Leighton A.
Cain
- Not printed. Under reference is despatch 754 from Cairo, Oct. 24. (774.56/102452)↩