No. 1442
Editorial Note
On August 19, Ambassador Hare met at the Pentagon with a group of Air Force officers concerned with additional rights the military desired in Saudi Arabia. Two copies of a long, presumably verbatim, transcript of the meeting, entitled “Meeting on Saudi Arabia,” were transmitted to the Department of State by the Pentagon on August 27. (711.56386A/8–2752) A large part of the August 19 meeting consisted of an explanation by Ambassador Hare of the way negotiations had been carried on with the Saudi Arabian Government in the past, in particular when treaties had been signed. establishing the United States position at Dhahran Airfield. There was also a general discussion on additional rights the military wanted in Saudi Arabia, but no conclusions were reached on that topic.
[Page 2422]Another meeting was held at the Pentagon on August 22, in connection with the proposed transfer of Dhahran Airfield from the command jurisdiction of the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) to that of the United States Air Forces, Europe (USAFE). The meeting was attended by representatives of the Department of State, including Ambassador Hare, and representatives of the Air Force, including Lieutenant General Smith, Commander, MATS. The conclusion of the conference was that representatives of the Department of State concurred in the proposed change of jurisdiction, provided that there would be no outward signs of the change, and that the Air Force retain the principle of selectivity in assigning personnel. A memorandum of understanding of the meeting was prepared in the Department of State on August 29. (711.56386A/8–2852)