Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, The Near and Middle East, Volume IX, Part 2

786A.11/6–1553

No. 1517
President Eisenhower to King Ibn Saud¹

secret

Washington, June 15, 1953.

Your Majesty: I was very pleased to receive your cordial letter of May nineteenth² delivered by Mr. John Foster Dulles upon his return to this country. Mr. Dulles has reported to me on his visit to you, and I am glad that he had the opportunity for an exchange of views on the relations between our two countries.

Your Majesty has justifiably established a reputation for being a loyal friend in times of adversity as well as in days of happiness and well being. Our countries have stood together in time of war and we are now making common cause against the evil and godless forces of communism which threaten the world. I have looked upon our friendship as one solidly based upon mutual confidence and respect, and almost immediately upon taking office I had the good fortune to receive a visit from your son, His Royal Highness Prince Faisal. I took advantage of his courteous call to express publicly my determination that the relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia and the other Arab countries should be improved and that I would strive toward that improvement. Furthermore, I confirmed the assurances made to Your Majesty by President Truman in his letter of October 31, 1950,³ and you may be certain that the United States Government will continue to act in accordance with these assurances.

I was therefore greatly concerned to learn from Mr. Dulles that Your Majesty felt the United States Government had not adequately supported Saudi Arabia during the recent difficulties with the British Government over the matter of Buraimi.⁴ I have in mind your statement to Mr. Dulles that, if Saudi Arabia and the United States are good friends, as they most certainly are, each should tell the other when he believes him to be wrong and each should support the other when he believes him to be right. I concur fully in this view.

Upon assuming office, it became my duty and that of the Secretary of State to review the whole Buraimi matter before formulating our policy. This was done with great care, and our independent research into the matter led us to the conviction that there were three honestly held claims to the Buraimi area: the claim of Your Majesty and those of the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi and the Sultan of Muscat and Oman. Having in mind the fact that border disputes have been traditionally settled by arbitration in cases where the United States has been involved with its neighbors, my Government adopted the view that the Buraimi problem might properly be settled through impartial arbitration which would, of course, include all relevant fact-finding and investigation on the spot. This procedure was supported in complete good faith and in the firm belief that it would be acceptable to Your Majesty as an honorable and equitable method of solution. While making known to the Saudi Arabian Government our views on this matter, we have not failed to impress upon the British Government our strong feelings that a conciliatory and fair-minded approach is of paramount importance.

It is therefore gratifying for me to know that Your Majesty has agreed in principle with the British Government for settlement of the Buraimi issue through impartial arbitration and that you and Sir Winston Churchill are close to agreement on the terms of reference for the arbitral body.

I feel confident that, upon careful review of the facts, Your Majesty will conclude that the United States has not failed in its duties as a true friend of Saudi Arabia.

I am grateful that Your Majesty spoke frankly with Mr. Dulles concerning our relations and means whereby they may be strengthened. I am sure Your Majesty will likewise desire that I express my own views to you in the same spirit of frankness. You and I are both old soldiers, and I believe that we shall understand each other fully. Our personal relationship should be a close one so that when something troubles one of us he will write fully to the other in the knowledge that there can never be a problem between us which cannot be solved by prompt and friendly consultation.

I pray God that He may have Your Majesty in His safekeeping, and that you may be preserved many years for the welfare and happiness of your country.

Sincerely,

Dwight D. Eisenhower

1. The source text was attached to a June 12 memorandum by the Secretary of State to the President, not printed. see the editorial note, supra. Telegram 681 to Jidda, June 18, not printed, transmitted a copy of the letter to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia for delivery to the King. (611.86A/6–1053)
2. Not printed, but see the editorial note, supra.
3. For the text of the letter, see Foreign Relations, 1950, vol. V, p. 1190.
4. In telegram 231 from Dhahran, May 19, not printed. (Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 156)