United States Interest in the Question of Military and Economic Assistance to Saudi Arabia; Renewal of United States Tenancy at the Dhahran Airfield; Interest of the United States in Negotiations Between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia Regarding the Buraimi Oasis Dispute; Visit of King Saud to the United States in February 1957 1
1. For previous documentation, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. ix, Part 2, pp. 2409 ff.
194. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.022/11–3055. Secret. Drafted by Newsom and approved by Hoover. Repeated to London and Dhahran.
195. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.86A/11–3055. Secret. Drafted by Newsom and approved by Allen. Pouched to London.
196. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.86A/12–1355. Secret; Priority. Repeated to London.
197. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.4111/12–755. Confidential. Repeated to Jidda. Drafted by Rountree and Newsom and approved and signed by Dulles. In telegram 2461, December 14, Walworth Barbour informed the Department that telegram 3315 arrived after Macmillan’s departure for the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council held in Paris, December 15–17. Barbour noted that he was forwarding the message to Sir Ivone A. Kirkpatrick, Permanent Under–Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and a copy to Evelyn Shuckburgh, an Assistant Under–Secretary of State. (Ibid., 780.022/12–1455)
198. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.022/12–1355. Confidential. Drafted by Newsom and approved and signed by Dulles. Repeated to London. According to Wadsworth, in an audience with Faisal on December 24, the Prince asked the Ambassador about new developments in the Buraimi matter. Wadsworth replied by reading the Secretary’s message to the King. (Telegram 280, December 24; ibid., 786A.11/12–2455)
199. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State (Hoover) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 786A.00/12–2055. Secret.
200. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.022/12–2355. Secret. Drafted by Newsom and Wilkins and approved and signed by Dulles. Repeated to Jidda. On December 21, forwarding the draft telegram to Hoover and Dulles for approval, Allen noted that it was intended to “press the British gently” into taking some action on Buraimi. Although the British did not seem to be willing to resume arbitration, Allen noted, they might consider the prospect of direct talks with the Saudis a better alternative than “acrimonious Security Council consideration.” (Ibid., 780.022/12–2155)
On December 22, in a note to the Secretary attached to Allen’s December 21 memorandum to Dulles, Gilman of the Executive Secretariat transmitted Hoover’s suggested modifications and additions to the proposed telegram to London. According to Gilman, Hoover recommended that the Department emphasize to the British that the United States was not committed to support the United Kingdom in the Security Council. Hoover further recommended that the United States make the British aware of President Truman’s letter to Ibn Saud of October 31, 1950. On December 23, in a note to Dulles, also attached to Allen’s December 21 memorandum, Allen noted that the British would no doubt point out that at the time the Truman letter was written, Saudi Arabia was not in control of Buraimi. Saudi troops had entered the area only in August 1952 and were ejected by the British in October 1955. Allen questioned whether the Truman letter would be useful in this regard. For text of the Truman letter, see Foreign Relations, 1950, vol. V, p. 1190.
201. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.86A/12–1355. Secret. Drafted by Newsom and approved by Allen. Sent to Dhahran and repeated to London.
202. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.022/12–2955. Secret. Repeated to Jidda.
203. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Allen) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.00/1–456. Secret. Drafted by Newsom on December 22, 1955; sent through Hoover and S/S.
204. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 986A.712/1–756. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Amman, Damascus, and London.
205. Letter From Prime Minister Eden to President Eisenhower
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Top Secret. On January 16 Ambassador Makins conveyed Eden’s message to the White House under cover of a note indicating that it was based on the “latest secret information.” (Ibid.) On January 19, in a memorandum to Dulles, Allen transmitted a proposed memorandum to the President and a possible reply to Eden’s message, which, according to Allen, would indicate “our awareness of the problem, our willingness to discuss it further with the British Prime Minister, and our belief that it may well be essential that Western influence in Saudi Arabia be strengthened if we are to have any success in persuading the Saudis to use their money for better purposes.” A handwritten notation on the Allen memorandum by William Macomber reads as follows: “Sec. has decided that no reply is necessary. WM” The proposed memorandum to the President was not attached. (Department of State, Central Files, 780.001/1–1956) A copy of the proposed reply to Eden is attached as Tab F to a memorandum of January 26 from Barnes to Dulles. (Ibid., 611.41/1–2656)
206. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Allen) to the Under Secretary of State (Hoover)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.022/1–1756. Confidential.
207. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 19, 1956
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.022/1–1956. Secret. Drafted by Wilkins.
209. Message From British Foreign Secretary Lloyd to Secretary of State Dulles
Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204, UK officials corres. with Secy. Dulles/Herter 7/54 thru 3/57 Vol. I incoming. Top Secret. Ambassador Makins conveyed the message to the Department on January 23. A notation on Makins’ covering letter indicated that it was shown to the Secretary that day. An additional chit, dated February 1, from H.G. Appling of the Executive Secretariat, indicated that Allen and MacArthur agreed that no action was required beyond discussion with Eden. (Ibid.)
211. Letter From the Ambassador in Saudi Arabia (Wadsworth) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Allen)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.86A/1–2656. Secret; Personal and Official.
212. Memorandum of a Conversation, White House, Washington, January 30, 1956, 2:15–4 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 648. Secret. Drafted on February 7. No other drafting information is given on the source text. Prime Minister Eden visited Washington January 30–February 3.
213. Memorandum of a Conversation, White House, Washington, January 30, 1956, 4 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 648. Secret. Drafted on February 7. No other drafting information is given on the source text.
214. Memorandum of a Conversation, Cabinet Room, White House, Washington, January 31, 1956, 2:40 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Secret. Drafted on February 7 but no other drafting information is given on the source text. The record of the President’s Daily Appointments, 1956, indicates that the President did not join the meeting until 3:52 p.m. The Daily Appointment Record also indicates that Gordon Gray and Carl W. McCardle were also present at this time. (Ibid.) According to a note on the source text, the memorandum of conversation, cleared at the Assistant Secretary of State level only, was being given restricted circulation to appropriate U.S. officials on a need–to–know basis.
215. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 2, 1956
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.022/2–256. Confidential. Drafted by Newsom.
216. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 3, 1956
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.022/2–356. Secret. Drafted by Wilkins.
217. Memorandum for the Record, by the Under Secretary of State (Hoover)
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Israeli Relations 1951–1957. Secret; Personal and Private. In a covering letter dated February 21, Hoover wrote to Dulles:
“In the attached Memorandum for the Record you will find the story of our troubles with the Saudi Arabian tanks.
“It probably was inevitable that the subject would break into the open eventually, but I think we have come out of it reasonably well. It is becoming more obvious all the time that we will have to sell the Israelis some defensive arms in the near future, but it can be held off at least until Bob Anderson completes his mission.
“I hope you are good and strong, after your vacation, for the Under Secretary feels a little beaten up!”
A marginal notation by Macomber indicates that the Secretary saw Hoover’s letter.
218. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Gray) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Murphy)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.56386A/3–356. Top Secret.
219. Instruction From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Posts
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.80/3–756. Confidential. Drafted by Newsom and approved by Burdett. Sent to Aden, Amman, Baghdad, Basra, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Dhahran, Jerusalem, Jidda, Kuwait, and London.
220. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 786.00/3–956. Top Secret. Drafted by Newsom and approved by Rountree. Repeated to Baghdad and London.
222. Memorandum of a Conversation, Jidda, April 2, 1956
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.86A/4–256. Secret. Drafted by Wadsworth.
223. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 10, 1956
Source: Department of State, NEA/ARP Files: Lot 70 D 148, DAF Negotiations 1956. Secret. Drafted by Newsom on April 12.