111. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State1
1074. King Hussein summoned me to palace yesterday afternoon and during course lengthy audience, at which Foreign Minister Rifai present, reviewed current situation at level basic relations between US and Jordan. It is apparent recent developments have brought new thoughts and are causing reassessment of Jordan’s assets. This reappraisal [Page 165] I believe has been caused primarily by new realizations respecting Israel and a message to Hussein from King Saud.
His Majesty stated and subsequently reaffirmed that the line of action and policy which he has adopted would have been followed in any event perhaps with minor adjustments. He would have worked for Arab unity, he would have resisted Communism; he would have held off Egypt and Syria as he has done… .
. . . . . . .
He feels that within Jordan they have won through on the fight of attempted Communist subversion and are reaching point where they can carry the battle against Communism more into the area as a whole. To take stand he needed help which fortuitously forthcoming from the United States. To keep his position and to hold it and perhaps to move on into more anti-Communist influence in the Arab world Jordan needs to be made self-supporting and he requests assistance to that end. However in this respect he and his government are very concerned that they cannot count on any support for next year. It is not known whether the country can be kept afloat financially. He does hope that other countries including sister Arabs will be of assistance but he needs assurances on the United States share in the continuing struggle.
He said text operations with respect to US aid have been extremely difficult. He mentioned with unusual gravity that after all these months there was continual backing and filling and still was no decision on what kind of articles could be furnished. He said he was informed that US could let him have a T33 aircraft only at the price of $125,000 with delivery a year hence, this at a time when he had heard many of the same aircraft were being furnished to Saudi Arabia. He spoke in some bitterness of the obsolete Vampire jets of his Air Force which they are having trouble keeping in the air and the exposed position of Jordan when Israel has hundreds of operational aircraft. He said he was aware that respecting the need for more employment in Jordan and the difficult position of the budget that these matters were under study. He was grateful for the US assistance in the past and assumed that it would continue. He said great stress however must be put on the question of assurance for the future. He hopes that US relations with Jordan, which finds itself in the very key and difficult position in the East-West struggle, will be considered in the light of that position and not always with one eye directed toward what Israel may think. He felt the present position was such that we had to consider Jordan and its position by itself. He said, “Does the US trust and believe in Jordan or not?”
[Page 166]In summation His Majesty said that while current problems of budget and economic aid are important Jordan is at a new point and needs a definition of policy. The question is one of principle and he requests to be informed of the attitude of the US.
In a separate discussion with Foreign Minister Rifai it was evident that the problem of Israel is uppermost. Samir Pasha reviewed the need for economic help particularly in the employment field, the need for further military assistance not certainly on the Russian scale to Syria but adequate to permit the Jordan Army to stand strong in face of subversion and to protect its frontier, and finally the political problem, especially of Israel’s behavior. He felt that there had been strong reason to believe that Israel was fully responsive to US control, saying that the Israelis would not have left Gaza were this not true. They would not have withdrawn from Sinai were this not true. There have been many and adequate demonstrations in the past that when US wished for Israel to behave herself that the latter has done so. However of late the provocative acts against Jordan can only be construed in the realization that Israel wishes to exploit Jordan’s embattled position in the cold war for her selfish ends or that Israel may wish to pass from a cold war to a hot fight. The Foreign Minister said that regardless of what the issue may be any showdown with Israel would cause all Arabs to unite regardless of their other difficulties or rivalries. He felt that at a time when the US was trying to promote tranquility and the settlement of problems in the Near East that the recent attitude of Israel was anything but helpful and he hoped that she might be made to see reason by the US.
Comment: On questions of amount economic and military assistance appears desirable comment in subsequent message where effort will be made analyze current status. On question of basic American position and possible assurances to Jordan believe the observations and messages of the two pro-American Kings deserve prompt and careful examination.
It is desirable in my opinion furnish a clear-cut expression of US position. This would provide a basis for continuing cooperation even though our position may not fully coincide with Jordanian concept of desirable assurances.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.85/11–2257. Secret; Priority.↩