42. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Jordan1
553. Embtel 477.2 FYI Difficult comment definitively because such factors as immaturity … Nuwar and uncertain strength of his position in Arab Army, extent and details USSR discussions with Jordan, power and influence remaining in hands King and Government, British intentions toward Jordan. End FYI.
You may your discretion comment along following lines if you feel it desirable to talk to Nuwar:
Our policies supporting political independence and territorial integrity NE states well known. Our leadership in UN actions aimed at bringing about cease fire, withdrawal of troops, and establishment UN emergency international police force Egypt are most recent proof of this. We strongly urging all NE states take no action which would jeopardize UN efforts (which supported by overwhelming majority nations of world), risk renewal or spread of active hostilities, and further threaten peace and stability of area and of world.
Recent brutal Soviet attempts extinguish national dignity and independent existence Hungarian people, which also condemned by vast majority UN members, demonstrate clearly motives behind current Soviet efforts increase communist influence over Arab states.
We appreciate Jordan’s need for outside assistance in maintaining its security forces and assuring its economic development. We feel Jordan should continue look to friendly countries with whom Jordan has had long-standing treaty arrangements for dependable assistance which has strengthened Jordan sovereignty. We aware difficulties presented to Jordan in maintaining traditional relationships in light present crisis, but hope UN efforts will reduce tension and avert hostilities. We recall provisions UNGA resolution November [Page 61] 2 calling on all members UN refrain from introducing military matériel into NE.3
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 634A.86/11–956. Top Secret. Drafted by Bergus and approved by Rountree who signed for Hoover.↩
- Supra.↩
- On November 2, the U.N. General Assembly adopted Resolution 997(ES–1) that included the following recommendation: “Recommends that all Member States refrain from introducing military goods in the area of hostilities and in general refrain from any acts which would delay or prevent the implementation of the present Resolution. “For full text of the resolution, see U.N. doc. A/3256. On November 14, Mallory informed the Department that Ali Abu Nuwar had again raised the question of the United States replacing Great Britain as the source of outside aid to Jordan. According to Nuwwar, the Soviet Union had offered assistance, but he did not wish to accept it. Mallory noted that he had conveyed the Department’s instructions as outlined in telegram 553 omitting the Department’s view that Jordan should look to countries with whom it has had “long-standing treaty arrangements.” In the Ambassador’s view, to have spoken along such lines “could only have earned disgust and the conviction that Jordan must accept other help.” It was difficult, Mallory conceded, to grasp the degree to which public opinion had turned against the United Kingdom. (Telegram 487 from Amman; Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/11–1456)↩