497. Telegram From the Mission at the United Nations to the Department of State1
Delga 7. For Hoover from Lodge. Re Palestine. Following telecon with Acting Secretary2 I inquired immediately of SYG Hammarskjold how he envisaged UN command if (1) British and French had landed in Egypt before UN forces had arrived, and (2) if Egypt refused to accept presence of UN forces.
Hammarskjold said at once that in first place establishment of UN force was conditional upon coming into existence of all terms of GA resolution of 2 November,3 calling for cease-fire, withdrawal of forces and halting of military movements.
He said it was clear that UN force could not be sent into Egypt without Egypt’s agreement. He said we cannot as UN “occupy” Egyptian territory.
On the other hand, he did not feel that Israeli acceptance of UN forces in Egypt was necessary since UN forces would not be on Israeli territory.
[Page 982]If, Hammarskjold said, UK-French forces landed in Egypt before UN command was even established, it would be an entirely new situation which would require new consideration. If UK-French forces landed after establishment of UN command but before arrival of UN forces, UN forces could not be introduced until UK and French forces had withdrawn. And it would be out of question for UN command and forces to provide UN umbrella for presence of UK and French forces.
Hammarskjold said, however, that it was desirable nevertheless even if UK and French forces landed before arrival of UN forces for UN command to have already been established. Problem then would be to get UK and French forces to withdraw and UN forces to take their place.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.5780/11–556. Secret; Niact. Received at 1:18 a.m.↩
- No account of this conversation has been found in Department of State files.↩
- General Assembly Resolution 997 (ES–I). For text, see Document 467.↩