413. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State1
497. Deptel 713, repeated information Cairo 1367.2 Re US-Egyptian relations. At audience in Riyad November 24 I gave substance reftel to King Saud Al Saud who replied:
If USG is able to change policy and heart of Nasser it would be great thing. Personally, I do not believe this possible. Even if Nasser may wish improve Egypt’s relations with US I do not think he himself will change. He may think he can play on both sides, and it may be he is trying show world and US he is able attract US to his side. His intention is probably to restore what he has lost, namely, good relations with US without compromising his basic policy. So much for analysis of Nasser’s intentions.
[Page 828]My personal counsel is this—and it being personal I cannot say for certain it will work—that you go ahead and try improve your relations with Egypt. This will show world your good intentions. But you must be cautious.
Might at least have good proof that Nasser really means to improve relations—that he really understands Communist threat to area—before you proceed too far.
Egypt’s latest action has been to send General Amer to Russia, perhaps to sign some secret agreement. This, as you have said, certainly does not indicate Egypt has changed; but at least let us try. If in steps you take to improve these relations you find he really has improved, it will be good for us all.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.74/11–2857. Secret. Received at 7:34 a.m., November 29. Repeated to Ankara, Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, and Damascus.↩
- Document 406.↩