Office of the Historian

306. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia0

Washington, March 3, 1958, 8:18 p.m.

1195. Embtel 833.1 You are requested deliver orally, if you can do so on completely secure basis and without occasioning undue notice, following message either directly to King or to Tubaishi.

Tubaishi’s message has been delivered Washington which appreciates confidence King has demonstrated. We assume project King refers to now in progress [1-1/2 lines of source text not declassified]. While we not satisfied current situation in Syria, such information as is available to us indicates little organized opposition to present Syrian development at this time. [5-1/2 lines of source text not declassified]2

3In telegram 2471 from Damascus, March 3, Consul General Yost expressed “serious doubts bona fides” of the Syrian plot [less than 1 line of source text not declassified]. Yost feared that the plot was a provocation to discredit Saud. (Ibid., 786.00/3–358)

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 786. A.11/3–358. Top Secret; Eyes Only Ambassador. Drafted by Newsom, cleared by Rountree, and approved by Dulles.↩

  2. According to telegram 833, March 3, Saudi Keeper of the Privy Purse Tubaishi drew Ambassador Heath aside after an audience between Heath and King Saud on March 3 and told him on the King’s instructions that “a successful military revolution would take place within a few days in Syria, [2 lines of source text not declassified].” The King asked that this information be conveyed to the Secretary of State and President and hoped for a response from Washington within the shortest possible time. (Ibid.)

    [text not declassified]

    ↩
  3. In telegram 838 from Jidda, March 4, Heath reported that he passed the substance of telegram 1195 to Jidda to Tubaishi, who stated that Saud was convinced the revolution would succeed [text not declassified]. (Ibid., 786.00/3–458)↩