Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Near East Region; Iraq; Iran; Arabian Peninsula, Volume XII

75. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Turkey⁰

Washington, September 29, 1959, 8:10 p.m.

1001. CENTO. Following are US objectives at forthcoming CENTO Council session:¹

1. To infuse, as necessary, an appreciation of continuing need for CENTO and benefits regional states derive from it.

2. To persuade CENTO members—particularly Iran—of our continuing strong support of CENTO and its objectives.

3. To reassure regional states Eisenhower–Khrushchev exchange of visits² does not alter US policy re CENTO.

4. To impress upon regional states that US military and economic aid programs have been generous, are soundly based and materially enhance their defense capabilities and their healthy economic development.

5. As corollary, to impress on regional states that limited appropriations make it impossible increase MAP programs and that US and its partners in MSP will have to produce more for less money in immediate period ahead.

6. To exchange views freely and frankly on current ME problems, yet avoid any commitment to a common policy.

7. To impress upon Pakistan and Iran in particular that we are not prepared to write off Afghanistan and Iraq as Soviet satellites and to urge them, as appropriate, to take constructive action to improve their relations with these states and with other free world neighbors.

8. To dissuade discreetly regional states from undertaking CENTO activities inconsistent with US global and area-wide interests and to keep CENTO militarily and publicly out of existing intra-area disputes.

9. Since Iran is a key in CENTO situation, particular attention should be focused on stiffening Iranian morale through all reasonable means.

Be guided by foregoing in any discussion of specific issues likely arise at CENTO session.

Herter

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–WA/9–2959. Secret. Drafted by Eilts; cleared by Jones and Wright; cleared in draft by Herter, Reinhardt, Owen Jones, Moffet, and Bartlett; and approved by Murphy. Sent also to Karachi, London, and Tehran and repeated to Baghdad, Kabul, and New Delhi.
1. October 6–7 in Washington.
2. Khrushchev visited the United States September 15–27; Eisenhower did not visit the Soviet Union.