Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, South and Southeast Asia, Volume XV

105. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Under Secretary of State (Herter)¹

Washington , June 9, 1958 .

SUBJECT

• Attached Paper on the Threat of USSR Aviation Penetration in Afghanistan and Adjacent Areas²

Background

According to information we have been receiving from our Embassy in Kabul, it is apparent that the Soviets are making a strong bid to dominate the civil aviation field in Afghanistan. Up to the present time the U.S. has held a pre-eminent position in this field. Furthermore, the Soviet threat has far-reaching implications, not only for Afghanistan but for all of South Asia and the Middle and Far East.

This subject was discussed at the Board meeting on June 4, 1958,³ at which time the Board requested more specific information as well as possible U.S. lines of action to counter the current Soviet maneuvers. The attached paper, which has the approval of the South Asian working group of the Board together with that of specialists in aviation matters from the Department, ICA, and CIA, is in response to this request.

Salient Features

The paper stresses that the Soviet offers to Afghanistan present a difficult problem for the U.S. In the first instance they threaten the future economic viability of Ariana, the ICA-sponsored Afghan national airline which is a major instrument of the U.S. objective of strengthening Afghanistan’s ties with the free world. Secondly, and of graver implication for U.S. security and political objectives, there is a possibility of the establishment of a Soviet-sponsored second Afghan airline. Such an airline would present the Soviets with an opportunity for a major break-through in aviation penetration through the exploitation of air agreements negotiated or to be negotiated by Afghanistan with Middle East, South Asian, and Far East countries. In effect such an airline would permit the Russians, flying under the guise of an Afghan flag carrier, to penetrate these areas.

Concurrences: AV, ICA.

Possible OCB Discussion: The South Asia working group of the Board has reached agreement on all substantive points raised in the attached paper.

Recommendations

1. That you move that the Board concur that United States foreign policy objectives are threatened by the current Soviet attempt to dominate civil aviation in Afghanistan.

2. That you move that the Board request Mr. Dillon in his capacity as co-ordinator for Mutual Security affairs to examine the possibility of allocating FY 1959 funds to strengthen the U.S. aviation project in Afghanistan to meet the Soviet threat.⁴

1. Source: Department of State, S/S–OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430, Afghanistan. Secret. Drafted by Dudley C. Bostwick and Leon B. Poullada of SOA on June 6 and cleared with E/AV and W/MSC.
2. Not printed.
3. Records of the OCB meeting of June 4 and other OCB meetings are in Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430, Preliminary Notes.

4. On June 18, the OCB again discussed the Afghan aviation problem. Karl G. Harr, Jr., summarized the lengthy discussion in a June 24 memorandum to Sherman Adams:

   “The ultimate sense of the Board was that, whereas we should adopt a positive attitude toward the continuation of the effective U.S. (Pan Am)-Afghan cooperation through Ariana, and should strive to improve the regional and local efficiency of that airline, it was premature for two reasons to proceed into the Moscow–Kabul and beyond service: (1) because facilities necessary therefor were not practicable for some time to come; (2) because the U.S. could not consider such a service unless and until the Afghans succeeded in modifying their agreement with the Soviets to permit the use of air crews of nationalities other than Afghan or Soviet.” (Eisenhower Library, Staff Secretary Records)