Office of the Historian

372. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (G. Lewis Jones) to the Officer in Charge of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs (Owen Jones) and the Director of the Office of South Asian Affairs (Bartlett)1

Washington, October 12, 1959.

Sidewinders

After saying goodbye to Prime Minister Eghbal, I rode back with Mr. Dillon, who asked me what was the status of the sidewinders. I told him about Ambassador Bunker’s telegram2 which, although negative to sidewinders, would admit that if there were larger considerations U.S.-Indian relations could probably stand the shock of providing sidewinders to Pakistan and Iran. Mr. Dillon said this was as much as anybody could expect: the last time India had given a flat “no”. Mr. Dillon said that he was seeing Jack Irwin later today and that he would tell him that our position was now no longer wholly negative, i.e., there should be written into the program the possibility of providing sidewinders to Iran and Pakistan.

Mr. Dillon showed that he clearly understood the importance of F–86s conformed to take sidewinders. He said that F–86s can now be procured from “excess” and that a squadron of these “only cost about $2,000,000.” He reminded me of Mr. Wailes’ recommendation that the new aircraft be flown to Tehran by ones and twos and as early as possible. Mr. Dillon said that he would push for this.

Note: I told Mr. Dillon about Ambassador Bunker’s “thinkpiece”. Mr. Dillon said he had read it with care and that it was “an excellent telegram”. From this I judge that we can consider this to be fairly close to “doctrine”.3

[Here follows discussion of developments relating to Afghanistan.]

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 790D.5612/10–1259. Secret.↩
  2. See footnote 5, supra.↩
  3. In telegram 1113 to Karachi, November 13, also sent to London, New Delhi, and Tehran, the Department requested the Embassies to submit their recommendations as to the timing of the announcement that the United States would be supplying Sidewinders to Pakistan and Iran. (Department of State, Central Files, 788.5-MSP/11-1259)

    In telegram 1164 from Karachi, November 16, Ambassador Rountree recommended that Pakistan be informed of the U.S. decision to supply it with Sidewinders prior to the President’s upcoming visit to Karachi. (Ibid., 790D.5612/11–1659)

    In telegram 1815 from New Delhi, November 18, the Embassy recommended that the notification of Pakistan regarding the Sidewinders be deferred until late January to give “maximum opportunity for improved climate of Indo-Pakistan relations to develop.” (Ibid., 790D.5612/11–1859)

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