Near East, 1962–1963


361. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Posts

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL-26 IRAQ. Secret. Drafted by Killgore, cleared by Davies, and approved by Jernegan. Sent to Baghdad, Amman, Jerusalem, Beirut, Tel Aviv, Cairo, Alexandria, Damascus, Aleppo, Jidda, Taiz, Dhahran, Athens, Nicosia, Tehran, Ankara, Istanbul, Bonn, London, Paris, Rome, Moscow, and Kuwait.


362. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations

Source: Department of State, Central Files, REF PAL. Confidential. Drafted by Buffum, Campbell, and Sisco; cleared by Talbot and Jernegan; and approved by Cleveland. Sent to Tel Aviv and repeated to Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Ankara, London, and Paris.


363. Memorandum From the Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (Quinn) to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 69 A 3131, Iraq 1963. Secret.


364. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Talbot) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, NEA/IAI Files: Lot 70 D 229, POL-22 Incidents, Disputes, Arab-Israeli Dispute. Secret. Drafted by Crawford on November 16 and cleared by Jernegan and Davies.


365. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Palestine, Refugees, Vol. II. Secret. An undated note filed with the source text reads: “Secretary Rusk is coming to see the President at 4:30 on Arab-Israeli Resolution in the UN. Mr. Komer thinks it would be a good idea for you to give his memo to the President before that time.” The note is marked in Bundy’s hand: “P[resident] saw.” President Kennedy’s Appointment Book indicates that he met with Rusk and Talbot between 4:30 and 5 p.m. on November 19. (Ibid.)


366. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Arab Republic

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 US-UAR. Secret. Drafted by Jones on November 19; cleared by Buffum, Seelye, Killgore, Davies, and Jernegan; and approved by Talbot. Repeated to Jidda, London, Taiz, Amman, and USUN.


367. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Posts

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 3 PAL/UN. Confidential. Drafted by Killgore; cleared by Sisco, Davies, and Lubkeman; and approved by Jernegan. Sent to USUN, Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Jidda, Kuwait, Taiz, Tel Aviv, Ankara, London, and Paris.


368. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Israel, 11/18/63–1/30/64. Secret. Drafted by Komer.


369. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Department of State, Special Group, Counterinsurgency Files: Lot 68 D 451. Secret. Drafted by Dingeman. This memorandum was sent to members of the Special Group under cover of a November 29 memorandum. (Ibid.)


370. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Posts

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 IRAQ. Confidential. Drafted by Killgore on November 20, cleared by Davies, and approved by Jernegan. Sent to Baghdad, Amman, Beirut, Tel Aviv, Cairo, Damascus, Jidda, Taiz, Athens, Nicosia, Tehran, Ankara, Bonn, London, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Kuwait, Jerusalem, Alexandria, Aleppo, Dhahran, and Istanbul.


371. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Talbot) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 NR EAST-US. Secret. Drafted by Talbot and Davies. A handwritten note on the source text indicates Secretary Rusk saw the memorandum. The two major sections of this memorandum were originally prepared as separate memoranda from Talbot to Rusk, both dated November 23 and both bearing indications that Rusk saw them. (Ibid.)


372. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 YEMEN. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Dhahran, London, USUN, Cairo, and Taiz.


373. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 26 YEMEN. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Seelye on November 27; cleared by Davies, Colonel Robinson, Sisco, Komer, Colonel Bunte, Quinn, and Christensen; and approved by Jernegan. Also sent to Cairo, Taiz, London, and USUN.


374. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Job 80 B 01285A, Box 2, DCI Files, DCI (McCone) Memo for the Record, Meetings with the President. Top Secret. Drafted by McCone on December 3.


375. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Solbert) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Taylor)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 69 A 3131, Near East, 1963. Secret.


376. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Name File, Komer Memos, Vol. 2. Secret.


377. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Name File, Komer Memos, Vol. 2. Secret.


378. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 YEMEN. Confidential. Drafted by Seelye, cleared by Davies and Judd, and approved by Jernegan. Repeated to Cairo, Jidda, Taiz, Dhahran, Aden, and USUN.


379. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Talbot) to the Ambassador to the United Arab Republic (Badeau)

Source: Department of State, NEA/NE Files: Lot 66 D 218, UAR, AID 1. Secret; Official-Informal. Drafted by Dickman on November 29 and cleared in draft by Davies, Gaud, and in substance by Williams and Phillips.


380. Special National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Department of State, S/P Files: Lot 70 D 199, Near and Middle East. Secret; Controlled Dissem. According to a note on the cover sheet: “The following intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of this estimate: The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, Defense, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, AEC, and NSA.” All members of the U.S. Intelligence Board concurred in this estimate on April 17, except the Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who abstained because the subject was outside his jurisdiction.

A December 10 memorandum from Komer to Bundy indicates that Komer requested that this estimate be written “as basis for our responding to Israelis that we do not see UAR rocket development as posing threat Israelis claimed.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Central Files, Vol. 2) The memorandum is in the Supplement, the compilation on the Arab-Israeli dispute.


381. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 NR EAST. Confidential. Drafted by Blackiston on December 9 and approved in M on December 30.


382. Memorandum on the Substance of Discussion at the Department of State-Joint Chiefs of Staff Meeting

Source: Department of State, State-JCS Meetings: Lot 70 D 199. Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text, which bears a typed note that it is a Department of State draft not cleared with the Department of Defense. The meeting was held at the Pentagon.


383. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 69 A 3131, Near East, 1963. Secret.


384. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 33–1 ISR-JORDAN. Confidential; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Crawford, cleared by Campbell and Symmes, and approved by Jernegan. Repeated to Amman and by pouch to Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, London, Jerusalem, and USUN.


385. Paper Prepared in the Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 YEMEN. Secret. Jernegan transmitted this paper to Rusk on December 10 together with a draft letter from President Johnson to Crown Prince Faysal and a recommendation that both be sent to President Johnson. Jernegan noted that the Department of Defense reserved its position on the paper because of a question concerning the composition of Hard Surface, if it were to be continued. Sisco, Padelford, Symmes, and Robinson concurred in the paper. (Ibid.) The paper printed here and the draft letter to Faysal were sent to the White House under cover of a memorandum from Rusk to the President. In it, Rusk stated that the paper represented the consensus of the NSC Standing Group at its December 6 meeting, and that the report and the letter were drafted in consultation with a member of the White House staff. Records of the Standing Group meeting are ibid., S/S-NSC Files: Lot 70 D 265.

McGeorge Bundy and Komer forwarded Rusk’s memorandum and its attachments to President Johnson on December 11, under cover of a memorandum that reads in part: “We face a minor crisis over Yemen shortly, because UAR failure to withdraw enough troops from Yemen will probably lead to the demise of the UN observer force. The Saudis did carry out their engagement not to supply the royalist side, so now want us to come down on their side. But we doubt that further US pressure would get Nasser to play ball; more likely it would have the opposite effect. So State recommends that we keep trying to make disengagement work, keep the Saudis and UAR apart, and promote a compromise regime in Yemen acceptable to both. As an incentive to Faysal not to resume aid to the royalists, we’d agree to keep our small jet fighter force there for another month or so.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Aides File, Bundy, Chron Dec. 63)


386. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Talbot) to Acting Secretary of State Ball

Source: Department of State, Central Files, PET 3 OPEC. Confidential. Drafted by Blackiston and cleared by Ensor (FSE).


387. Memorandum From William R. Polk of the Policy Planning Council to the Counselor and Chairman of the Policy Planning Council (Rostow)

Source: Department of State, S/P Files: Lot 70 D 199, William K. Polk Chron. Secret.


388. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 YEMEN/UN. Secret. Drafted by Campbell on December 12; cleared by Davies, Seelye, Barrett (in substance), Buffum, and Jernegan; and approved by Sisco. Repeated to Cairo, Jidda, London, Taiz, Ottawa, and CINCSTRIKE.


389. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL SAUD-US. Secret. Drafted by Komer and Seelye; cleared by Davies, Jernegan, Baldwin, and McGeorge Bundy; and approved by Talbot.


390. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 YEMEN. Secret. Drafted by Lampson and approved in S on January 3, 1964. The meeting was held at the British Foreign Office. The source text is labeled “Part VI of XIII.” Secretary Rusk was returning from Paris, where he attended the Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council.