Office of the Historian

130. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Morocco0

Washington, February 9, 1962, 1:34 p.m.

1152. Dept’s reply to NSAM 1211 (copy by pouch) reviewed principal changes in situation RMAF since Sept, noting possible imminent acceptance heavy Soviet equipment and technicians (Embtel 1268).2 Concluded by recommending we:

(1)
hear again from Balafrej, once he has talked to King. Presuming he will reaffirm his previous statements we should
(2)
instruct Ambassador Bonsal to insist on an audience with King, explain we consider our assistance to Morocco over past year poorly rewarded by this simultaneous recourse to significant Soviet military aid and request his explanation.

Noted that while such competition (with Soviets) would create many problems we realize importance our other objectives in Morocco make it highly dangerous to abandon this field to Soviets and that continuing military assistance would hopefully exercise limiting effect on amount Soviet aid King might feel he needed to accept.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 771.5622/1-2762. Secret. Drafted by McClintic, cleared by Whitfield (DOD), and approved by Witman. Repeated to Madrid, Paris, CINCEUR, and CINCSAC for POLAD.↩
  2. The reply, a memorandum from Battle to Bundy, February 5, is ibid., S/S-NSC Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAMs.↩
  3. See footnote 1, Document 129.↩