Office of the Historian

223. Memorandum From Edward Fried of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow)1

Washington, November 29, 1968.

SUBJECT

  • U.S.-Spanish Bases Agreement

At an IRG/EUR meeting held November 262 General Bane of the Joint Staff gave a rundown on General Wheeler’s November 18-20 talks in Madrid with General Navarro, Chief of Staff of the Spanish Air Force. A copy of the agreed minute on the talks is at Tab A.3

General Bane stressed the following points:

  • —The Spanish military is insisting on the creation of a joint U.S.-Spanish Military planning body which would plan joint exercises, joint utilization of the bases, and mutual defense.
  • —The Spanish want us to give them tactical nuclear weapons training to the same extent that we provide such training for our NATO allies.

  • —General Wheeler believes the negotiations are going to be very tough, and thinks that it is going to cost us another $100 million to get a renewal agreement. (Before the Spanish invoked Article V last September, they were asking for $690 million for the 5-year renewal; our top offer was $140 million.)

    General Wheeler has designated General Burchinal as his representative for the next round of military talks with the Spanish, to be held in Madrid December 4. This meeting will be limited to an examination of and preparation of a report on:

  • —The threats which could affect either country, jointly or singly.

  • —The appropriate tasks and missions which the U.S. and Spain should undertake, bilaterally or unilaterally, to meet these threats.

    DOD is now preparing guidance on these subjects for General Burchinal.

Ed Fried 4
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Spain, Vol. 1. Confidential.↩
  2. No record of the meeting was found.↩
  3. Not found.↩
  4. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩