186. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Jordan 1

521. Deptels 516 and 518; Embtel 527.2 FYI After extended negotiations Barbour and Komer late Wednesday night reached agreement with Israelis that was prerequisite to our completing Memorandum of Understanding with King Hussein. Package includes Israeli assurances against being first in area to go nuclear, Israeli agreement to acquiesce in US arms sales to Jordan, renewed US assurances of opposition to aggression in the area, and US agreement to sell Israel on favorable credit terms military equipment in quantities and kinds comparable to US sales to Jordan, plus “less than twenty-four” aircraft after 1966 if Israel unable obtain them from Western European sources. US would also stand ready to complete unfinished portion of German-Israeli tank deal of 1964. End FYI.

You are authorized to present approved draft of Memorandum of Understanding (Deptel 516) to King, explaining changes described Deptel 518. Although you would expect King to find draft acceptable in view of earlier careful negotiation of understanding, he should know that you instructed to refer to Washington any changes that may be proposed. You have authority to sign Memorandum of Understanding in present form.

If, as foreshadowed in your recent talk, King asks what are USG intentions with respect to any military sales or assistance to Israel, you should remind him that he and Khammash had earlier told you and Talbot that Jordan could live with US military sales to Israel provided they not disproportionate. You should say that during Harriman mission and since then USG has been making strong efforts to restrain Israel through a most difficult period. Harriman was successful to some degree in reassuring Israelis as to continued US interest in their integrity and security and US determination to use its influence for peaceful resolution area problems. We believe that likelihood of a preemptive military strike by Israel has been substantially reduced.

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King knows well that US desires to give maximum support to Hussein’s regime, yet traditional US policy has been not to become a major supplier of armaments to either side of the Arab-Israel dispute. This latter position has been part and parcel of our policy of balance in the Arab-Israel context. This dilemma has been difficult for us to resolve. While we have not considered the US has a right to regulate the balance of arms in the Near East, we do have a legitimate concern in preventing development of a significant military imbalance that would be a major threat to peace because of overconfidence or desperation of one side or another.

As we are prepared to make an exception to our policy in the case of Jordan, we want the King to know that this may involve comparable sales to Israel. Such sales would generally conform in quantity and type to what USG is prepared to sell to Jordan.

We plan to inform certain other Arab governments of the purpose and substance of the Harriman talks in Israel and of the possibility US may make limited arms sales to Israel. Our purpose will be to allay concern and suspicion by explaining frankly reasons for decision.

On aircraft, you may assure the King that we have encouraged Israel to look to traditional sources of supply. In conformity with our position on question of aircraft for Jordan, we would also tell Israel that if it is unable to meet its requirement in Europe we would consider direct sale of a few aircraft (about the same number as Jordan is asking). As King knows, we have not discussed possible sale of F–104 series aircraft with Israel and do not plan to do so. Unless Soviet bloc provides more and higher performance aircraft to Arabs sufficient to change strategic situation, we will not change our position during life of this agreement.

In the course of your negotiations you should make clear that Israel would react sharply to positioning of Jordan armor on West Bank. Recalling previous discussions of this problem with Messrs. Talbot and Solbert, you should note our expectation that Hussein’s asserted policy of not exposing his armor by deployment on West Bank under normal peace-time conditions would be continued.

We hope to minimize publicity on these arrangements. If the King should feel need for domestic purposes to note purchases of new equipment, we would like to coordinate approaches.

You should also note continuing US interest in Jordan’s security as made explicit by both President Kennedy and President Johnson.

Rusk
  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 12–5 JORDAN. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by Davies; cleared by Stoddart at DOD/ISA and Bunte and in substance by Rusk and by Bundy for the President; and approved by Ball. Repeated to Tel Aviv.
  2. Telegram 516 to Amman, March 10, transmitted an approved draft of a U.S.-Jordan memorandum of understanding. Telegram 518 to Amman, March 10, discussed the changes in the new draft memorandum of understanding from the draft given to the King and Khammash during the Talbot-Solbert visit. (Both ibid., DEF 19–3 US–JORDAN) Telegram 527 from Amman, March 10, reviewed potential problems in reaching agreement with the King and requested guidance on some points. (Ibid., DEF 12–5 JORDAN)