37. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Jordan1

94729. Ref: Amman’s 2831.2

1.
President has requested following oral message be passed to King Hussein in reply King’s message of December 30:
2.

“I appreciate the assurances you have given me in your oral message of December 30 with regard to Jordanian procurement of arms from the Soviet Bloc. On our part, we are prepared in principle to resume arms shipments to Jordan and would begin with the following items from the priority requirement list which General Khammash gave to Colonel Jordan in London August 1967:

  • 106 mm rifles
  • 2-1/2-ton trucks
  • communications equipment
  • aerial target drone systems
  • ammunition
  • and spare parts for previously delivered US equipment.

We welcome General Khammash’s contemplated visit to Washington and would expect to discuss with him details (including quantities) of the above shipments and various aspects of the arms question in general. We would hope that he might arrive in Washington around January 10.”

3.
FYI. We would resume arms shipments to Jordan with the $6.5 million package contained in Amman’s 2396.3 End FYI.
Rusk
  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, DEF 19-6 US-JORDAN. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by Houghton on January 2; cleared by Davies, Battle, Paul C. Warnke, Counselor of the Department Robert R. Bowie, and Wotring at the White House; and approved by Rusk.
  2. See footnote 3, Document 29.
  3. Telegram 2396 from Amman, November 27, 1967, transmitted eight categories of priority requests for military equipment from a list prepared by General Khammash. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, DEF 12-5 JORDAN)