Office of the Historian

254. Memorandum of Conversation1

Washington, October 19, 1965, 4:30 p.m.

SUBJECT

  • Saudi Arms Purchase

PARTICIPANTS

  • H.E. Omar Saqqaf, Deputy Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia
  • H.E. Ibrahim al Sowayel, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia
  • The Secretary
  • NE—Harrison M. Symmes
  • NE—David Korn

The Secretary said he would like to ask a delicate question. Is Saudi Arabia still troubled by agents from abroad?

Mr. Saqqaf replied that foreign agents are no longer a problem and explained that the people are satisfied with King Faisal’s policies and give him full support. One of the reasons for this is that the King spends no money on himself and sets aside as much as possible for economic development projects.

Mr. Saqqaf said that in line with this policy the SAG wished to ask the United States for help in the purchase of American supersonic aircraft, Hawk missiles and radar equipment, as proposed in Defense Minister Sultan’s letter of October 12 to Secretary McNamara.2 The Saudis need payment facilities because the King insists on spending every available cent on development.

Mr. Saqqaf said the SAG had gotten offers of good terms from the UK and France. Now that the Council of Ministers had been persuaded to buy the US planes and equipment, he hoped the US would move [Page 487] rapidly to help them. Mr. Saqqaf again made a plea for rapid action and said he hoped that for once the Saudis could ask the US for something and have it done rapidly, without getting bogged down in negotiations.

The Secretary remarked that modern aircraft are very expensive but promised to look into the matter and get in touch personally with Secretary McNamara. He said a problem might arise if the Saudi request involved military assistance credits, as these were already overdrawn.

  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964-66, DEF 12-5 SAUD. Secret. Drafted by David Korn (NEA/NE) on October 21 and approved in S on November 12. The memorandum is Part III of IV. Part I is Document 382. The time of the meeting is from Rusk’s Appointment Book. (Johnson Library)↩
  2. See footnote 2, Document 253.↩