235. Letter From Secretary of State Rusk to Secretary of the Interior Udall 1

Dear Mr. Secretary:

Recent developments affecting the United States access to foreign sources of crude oil have clear implications for the national security.2 In the past few days the Governments of Algeria, Kuwait and Bahrein have prohibited the export of petroleum to the United States or to the United Kingdom. The Government of Iraq has ordered the Iraq Petroleum Company to cease operations. The Trans Arabian Pipeline of the Arabian American Oil Company has been closed, as has the Suez Canal. The Libyan Government has ordered foreign oil companies to cease operations.

The denial of petroleum from these sources creates an oil supply emergency and adversely affects the capability of the United States and our allies to meet our security responsibilities. I consider that this situation calls for the initiation of emergency procedures to ensure that adequate supplies of petroleum continue to be available.3

Sincerely yours,

Dean Rusk 4
  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Central Files, 1967–69, PET 12–3 US. Limited Official Use. Drafted by M. Chaplin (E/OR/FSE) on June 7 and cleared by Solomon, Oliver (FSE), Hinton (EUR), and Patman (L/E).
  2. A provision of the Defense Production Act of 1950 authorized the President to take into account the oil supply situations of allies and friendly countries in determining the national security of the United States.
  3. On June 10 Assistant Secretary of the Interior J. Cordell Moore announced that “a petroleum emergency exists which threatens the broad security interests of the United States.” The decision was concurred in by the Departments of State and Defense and the Office of Emergency Planning. (Circular telegram 210177, June 11; National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Central Files, 1967–69, PET 12–3 US)
  4. Printed from a copy that indicates Rusk signed the original.