Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXXIV, Energy Diplomacy and Global Issues

313. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Switzerland ¹

Washington, December 20, 1968, 2354Z.

290754. REPCU. Ref: Bern 5248.²

1. Department wishes emphasize to Ambassador Fischli (who may so inform GOC if he deems it appropriate) that it has not given any publicity whatever to approach to GOC embodied in note Ambassador delivered to Cubans December 17.³ Some U.S. journalists have referred to alleged approaches or possible approaches to GOC by USG on subject but these stories were based either on speculation or on misunderstanding of other aspects of hijacking problem such as earlier proposal on use of refugee airlift plane to repatriate Cubans in U.S. who desire permanent return to Cuba. Department well aware of impropriety of announcing diplomatic moves at this stage and of fact that to do so would be counter-productive. However, in view of free press status this country and keen public interest in hijacking situation, it is impossible for us to keep journalists from writing wide variety of articles on subject some of which incorrectly imply official sources for speculation about diplomatic démarches.

2. Department also mindful of possibility suggested by Ambassador Fischli (paragraph 3 reftel) that Cubans may attempt to widen scope of proposed agreement on hijackers to include illegal escapees from Cuba. We deliberately attempted to discourage this by drafting note which focuses on the specific problem which presents major threat to air safety, i.e., use of force to hijack commercial passenger aircraft.

Rusk

1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Central Files, 1967–69, AV 12. Confidential; Priority; Exdis. Drafted by Fitzgerald; cleared by Feldman (L/ARA), Vaky (ARA), Loy, John Crump (EUR/AIS), and Brown (S/S); and approved by Fitzgerald.
2. See footnotes 2 and 3, Document 311.
3. Not printed. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Central Files, 1967–69, AV 12)