274. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon1
Washington, September 19, 1970.
SUBJECT
- WSAG Actions—Jordan
The following actions have been taken:
Diplomatic
- —Jordan—We advised King Hussein that we would look promptly and with sympathy on requests for materiel assistance.2
- —Iran—Ambassador MacArthur has seen the Shah and has exchanged views on the situation with him.3
- —Israel—We are getting regular Israeli assessment of the situation and are obtaining reconnaissance and intelligence data from the Israelis.
- —USSR and UAR—We have made no approaches to either government— the Soviets have approached us indicating that they believe all states both within and outside the region should avoid intervention and seek to bring an end of the fighting. The USSR made this point to Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo and the Fedayeen. We do not plan to reply immediately.
- —The U.N.—We will not go to the U.N. now but be prepared to make an approach there if Syria or Iraq intervenes.
Military Supply
- —Defense has prepared a package of materiel which Hussein might need; the materiel has been identified and can be shipped quickly.
- —Defense [less than 1 line not declassified] developed plans for air shipment of materiel to Jordan if this is needed.
- —Plans for shipment of materiel using staging through Turkey, Greece or Cyprus have been prepared. We will now [not] approach Turkey unless Nasser makes a public statement of support for Hussein.
- —Defense is sounding out Saudi Arabia for possible use of their C–130s for delivery of materiel to Jordan which we would preposition for them.
Military Measures
- —Airlift—Five C–130s have been moved from Incirlik to preposition them for evacuation; ten additional C–130s have been moved to Europe.
- —The Fleet—The entire Sixth Fleet has been positioned in the Eastern Mediterranean.
- —The Saratoga and Independence are south of Cyprus along with the amphibious force with one Marine battalion landing team embarked.
- —The Guam with another Marine unit embarked and with helicopters will pass through Gibralter Straits on Saturday, 26 September.
- —The Carrier Kennedy is enroute to the Mediterranean and will pass through Gibralter Straits on 25 September.
- —An additional tanker and four destroyers are being ordered to the Mediterranean to support the Kennedy.
- —Six additional land-based ASW aircraft are being ordered to the Mediterranean—they will arrive in about 48 hours.
- —Army Forces
- —Airborne Brigade is on alert in Germany, one battalion could be in Jordan in about 10 hours. (That battalion is on immediate alert but on a training exercise—we let the training exercise go ahead in order that security could be maintained.)
- —The 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg is on the maximum alert which can be maintained with security.
- —Defense has completed a study specifying requirements for the use of U.S. land-based air over Jordan (availability of bases and fuel and ammo supply are critical factors.)
- —Other Steps
- —CIA/State have completed a study of likely outcomes of the situation in Jordan, the impact on the Middle East peace initiative and the implications for U.S. policy and action. This paper is being further refined over the weekend.4
- —Press guidance is being coordinated with State and Defense.
- —Sitreps are being issued every four hours.
- —Detailed scenarios for materiel support for Jordan, U.S. intervention for purposes of evacuation, U.S. intervention for support of the same either by air strikes or air and ground action, Israeli armed intervention and related supply requirements, and for deterrence of Soviet intervention have been completed.5
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–077, Washington Special Actions Group Meetings, WSAG Meeting Middle East 9/19/70. Top Secret; Sensitive.↩
- Not found.↩
- See footnote 2, Document 259.↩
- See footnote 2, Document 264.↩
- No scenario papers have been found.↩