Office of the Historian

282. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State1

Amman, September 20, 1970, 2355Z.

4984. Dept pass Flash info London Paris. Subject: Syrian Threat and Security Council Meeting. Ref: (A) State 154431; (B) State 154415; (C) State 154413; (D) Amman 4983.2

1.
I have just finished talking to Rifai on telephone. I had ref (A) in hand. I asked him specifically if GOJ was requesting airstrike of British. He replied “not in those exact words.” What he thought King had meant when he discussed matter with British Amb was that GOJ wanted to explore this possibility with UK. We, of course, in this Embassy had not known before that such a request had been made of British. We are not in touch with British Embassy. Rifai did not ask me on phone at this time for US airstrike. What he wants to know is what sort of assistance we can give him but it is evident from what he has said before that some sort of airstrike is what Jordanians are hoping for if situation gets out of hand.
2.
He then told me that situation was considerably worsened. The Syrians are now in Irbid. Syrians columns are heading south; the King thinks they are heading for Amman.
3.
I said that I wanted to read to him the Secretary’s statement (ref (B)) to show the US condemnation of Syria’s action. He said that the King was familiar with statement and appreciates it. I then gave him rundown of AsstSec Sisco’s statement to the Soviet Chargé. (State 154417).3 He had not known of this and was very appreciative.
4.
He expressed the hope that we could continue to put pressure on the Soviets and would make démarches to any other country we could which has some influence with Syria. I then told him that we did not believe it would be wise to schedule a Security Council meeting on this matter and that it would be better to await result of our démarches (ref (B)). I said I thought the SC meeting might only lead to a propaganda battle.
5.
He said that the situation has changed since their earlier considerations of what to do in the SC. Now that the Syrians are in Irbid, something must be done. The King has already acted on this and has sent me a letter (ref (D)) which is to be delivered tonight to one of the American houses with which the Jordanians and the Embassy are in touch. (Now delivered, see septel).4 He said in view of the King’s decision there was no turning back from a Security Council meeting.
Brown
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 23–9 JORDAN. Secret; Flash; Exdis. It was repeated to Tel Aviv (Flash) and to USUN.↩
  2. Telegrams 154413 and 154431 are Documents 276 and 279, respectively. Telegram 154415 to Amman, September 20, transmitted the text of Secretary Rogers’s public statement. In telegram 4983 from Amman, September 20, Ambassador Brown reported that he had received a letter from Hussein requesting four-power assistance to Jordan. (Both in National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 23–9 JORDAN) Regarding Rogers’s statement, see footnote 4, Document 275.↩
  3. See footnote 2, Document 276.↩
  4. See Document 284.↩