U.S. Response to Hijackings by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Additional Anti-Hijacking Measures, September 1970-June 1972
75. Telegram From the Department of State to all Diplomatic Posts except Gaborone, Maseru, Mbabane, and Moscow
The Department transmitted information on the special ICAO Council meeting held to consider U.S. proposals on hijacking.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, AV 12. Limited Official Use. Repeated to the Consulate in Montreal for US ICAO. Drafted by Meadows and Gravatt, cleared in IO and L, and approved by Meadows.
76. Briefing Memorandum From the Legal Adviser (Stevenson) to Acting Secretary of State Irwin
Stevenson prepared the briefing memorandum and the attached talking points in advance of Irwin’s meeting with the French and German Ambassadors to discuss the hijacking proposals made in the ICAO Council.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, AV 12. No classification marking. Drafted by Meadows and cleared by Rhinelander and Hillenbrand. Attached but not published at Tab B was a proposed note.
77. Telegram 5465 From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State
At the request of the PFLP, the United Arab Republic provided a list of names of the detained fedayeen to be released in exchange for the remaining hostages.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, AV 12. Secret; Flash. Repeated to Tel Aviv, Bern, Bonn, London, and Geneva.
78. Memorandum From the Deputy Legal Adviser (Rhinelander) and Deputy Assistant for Transportation and Telecommunications (Rein) to the President’s Assistant (Flanigan)
Rhinelander and Rein communicated to Flanigan the measures proposed by the Department of State to maintain international momentum after adoption of the ICAO resolution.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, AV 12. No classification marking. Drafted by Joseph A. Silberstein (E/AO/AVP) and Rein and cleared by Rhinelander. Tabs A-C were attached but not published.
79. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Council (Kissinger) to the President’s Assistant (Flanigan)
Kissinger provided the ideas his staff had generated for leveling possible sanctions on countries that were uncooperative in combating hijacking.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials. NSC Files, Box 331, Subject Files, Hijackings II. Secret.
80. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Council (Kissinger) to the Chairman of the Under Secretaries Committee
Kissinger asked the committee to prepare a list of countries that were expected to be uncooperative during hijackings, as well as a list of possible sanctions that could be used against them.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 330, Hijackings II. No classification marking.
81. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Ethiopia and 38 Other Posts
Posts were asked to invite host governments to attend the Washington Conference on International Air Transportation Security scheduled for January 1971.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, AV 12. Limited Official Use. Repeated to Brasilia, Melbourne, Montreal for U.S. ICAO representative, Karachi, and NATO. Drafted by Gravatt (E/OA/AVP) and R. P. Boyle (FAA), cleared in ARA, EA, EUR, NEA, OIC, AFI, and by Silberstein.
82. Memorandum From the Chairman of the Under Secretaries Committee (Irwin) to President Nixon
In response to Kissinger’s request, the committee transmitted a list of possible actions against countries that were uncooperative on hijacking.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, AV 12. Secret.
83. Telegram From the Embassy in the Netherlands to the Department of State
The telegram communicated the final text of the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft agreed upon at the Hague.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, AV 12. Unclassified; Immediate. Repeated to USUN and the Consulate at Montreal with a request that the Department pass to FAA, DOT, CAB, and Justice.
84. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Eliot) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
The Department of State sent to the President, for submission to the Senate, the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Aircraft.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, AV 12. No classification marking. Drafted by Sylvia Nilsen.
85. Letter From Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to Secretary of Transportation Volpe
The Departments of State and Transportation agreed upon closer coordination of action in response to hijackings of international commercial aircraft.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, AV 12. No classification marking. No drafting information appears on the letter.
86. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration (Macomber) to the Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Carlucci)
Macomber outlined an international action program to deal with failure to punish hijackers or return aircraft, crews, passengers, or property; upgrading the safety of international aviation; and specifically bringing pressure on Algeria to resolve the Western Airlines hijacking. Two Americans had hijacked a Western Airlines aircraft to Algeria with $500,000 in ransom money.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 331, Hijackings II. Secret. Johnson’s telegram to the Algerian chargi is attached but not published.
87. Memorandum From Melvin Levine of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Levine updated Kissinger on recent activities generated by new acts of air piracy.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 330, Hijackings II. Secret. Sent for information.
88. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rogers to President Nixon
Rogers reported that the Department of State had introduced a resolution in the ICAO calling for a resumption of work on an international convention to provide sanctions against governments that aided hijackers.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, President’s Evening Reading: Lot 74 D 164.
89. Airgram A-6325 From the Department of State to All Diplomatic Missions
The Department of State provided the text of the resolution on aircraft hijacking and violence against civil aviation adopted by the ICAO Council and the text of a statement incorporating the UN Security Council’s consensus on hijacking.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, AV 12. Drafted by Gravatt on June 21, cleared by Joseph N. Greene, Jr. (IO/UNP), and approved by Silberstein.