100. Memorandum From Harold Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1 2
SUBJECT:
- F–4 Squadrons for Iran
You will probably have seen Ambassador MacArthur’s latest telegram (Tehran 5021 attached) urging that he be authorized to give the Shah our agreement in principle to the sale of the 7th and 8th squadrons of F–4s.
The logical response to him would be to give him a go-ahead to tell the Shah that we, of course, have no objection to the sale and are willing to agree in principle to it pending the necessary Iranian review of its financial situation and the alternatives that could perhaps provide these aircraft less expensively. This would be a step beyond the last telegram which simply authorized MacArthur to say that Iran was, of course, the ultimate judge of its needs but we felt that alternatives should be considered before a final decision was made.
The bureaucratic problem is that State favors giving the Shah agreement in principle now but Defense is resisting vigorously. I have talked with State this morning urging them to get the disagreement down on paper so that, if Secretary Rogers cannot resolve it with Secretary Laird, we should put it up to the President. This is where we stand at the moment.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 601, Country Files, Middle East, Iran, Vol. II, 6/1/70–12/70. Secret; Exdis. Sent for information. Tehran 5021 is not published. Kissinger wrote on the memorandum, “There is nothing to resolve. Pres. wants to go ahead. Al—take up with [Laird’s aide, Assistant Brigadier General Robert E.] Pursley.”↩
- Saunders informed Kissinger that Ambassador MacArthur had requested permission to offer the U.S. Government’s agreement in principle to the sale of the seventh and eighth squadrons of F–4s.↩