Office of the Historian

275. Central Intelligence Agency Information Cable1 2

Washington, August 24, 1970
[Page 1]

Country

  • Iraq/USSR

DOI

  • Early January 1970 to early August 1970

Subject

  • Indication of Soviet Disappointment With the Government of Iraq

ACQ

  • Mid-August 1970 Field No.

Source

  • [text not declassified]
1.
The Soviets began criticizing the Government of Iraq about January 1970, talking pointedly about the “Ba’th government.” In March the Chargé, in explaining Soviet concern with internal Iraqi developments, said that, after all, the Soviet Kurds consider Mullah Mustafa Barzani to be the “King of the Kurds.” By June the Chargé was using the term “national socialism” to characterize the Ba’th regime. In July the Soviet Ambassador said that despite the military aid given to Iraq since 1963, Iraq has not even started paying interest on the weapons they have received. According to the Soviet [Page 2] Ambassador, the Soviets would be willing to settle for even a token of Iraqi sincerity, such as a concession on the idea of a national front.
2.
The following is an example of Soviet disappointment in the Government of Iraq. The military attache said the Soviets would like to have in southern Iraq a refinery to serve as a Soviet refueling base (sic). According to the Soviet attache, Basra is inadequate for such a purpose. (Source comment: The sub-source said he had the impression that things are not going at all well for the Soviets in the Gulf, but he has no evidence other than the foregoing to support this feeling, and the Soviet attache refused to be drawn out further on this subject.)
3.
The following is an example of Soviet-Iraqi friction. Every key Ba’thi official has at least two and sometimes three radio-telephones on his desk, and one or more in his car as a back-up. This improved efficiency in communications has made the Soviets nervous, and the Ba’th regime obviously is in better control of the country than ever before. More specifically, movement of Soviets in and out of Baghdad are carefully monitored. The cars [Page 3] of Soviets often are stopped and inspected at checkpoints, and the Soviets say they have protested frequently to the Iraqi Government. Soviet families often go together in groups of two or three families to fish at Lake Habbaniyah, which is near the Habbaniyah Air Base.
4.
[text not declassified] Dissem: none.
  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 603, Country Files, Middle East, Iraq, TDCS DC–315/04352–70. Secret; No Foreign Dissem; Controlled Dissem; No Dissem Abroad; Background Use Only. Kissinger initialed the cable.↩
  2. A European diplomat indicated that the Soviets were disappointed with the Iraqi Government.↩