120. Telegram 134263 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Spain1 2
TOVIP for the Vice President, Ambassador Hill, and Ambassador Rockwell from the Secretary
1. Ambassador HILL should deliver following personal message from me to Lopez Bravo:
QUOTE: I greatly appreciate your bringing so promptly to our attention fact that King Hassan’s intelligence people are charging CIA was behind plot to kill him. Especially in view of our long and friendly association with the King, which has obviously been to our mutual benefit, I am astounded that he should appear to give credence to such a charge. I can categorically assure you that no agency of the United States Government was in any way involved in the [Page 2] attempt against the King. I would welcome your immediately conveying this to King Hassan. UNQUOTE
FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT: Believe that it would be useful for you to follow up the foregoing with the King if suitable opportunity presents itself. END
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 15–1 MOR. Secret; Flash; Nodis. It was repeated Flash to Rabat and Soto Grande. Drafted and approved by Johnson; cleared in substance with Rogers and with Newsom and Eliot. In telegram 101 from Madrid, July 23, Ambassador Robert Hill had transmitted the message from Lopez Bravo that King Hassan suspected the CIA of complicity in the plot against him. (Ibid.) Also on July 23, CIA Director Richard Helms replied to Ambassador Hill: “You may tell Lopez Bravo categorically that neither CIA nor any other element of U.S. Government had anything whatsoever to do with recent plot against King Hassan.” (Ibid.)↩
- In response to a query by Spanish Foreign Minister Lopez Bravo, Under Secretary Johnson offered assurances that the CIA had not been behind the plot to King Hassan.↩