219. Briefing Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Newsom) to Secretary of State Kissinger1 2
Security Help to Sudan
During his March 6 call on the President, Sudanese Minister of Administrative Reform Abdallah requested the assistance of the United States in security equipment, expertise and training. The request was framed in terms of probable efforts by the Black Septembrists or other Palestinian organizations to retaliate against the Sudanese government for its handling of the murderers of two U.S. diplomats. The President told the Minister that the U.S. would work out a plan for such assistance and make an early response to the Sudanese government.
The plan which was developed provided for the following:
1) Sponsorship by AID’s Office of Public Safety of a visit by two Senior Sudanese Security Officers to attend an eight week Technical–Investigation Course, covering such subjects as bomb detection and disposal and shipment by AID of a quantity of pertinent technical literature to Khartoum. This has been done.
2) [text not declassified]
3) The services of two FAA experts to visit Sudan to advise on the equipment and procedures [Page 2] needed to improve airport security. Until late September, we received no reply from the Sudanese to our offer of these experts. At that time the Chairman of Sudan Airways informed our Embassy that the government and the airline wished to accept the offer. Now that we have the go-ahead signal from the Sudanese, the FAA is designating two experts to go to Sudan and is drawing up a program for them. We will ask our Embassy this week for its judgment regarding the timing for their arrival, taking the present situation into account.
Frankly, we do not know what prompted the Foreign Minister’s comment to you on October 16 expressing some dissatisfaction with the USG response, since we have already given them everything they asked for last March. Presumably, they now have additional requests, and I would expect to hear further from their Ambassador regarding them. AF will keep you informed.