Libya, 1973–1976


38. Telegram 442 From the Embassy in Libya to the Department of State

Summary: The Embassy informed the Department of the Libyan Government’s decision to lift the numerical ceiling on personnel at the U.S. Embassy.

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 177, Geopolitical Files, Libya 1973–76. Secret; Priority; Exdis.


39. Backchannel Message 176 From the Ambassador to Egypt (Eilts) to Secretary of State Kissinger

Summary: Eilts reported on a discussion with Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Fahmy in which Fahmy stated that Egypt was looking for a way to remove Qadhafi from power. He requested U.S. assistance, either directly or in collaboration with Egypt, to “get rid of him,” but Eilts discouraged it.

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box TS 25, Geopolitical File, Egypt Chronological File, January 11, 1975–November 1, 1976. Top Secret; Sensitive; Immediate; Eyes Only.


40. Telegram 130498 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt

Summary: Eilts was instructed to inform Sadat of U.S. intentions to accept Mohamed Yunis Khalifa as Libyan Ambassador to the United States, and to negotiate a higher ceiling on Libyan Embassy personnel in Washington.

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for the Middle East and South Asia, Box 4, Egypt, State Department Telegrams, From SecState—Exdis (1). Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Repeated to Tripoli. Drafted by Marshall Wiley in NEA/AFN; cleared by Saunders, Atherton, Matthews, Sisco, and Moffat; and approved by Kissinger.


41. Telegram 5640 From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State

Summary: Eilts summarized his conversation with Fahmy regarding Libyan representation in Washington.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, D750199–1071. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Repeated to Tripoli. In telegram 133634 to Egypt, June 7, Eilts was instructed to thank Sadat and Fahmy for their views regarding Libyan representation in Washington and to inform them that the matter had been postponed indefinitely. (Ibid.)


42. Backchannel Message From the Ambassador to Egypt (Eilts) to Secretary of State Kissinger

Summary: Eilts informed Kissinger of Sadat’s request to postpone an increase in diplomatic ties with Libya for six months.

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box TS 25, Geopolitical File, Egyptian Chronological File, January 11, 1975–November 1, 1976. Top Secret; Sensitive; Immediate; Eyes Only.


43. Telegram 711 From the Embassy in Libya to the Department of State

Summary: The Embassy submitted its annual policy assessment for Libya.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential; Exdis.


44. Memorandum From Robert B. Oakley of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft)

Summary: Oakley informed Scowcroft of the potential threat posed by the Soviet-Libyan alliance to U.S. objectives in the Middle East and to moderate Arab governments.

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files, Box 3, Libya. Secret; Nodis. Sent for action. The CIA study on the Soviet-Libyan relationship was not attached. Scowcroft initialed the document.


45. Telegram 182532/Tosec 80271 From the Department of State to Secretary of State Kissinger at Helsinki

Summary: The Department asked for Kissinger’s approval of a draft telegram requesting Sadat’s views regarding an air defense system for Libya.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis. Repeated to Cairo. Drafted by Weislogel in NEA/AFN; cleared by Johnson in S/S, James H. Michel in L/PM, in substance by Director of Security Assistance and Sales in Politico-Military Affairs Stephen Winship, and Adams in S; and approved by Atherton. Kissinger was in Helsinki with President Ford for the signing ceremony for the Final Act of Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Telegram Secto 811 from Helsinki, August 2, informed the Embassy in Cairo and the Department that Kissinger approved the instructions. (Ibid.)


46. Telegram 183000/Tosec 80302 From the Department of State to Secretary of State Kissinger at Bucharest

Summary: In a repeat of a telegram from Cairo, Eilts reported that Sadat was strongly opposed to the air defense system for Libya despite earlier approval. Eilts attributed the change in attitude to the deteriorating relations between Egypt and Libya.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, D750267–0953. Confidential; Priority; Exdis. Kissinger was in Bucharest with President Ford on an official visit.


47. Telegram 925 From the Embassy in Libya to the Department of State

Summary: Stein summarized his discussion with Ambassador Shaaban regarding the Northrop-Page contract, and the state of U.S.-Libyan relations.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, D750284–0946. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis.


48. Telegram 4568 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Libya

Summary: The Embassy was informed of the decision to lift restrictions on the size of the Libyan mission in Washington.

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, NSC Operations Staff for Middle East and South Asia Affairs, Box 18, Country File, Libya (1). Confidential; Niact Immediate. Repeated to Cairo.


49. Telegram 83386 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Libya

Summary: The Department transmitted the text of a diplomatic note from Libya, requesting information on the status of C–130s purchased from Lockheed. Chargé Robert Carle was informed of Department efforts to address Libyan concerns.

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, National Security Council Operations Staff for the Middle East and South Asian Affairs, Box 18, Country File, Libya (1). Confidential; Priority. Repeated priority to Cairo and Tunis. Drafted by Marguerite C. King in NEA/AFN, and James A. Rohwer in L/NEA; and approved by Wieslogel. The reference to bribes presumably refers to an investigation of Lockheed and other corporations by the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Multinational Corporations in May 1975. On August 1, Lockheed acknowledged that since 1970, it had paid more than $22 million to foreign officials and political organizations to promote business. Congress approved the sale of six C–130 transport planes for Egypt in April 1976.


50. Telegram 90244 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Libya

Summary: The Department instructed Carle to deliver the U.S. response to the April 1 Libyan diplomatic note concerning the sale of C–130 aircraft to Huni.

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, National Security Council Operations Staff for the Middle East and South Asia Affairs, Box 18, Country File, Libya (2). Confidential; Immediate. Repeated priority to Cairo. Drafted by King in NEA/AFN; cleared in substance in NEA/RA, in L/NEA, and NEA/EGY; and approved by Wieslogel. In telegram 454 from Tripoli, April 6, the Embassy briefly summarized a speech by Qadhafi, indicating RCC member Umar Muhayashi had been recruited by “international intelligence,” and suggested Muhayashi had been bribed by Lockheed. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files) Telegram 4824 from Cairo, April 12, reported on a meeting between Senator James George Abourezk (D–S.D.) and an unidentified Libyan control officer regarding Lockheed payments to Libyan officials. (Ibid.) In telegram 519 from Tripoli, April 15, the Embassy reported that the diplomatic note was delivered that morning. (Ibid.)


51. Telegram 100366 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Libya

Summary: The Department praised Carle’s report on Qadhafi’s view of U.S.-Libyan relations, and offered guidance for future discussions.

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, NSC Operations Staff for the Middle East and South Asian Affairs, Box 18, Country File, Libya (2). Secret; Exdis. In telegram 546 from Tripoli, April 20, Carle gave a detailed report on his meeting with Qadhafi. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files) Telegram 548 from Tripoli, April 21, was an addendum to Tripoli 546. (Ibid.)


52. Memorandum of Conversation

Summary: Kissinger informed Ford of Sadat’s desire to eliminate Qadhafi.

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 283, Memoranda of Conversations, Presidential File. Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Oval Office.


53. Telegram 10936 From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State

Summary: Eilts reported on Sadat’s growing concerns about Qadhafi, and the political and military options available to remove the Libyan leader from power.

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country File for the Middle East and South Asia, Box 9, Egypt, State Department Telegrams, To SecState—Nodis (48), 8/14/76–8/28/76 (7). Secret; Priority; Nodis; Eyes Only.


54. Intelligence Report No. 578 Prepared in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research

Summary: This report summarized Qadhafi’s increased involvement in the Middle East and Africa, and the growing concern of his Arab and African neighbors over the Libyan threat to their internal security.

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, National Security Council Operations Staff for the Middle East and South Asia Affairs, Box 18, Libya (4). Secret; Noforn; Nocontract. Drafted by John R. Damis in INR/RNA/NE; and approved by Director of the Office of Research and Analysis for Near East and South Asia Philip H. Stoddard.


55. Telegram 219041 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt

Summary: Kissinger offered U.S. support to Sadat in response to deteriorating relations between Egypt and Libya.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, D760335–0357. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. In telegram 11946 from Cairo, September 4, Eilts summarized a discussion with Fahmy regarding Egyptian plans to remove Qadhafi from power. (Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for the Middle East and South Asia, Egypt, State Department Telegrams, To SecState—Nodis (49))


56. Backchannel Message 147 From the Ambassador to Egypt (Eilts) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft)

Summary: Eilts delivered a request from Sadat for the United States to monitor and report on Soviet activities in Libya.

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 135, Geopolitical File, Egypt, Chronological File, October 1–31, 1976. Secret; Sensitive; Immediate; Eyes Only.


57. Memorandum of Conversation

Summary: Kissinger and Libyan Ambassador Mansur Kikhia discussed the status of U.S.-Libyan relations.

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 177, Geopolitical File, Libya 1973–76. Secret; Sensitive; Nodis. The meeting took place in the American Embassy residence. Kissinger was in Mexico City to attend the inauguration of President Lopez Portillo.