Office of the Historian

174. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia1

Washington, March 5, 1976, 2216Z.

54657. For Ambassador. Subject: Air Defence Financing for Jordan. Ref: (A) Jidda 1544, (B) State 48170.

1. DOD is urgently examining a number of options for a scaled-down air defense package that we might suggest to the Jordanians as possible alternatives to the stymied Hawk/Vulcan program. Before possibly proposing such alternatives to the Jordanians, however, we may want to review them with senior Saudi officials in hope of developing a coordinated, joint U.S.-Saudi approach to GOJ on this issue.

2. You should therefore seek appointment with FonMin Prince Saud and reiterate our desire—based on what we perceive to be a mutual U.S.-Saudi interest in ensuring that Jordan’s legitimate defense needs continue to be met through its traditional reliance on friendly govts (i.e., USG and SAG)—to develop a common U.S.-Saudi position that would enable us to respond to Jordanian air defense requirements in most effective and sympathetic fashion possible. You should inform Prince Saud that—as result of his Feb 29 comments—USG is examining possibilities of formulating alternative hardware/support package that might enable GOJ to acquire an American air defense system more in keeping with its available resources. We therefore hope that consideration of Jordanian funding problem in Saudi Council of Ministers can be deferred until we have had time to review such alternatives with Saudi officials if they wish to do so. We attach greatest importance to developing a common approach to this entire problem with the SAG.

Kissinger

  1. Summary: After the contract deadline of February 29 expired, and as the Department of Defense attempted to scale back the plans for a Jordanian air defense system to fit the Saudi $300 million financing limit, the Department of State directed Porter to request that the Saudis delay any discussion of the project until DOD completed its review.

    Source: National Archives, RG 84, Jidda Embassy Files: Lot 79F80, DEF 12–5 Jordan January-April. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Repeated Immediate to Amman and USCINCEUR. For telegram 48170 to USCINCEUR, March 2, see footnote 1, Document 173. Telegram 1544 from Jidda, March 1, is in the National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760099–0409. Lewis sent Porter the telegram under an undated covering note, sent through Murphy and Horan, which reads: “The attached is an instruction from the Department to ask the SAG to delay cabinet level discussion of the Hawk missile issue. Apparently, Washington feels Hussein is serious about turning to the Soviet[s] for an air defense system. As you know, the Soviets would move into Jordan in a big way if they got such an invitation.” The deadline for an agreement for financing the missiles was later extended to April 30, according to telegram 84296 to Jidda, April 8. (Ibid., D760132–0139)

    ↩