Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–9, Part 2, Documents on the Middle East Region, 1973–1976

69. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Qatar¹

Washington, September 4, 1976, 1758Z.

220256. Subject: Qatari Interest in Information on F–5s. Refs: (A) Doha 862, (B) Doha 863, (C) Tehran 8443.

1. We do not believe it would be useful for us to furnish Shaikh Hamad with unclassified technical and promotional material on F–5 aircraft. Sale of F–5s is outside existing criteria for arms sales to lower Gulf states, and we simply do not see exceptional military or political justification for change in policy now on this issue.

2. We are concerned that furnishing unclassified material could be misunderstood by GOQ, despite best effort on our part, as constituting some USG obligation to sell F–5s if GOQ so requested. We therefore conclude such material should not be provided. Should GOQ read our position as indicating lack of interest in country’s security, you might wish reiterate broad general lines of our arms policy to Qataris, emphasizing that we see their security in terms of regional cooperation particularly in close cooperation with their two larger neighbors. We are prepared to consider defense items needed for Qatar’s internal security purposes. F–5 aircraft, however, are sophisticated weapons whose sale could be misunderstood by other small states in the Gulf where we have established same restraints. Thus, we are not discriminating against Qatar.

3. We agree with Embassy Tehran’s view (ref C) that regional cooperation for military supply, training and facilities will have to come from the states themselves. We think restraint on our part in responding to bilateral requests for sophisticated equipment from lower Gulf states is more likely to bring about regional cooperation than acceding to this type of request from GOQ. FYI: If, for example, Qatar and Saudi Arabia or Qatar and other lower Gulf states sought reasonable number of F–5s in context of a joint air defense cooperative endeavor, we would be willing to give this proposal careful consideration. End FYI.

Robinson

1. Summary: The Department declined to offer Qatar information it had requested on the F–5 aircraft.

   Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760336–1107. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Dickman; cleared in PM/SAS, NEA/RA, DOD/ISA, ACDA/IR/AT, NEA/IRN, and NEA; approved in P by Habib. Telegrams 863 from Doha, August 17, and 8443 from Tehran, August 19, are ibid., D760315–0660, and D760318–0380, respectively. Paganelli reported on the Qatari request for information on the F–5 in telegram 862 from Doha, August 17. (Ibid., D760315–0634) The Department had informed the Embassy earlier that the United States was prepared to sell military equipment to Qatar. See Document 55.