70. Telegram From Secretary of State Vance to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia1
Secto 8060. For the Ambassador From the Secretary. Subject: PLO Acceptance of Resolution 242. Ref: a) Jidda 5458, b) Jidda 5453, c) Jidda 5451, d) Jidda 5413, e) Damascus 3385 (Secto 8040).2
You should proceed to convey to Prince Saud the message contained in Ref e. In doing so, you should explain that that message was sent to you before we had received report of Saud’s proposed scenario (Ref d). As His Highness will note, the formulation we have suggested is less specific than that suggested by Saud but should, in our view, be sufficient. You may also tell Saud that, if the PLO makes the kind of statement we have suggested, we will be prepared at once to establish direct contact with the PLO. So far as inviting the PLO to the Geneva Conference is concerned, we continue to hold to the position that a way must be found for Palestinian views to be expressed in the negotiations, and a solution must therefore be found to the Palestinian representation question which will make this possible. This solution must be one agreed to by all the parties and this is in fact one of the principal issues which we are discussing on my present trip in an effort to find an agreed solution. I will be prepared to describe to Prince Saud several alternative solutions which we have been considering. Since the question of additional participants in the Geneva Conference over and above [Page 405] those initially invited in December 1973 is one that must be agreed to by all the parties, we cannot, of course, make any commitment about inviting the PLO to the conference.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P840072–2630. Secret; Nodis; Cherokee; Niact Immediate. Sent immediate for information to the Department of State. Vance visited Amman from August 5 to August 7 and returned on August 11.↩
- Telegram 5413 from Jidda, August 3, reported that Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud had stressed the importance of the Palestinian issue to Ambassador West with an emphasis on PLO representation at the Middle East Peace Conference. Saud believed that if the U.S. Government engaged the PLO directly and invited its leaders to Geneva, the PLO would “significantly alter its position on UN Resolutions 242 and 338.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P85061–1535) In telegram 5451 from Jidda, August 4, West reported that Foreign Minister Saud informed him that he had discussed with Arafat whether the PLO would change its position on U.N. Resolutions 242 and 338 if the United States engaged the PLO directly and invited the PLO to Geneva. Saud reported that Arafat responded positively, but that he wanted a preamble added for which he would provide Saud the text on Friday, August 5. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P85061–1526) In telegram 5453 from Jidda, August 5, Ambassador West asked Secretary Vance if he had received telegrams 5451 and 5413 before sending Secto 8040. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D770281–0034) In telegram 5458 from Jidda, Ambassador West contacted the Embassy in Amman to find out why telegrams 5451 and 5413 had not reached the Secretary’s delegation in Amman as the Ambassador believed those messages to be “of urgent importance and relevance.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D770281–0246) Telegram Secto 8040 is repeated in Document 67.↩