Office of the Historian

188. Memorandum From Secretary of State Haig to President Reagan1

Washington, February 28, 1981

[Omitted here is material unrelated to Morocco.]

3. Message from King Hassan of Morocco: Moroccan Ambassador Bengelloun met with Bill Clark today to deliver a personal message [Page 418] from King Hassan.2 Hassan asked that I try to arrange for you to see two of the King’s emissaries in the March 10–20 period. I received the same emissaries in January and believe it would be a misuse of your time to see them. We are considering how we might handle the King’s sensitivities, however, and will keep you informed.

Hassan also sent a moderate written message, acknowledging that Security Council Resolution 242 and the Camp David Accords provide the only existing basis for the peace effort. The message specified that they were only inadequate in that they did not sufficiently consider the “question of six million Palestinians whose national rights and legitimate claims cannot reasonably be ignored by any responsible Government.” (S)

  1. Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Agency File, Secretary Haig’s Evening Report (02/04/1981–03/13/1981). Secret.↩
  2. The Department transmitted a record of the Clark-Bengelloun discussion in telegram 52120 to Rabat, February 28. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D810096–0508)↩