208. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Bremer) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark)1
SUBJECT
- U.S.-Moroccan En Route Access Agreement
King Hassan of Morocco sent a letter to the President2 describing his willingness to provide facilities to U.S. forces in Morocco and defining circumstances under which those facilities should not be used. The Departments of State and Defense find the King’s formulation of these circumstances to be acceptable and believe therefore that no response to the King’s letter is necessary.
The key phrase in the King’s formulation is that the facilities [1 line not declassified]—as for instance [6 lines not declassified]. We are well aware of the types of circumstances which would, [2 lines not declassified]. There is nevertheless sufficient ambiguity in the King’s formulation to accommodate necessary U.S. use.
Since a reply to the letter is not demanded by the terms of the letter itself, we believe that our interests are best served by leaving the degree of ambiguity in the King’s letter rather than either clarify or confirm it with a formal response.
In accordance with the Case Act,3 the Department of State will notify Congress of the agreement and will explain the letter.
Executive Secretary
- Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Head of State File, Morocco: King Hassan II (820564–8206108). Secret. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads: “White House Situation Room.”↩
- See Document 207.↩
- Reference is to the Reporting International Agreements to Congress Act of 1972, also known as the Case-Zablocki Act, statute 1 U.S.C. 112b(a), which requires the Secretary of State to transmit the text of any international executive agreement to Congress, other than a treaty, within 60 days of the agreement’s entry into force.↩