Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XXIV, North Africa

327. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Tunisia¹

192277.

Washington, June 22, 1985, 1716Z

SUBJECT

• Secretary’s June 20 Meeting With President Bourguiba.

1. On June 20 Secretary Shultz met briefly with President Bourguiba at the residence of the Tunisian Embassy in Washington. With President Bourguiba were Minister Bourguiba, Jr., Foreign Minister Caid Essebsi, Minister of Plan Khelil, Ambassador Ben Yahia, Ambassador Karoui, Mohamed Gherib, Deputy Director for the Americas at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Hassen el Ghouayel, Special Assistant to the Foreign Minister. Accompanying the Secretary were Ambassador Sebastian, NEA Assistant Secretary Murphy, PM Acting Director John Hawes, NEA/AFN Director Zweifel and Tunisian Desk Officer O’Neill.

2. President Bourguiba opened the session by reminding the Secretary that the purpose of his visit was to obtain greater levels of assistance, particularly military assistance, and he inquired about the U.S. response to this request “after all we (the Tunisians) have done” in North Africa. Secretary Shultz presented the President with a signed letter from President Reagan extending congratulations on the occasion of Id al-Fitr. President Bourguiba expressed gratitude for the sentiments expressed by President Reagan.

3. Secretary Shultz then began to review the “very positive” results of this visit. He said that President Reagan was pleased with the substantive discussion of matters of common concern to the two countries as provided against the background of our historic relationship.² He said that on the question of Qadhafi and Libya, the views of the two countries are quite parallel and the U.S. wants to be as helpful as it can to Tunisia. With regard to the requests for aid financing included in the memorandum given to the Secretary by Foreign Minister Essebsi on June 17, the Secretary said that similar problems confront other governments friendly to the U.S. The GOT presentation deepened USG comprehension and will be carefully studied. We cannot say for sure where we will come out. The USG wants to be “as helpful as we can.” President Bourguiba responded that he hoped that once back in Tunisia he would not be disappointed. He said the Tunisians were counting on his trip. “I cannot go back empty-handed,” he said.

4. The Secretary continued that President Reagan had expressed admiration for the prompt and clear statements of support on the hijacking of TWA flight 847. He added that the U.S. knew that President Bourguiba had sent his Ambassador to Lebanon back to Beirut, and President Reagan appreciated these acts of assistance on the part of the Tunisians.

5. President Reagan was also interested in the discussion on the peace process that he had had with President Bourguiba and in learning the long-standing view that the Tunisian President held that in the end there had to be direct negotiations. The United States, he said, would welcome Tunisia’s encouragement to King Hussein on this matter. President Bourguiba responded that Hussein was in a delicate situation with little maneuvering room because of the opposition of the Syrians and some PLO dissidents. Bourguiba (with Foreign Minister Essebsi chiming in) opined that Hussein’s “courageous stand” exposes him to the threat of assassination. “His life is at stake,” he said. The Secretary noted that additional Arab support would provide King Hussein with more room for maneuver; he agreed that it is necessary to produce progress in the peace process that would rebound to Hussein’s benefit to offset his critics.

6. The Secretary continued that President Reagan had benefitted from hearing President Bourguiba’s views on the situation in the Maghreb and especially with regard to Qadhafi and the Polisario. The Secretary said that this exchange, following so quickly on the exchange the President had with President Bendejdid, was especially helpful.

7. The meeting was interrupted when the Secretary was called to attend an urgent meeting at the White House. In bidding farewell to the interlocutors, President Bourguiba reminded Assistant Secretary Murphy that it was necessary that he return to Tunisia with concrete and positive results to his requests for assistance.

Shultz

1. Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D850442–0242. Secret; Priority. Drafted by O’Neill (NEA/AFN); cleared by Zweifel, Murphy, McKinley, and Jonathan Benton; approved by Shultz. Sent for information to Algiers, Amman, Damascus, Rabat, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Secretary of Defense. Shultz summarized the meeting in a June 20 memorandum to Reagan. (Reagan Library, George Shultz Papers, President’s Evening Reading, April–June 1985)
2. No record of the conversation between Reagan and Bourguiba, which according to the President’s Daily Diary for June 18 took place from 11:35 until 11:52 a.m., has been found. Reagan, Bourguiba, and U.S. and Tunisian officials also met from 11:52 a.m.–12:20 p.m., and then participated in a working lunch from 12:20 until 1:36 p.m. (Reagan Library, President’s Daily Diary) No record of those conversations was found. In his personal diary, dated June 18, Reagan wrote of their meetings: “They were good sessions & he is really a friend of America. Tunisia is the only Moslem or Arab country that practices Monogamy & gives women equal rights. The Pres. is also a declared enemy of Quadaffi. He is 85 yrs. old, in bad health.” Brinkley, ed., The Reagan Diaries, p. 336)