Office of the Historian

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

141465.
Washington, May 6, 1986, 0440Z

SUBJECT

  • Vice President’s Meeting With Tunisian Amb.
1.
Secret entire text.
2.
Summary: Tunisian Ambassador Ben Yahia met on May 1 with Vice President Bush to deliver a personal letter from President Bourguiba to President Reagan.2 President Bourguiba’s salutary letter (reported septel) is in response to President Reagan’s letter which the Vice President had presented during his March visit to Tunis.3 The Ambassador followed delivery of the letter with an updated view of U.S. actions on Libya and Tunisia’s situation vis-à-vis Libya and a call for supplemental and accelerated U.S. assistance to Tunisia to help the GOT in its deteriorating economic situation. End summary.
3.
Ambassador Ben Yahia gave Vice President Bush a letter from President Bourguiba to President Reagan in response to the President’s letter which was presented by the Vice President during his March visit to Tunis. The Ambassador again expressed the GOT’s deep appreciation for the Vice President’s visit and President Reagan’s letter. He asked to apprise the Vice President of developments since his visit and began by noting that political party conventions will be in June and parliamentary elections in November. He stated that this is a “delicate time” for Tunisia following U.S. action on Libya and economic difficulties and with the current economic difficulties.
4.
Ben Yahia encouraged the U.S. to continue economic, diplomatic and military pressure on Qadhafi which he said is making Qadhafi nervous. Ben Yahia added that Qadhafi is reinforcing the militia against the regular army and buying more weapons. He stated that Tunisia is “doing its part” having broken diplomatic relations with Libya and helped “reinforce the opposition inside Libya in May, 1984,” and by maintaining an embargo on Libyan deliveries, however, Ben Yahia said Tunisia is becoming isolated; Algeria is moving closer to Libya over oil and Morocco continues its relationship with Libya because of the Polisario: Libya remains in Chad and is improving its situation in Sudan.
5.
Turning to the economic situation Ben Yahia said Tunisia was not in the “red line” but would have to be careful as foreign currency reserves have dropped this year from a three month to a six day reserve. He asked for “special emergency support” which he said PM Mzali had raised with the Vice President. He specifically requested supplemental funds and accelerated an immediate disbursement of all FY86 funds.
6.
The Vice President responded that the U.S. would look into the situation and see what could be done to help Tunisia. He told Ben Yahia we believed Qadhafi was in control in Libya but only following some turmoil. The Vice President commented that resolving Qadhafi problems also would permit Tunisia to utilize more of its resources for other priorities.
Whitehead
  1. Source: George H.W. Bush Library, Vice Presidential Records, Office of National Security Affairs, Donald P. Gregg Files, Meetings with Foreigners Files, OA/ID 19817, Folder 19817–104. Secret; Immediate. Sent for information Priority to Cairo, Paris, Rome, Brussels, Algiers, Rabat, Khartoum, and Ndjamena. Printed from a copy that indicates the original was received in the White House Situation Room.↩
  2. Telegram 142256 to Tunis, May 6, contains the text of Bourguiba’s letter. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D860350–0157)↩
  3. See Document 338.↩