Office of the Historian

5. Memorandum for the Record1

Washington, April 28, 1981, 6:20 p.m.

SUBJECT

  • Conversation With General Walters on His Recent Trip to North Africa. Tuesday, April 28, 1981, 6:20 p.m.

General Walters said his visits to Morocco and Tunisia had gone as forecast.2 On Algeria, it appeared that President Bendjedid was recuperable.3 Bendjedid had said that he did not want King Hassan overthrown but he had not given an answer to Walter’s urging to reopen negotiations with Morocco.4 Walters had a long discussion with Bendjedid about Qadhafi, in which he felt that Bendjedid showed considerable disdain and understanding for the problem that Libya poses. Bendjedid expressed his clear opposition to the proposed Libyan-Sahraoui Union. Walters said that he had been extremely impressed by the Sudanese—they have no complexes whatsoever. Walters added that we needed to get Ambassadors to Algiers and Morocco quickly.

[Omitted here is material unrelated to North Africa.]

At the end of the meeting, General Walters raised the question of providing C130s to Algeria.5 He suggested that he might be able to offer Bendjedid the C130s in return for a commitment to reopen negotiations with Morocco. The Secretary agreed that Walters could pursue this.

E. Anthony Wayne6
  1. Source: Library of Congress, Alexander Haig Papers, Day File, Box 36, April 28, 1981. Secret; Nodis.↩
  2. In telegram 2744 from Rabat, April 17, Walters reported that during their meeting, Hassan’s “real interest” was Algeria: “When I told him that I was going there, he commented that not only did he approve but was delighted that I was the emissary.” Walters continued: “He said that if it was not incompatible with my mission he would like me to tell Chadli that he had been disappointed by the Algerian interruption of the talks between them and the Moroccans. He would like to resume them and very much wanted to know what the Algerians real objectives were in respect to Morocco.” (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D810184–0508)↩
  3. For Walters’s meeting with Bourguiba, see footnote 3, Document 287.↩
  4. For Walters’s meeting with Bendjedid, see Document 105.↩
  5. See footnote 3, Document 106.↩
  6. Wayne initialed “EAW” above this typed signature.↩