181. Telegram From the Consulate General in Dhahran to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 YEMEN. Secret; Operational Immediate; Limited Distribution. Also sent to Cairo, Amman, Jidda, London, USUN, and Taiz.

182. Memorandum From the Director of Intelligence and Research (Hilsman) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, NEA/NE Files: Lot 65 D 28, Syrian Coup. Secret.

183. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Posts

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 26 SYR. Secret. Drafted by Barrow (NEA/NE), cleared by Strong, and approved by Talbot. Sent to London, Paris, Ankara, Rome, Bonn, Tel Aviv, Tehran, USUN, Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Jidda, Taiz, Cairo, Damascus, Rabat, Tunis, Khartoum, Algiers, Tripoli, and Benghazi.

184. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 67 A 4564, Iraq 000.1—1963. Secret.

185. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Kennedy

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 16 SYR. Confidential. A typed note on the source text reads: “Approved per telephone call from White House—Mr. Komer, 8:00 p.m. 3/11/63. Telegram sent Damascus 3/11.” Instructions were sent to Damascus in telegram 369 at 9:50 p.m. on March 11 informing the Embassy that the Department of State believed a formal act of recognition would be appropriate in view of Syria’s request and the new regime’s assumption of all executive and legislative powers. The Embassy was instructed to deliver a note to Foreign Minister Salah al-Bitar informing him of U.S. recognition of the new Syrian regime and expressing the good wishes of the U.S. Government. Ibid., POL 16 SYRIA)

Attached to the original of this document sent to the White House is a note from Komer to Bundy that reads: “Strongly agree. UK seems to be going ahead and we should too, soonest. Same reasoning applies as on Iraq. There is always possibility of another coup (or two) soon. But we just can’t cut things this fine.” (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Syria, 3/63)

186. Memorandum From the Department of State Executive Secretary (Brubeck) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Department of State, NEA/NE Files: Lot 66 D 308, Memoranda to the White House. Secret. Drafted by Barrow and Davies on March 5 and cleared by Talbot.

187. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Talbot) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 YEMEN. Secret. Drafted by Grant and Davies. This memorandum was transmitted to Bundy on March 11 under cover of a memorandum from Brubeck that indicated that it covered points to be discussed at a White House meeting at 4:30 p.m. on March 11, which McGhee, Talbot and Bunker would attend.

188. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Yemen, Bunker Miscellaneous. Secret.

189. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Yemen, Bunker Miscellaneous. Secret. Drafted by Komer. The meeting was held at the White House. A briefing paper from Komer to Kennedy, conveying several papers on the Yemen situation prior to this meeting is ibid. Another account of the meeting, made by the CIA’s Chief of the Near East and South Asia Division, James H. Critchfield, is in the Central Intelligence Agency, Job 80 D 01285A, DCI (McCone) Files, Memoranda for the Record. For text, see the Supplement, the compilation on Yemen.

190. Memorandum From the Department of State Executive Secretary (Brubeck) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 26 SYR. Secret. Drafted by Barrow on March 9 and cleared by Talbot.

191. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Staff Memoranda, Komer, Robert W. Secret.

192. National Security Action Memorandum No. 228

Source: Department of State, NSAM Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAM 228. Secret.

193. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 7 US/BUNKER. Secret; Operational Immediate. Drafted by Strong and Seelye; cleared by Talbot, McGhee, and Wallner in substance, and Komer; and approved by Davis. Also sent to Dhahran and repeated to Cairo.

194. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 7 US/BUNKER. Secret; Operational Immediate. Drafted by Komer and Strong; cleared by McGhee, Wallner, Talbot (in substance); and approved by Davis. Also sent to Dhahran and repeated to Cairo.

195. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Arab Republic

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 7 US/BUNKER. Secret; Operational Immediate. Drafted by Strong and Barrow on March 16; cleared by Grant and McGhee (in substance), Komer, and Brubeck; and approved by Brubeck. Also sent to Dhahran.

196. Telegram From the Embassy in Lebanon to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 26 YEMEN. Secret; Operational Immediate; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Jidda, Cairo, Dhahran for Ambassador Hart, and USUN.

197. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Israel, 3/9/63–4/23/63. Secret. A handwritten note on the source text reads: “(Taken from Pres. week-end reading dtd 3/23/63—Tab 2).”

198. Memorandum From the Department of State Executive Secretary (Brubeck) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 NR EAST–US. Secret. Drafted by Barrow and cleared by Strong, Talbot, Padelford, General Fuqua, Elwood, and Anderson (AID).

199. National Security Action Memorandum No. 231

Source: Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAM 231. Top Secret. On March 25, McCone met with President Kennedy. According to McCone’s record of the meeting, he raised the “question of Israel acquiring nuclear capability” and gave the President Document 179. The President then instructed Bundy “to direct a letter to Secretary Rusk asking that he, in collaboration with DCI and Chairman, AEC, submit a proposal as to how some form of international or bilateral US safeguards could be instituted to protect against the contingency mentioned.” (Central Intelligence Agency, Job 80 D 01285A, DCI (McCone) Files, Memoranda for the Record)

200. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Job 80 B 01285A, DCI (McCone) Files, Memoranda for the Record. Secret. Drafted by McCone on March 27. The conversation was held in Secretary Rusk’s office.

201. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Kennedy

Source: Department of State, NEA/IAI Files: Lot 70 D 44, Refugees, PCC, General Policy. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Talbot, Strong, and Crawford on March 27.

202. Memorandum From the Department of State Executive Secretary (Brubeck) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 26 YEMEN. Secret.

203. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Arab Republic

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 26 YEMEN. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Seelye, cleared by Davies, and approved by Talbot. Also sent to Jidda.

204. Memorandum From Harold H. Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Iraq. Secret.

205. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Arab Republic to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 YEMEN. Secret; Emergency; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Jidda, USUN, and London and passed to the White House.

206. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL ARAB-ISR. Confidential. Drafted by Crawford; cleared by Strong, Talbot, and Slater; and approved by Johnson. Repeated to Amman and Cairo and pouched to Beirut, Damascus, London, and Jidda.

207. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between the Assistant Secretary State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Talbot) and the President’s Deputy Special Counsel (Feldman)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Israel, 11/7/63–11/17/63. Confidential. Drafted by Talbot.

208. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Iraq

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 26 IRAQ. Confidential. Drafted by Killgore and Davies on April 4, cleared by Strong and Judd, and approved by Talbot. Repeated to London, Ankara, and Tehran.

209. Telegram From the Embassy in Saudi Arabia to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 YEMEN. Secret; Operational Immediate; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Cairo, London, USUN, and Taiz.

210. Memorandum From the Director of the Near East, South Asia and Africa Region, Bureau of International Security Affairs, Department of Defense (Fuqua) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Nitze)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 67 A 4564, Middle East 1963 000.1—. Secret; Limited Distribution. Drafted by Stoddart.