143. Memorandum From the Department of State Executive Secretary (Brubeck) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)0
SUBJECT
- Recommending Presidential Messages to President Qudsi of Syria
Despite categorical public and private denials by our Embassy in Damascus, rumors of United States involvement in Syria on behalf of the United Arab Republic have circulated within Syria since the Nasserist insurrection in Aleppo in April 1962. We believe Communist and pro-Communist elements are giving these stories currency. We are particularly disturbed by evidence that high Syrian officials, possibly including President Qudsi himself, pay heed to them. On January 14, for example, a member of the Syrian cabinet who is associated with a political grouping which collaborates with the Communist Party charged that riots in South Syria had been fomented by elements that took orders from United States intelligence.1
On January 17, accusations against the United States took on an official character when the Supreme Military State Security Court trying the cases of officers accused of Nasserist mutiny in Aleppo last year implicated the American Consul General in Aleppo, Mr. Arthur B. Allen, in the mutiny. A synopsis of the Court’s charges together with a review of what we know to be true facts of the matter is enclosed.2 The Syrian Prime Minister, while stating he is personally prepared to believe our refutation of the charges against Allen, has nevertheless asked that the United States voluntarily withdraw him in order to avert his being declared persona non grata.
The situation with which we are confronted is somewhat reminiscent of 1957 when three United States diplomats were expelled on grounds of plotting against the Syrian state, when the United States retaliated by expelling the Syrian Ambassador and one of the members of his staff, and when a sharp rise in Communist influence in Syria occurred. We hope to avoid a repetition of this sequence but believe we should not allow ourselves to be whipsawed by a baseless smear campaign fomented by Communist elements. We therefore propose that we should [Page 327] stand our ground regarding Allen’s innocence and his right to finish his normal tour in Syria.
We consider President Qudsi the leading Syrian force for reason and moderation, but believe that he is handicapped as a result of army and extremist pressures. His hand might be strengthened materially if he were provided with a personal letter from the President endeavoring to dispel current misconceptions in Syria regarding our policy. We further believe that we might be able to avert an unpleasant showdown on the Allen case if Ambassador Knight could be authorized in addition to deliver an oral message from the President affirming Allen’s innocence and requesting President Qudsi to permit him to finish out his normal two-year tour which ends in September. Accordingly, we request the President’s approval of the enclosed telegram.3
We recommend that no publicity be given either to the written or the oral message.
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Syria, 1/63–2/63. Secret.↩
- Documentation on the Syrian allegations is in Department of State, Central Files 783.00 and 611.83.↩
- Attached but not printed.↩
- The telegram was subsequently revised and sent to Damascus as telegram 297, Document 147.↩
- Slater signed for Brubeck above Brubeck’s typed signature.↩