Office of the Historian

242. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations0

Washington, May 10, 1963, 8:25 p.m.

2843. Further to last para Deptel 2829,1 Dept increasingly eager to have observer mission dispatched to Yemen very near future to minimize chances untoward incident which might wreck whole disengagement agreement.

Believe you should therefore seek early meeting with SYG asking for status report, and to impress upon him following:

(1)
Our hope he will now be able to press forward with small, symbolic UN mission to Yemen along lines always envisaged;
(2)
Our belief such mission sufficient since all parties to conflict anxious to disengage for reasons outlined numbered para 1 reftel; and Faysal has given his word of honor, which we accept, that SAG will adhere its undertaking.
(3)
Our conviction large force not needed and impractical for financial reasons. All that is necessary in our judgment is UN token group behind which parties can disengage without loss of face.

FYI. Dept especially concerned that SYG may have misgivings about Yemen mission in light of recommendations which Von Horn is making to him, even though latest report from Jerusalem (Contel 235)2 indicates Von Horn is not recommending as large force as first appeared likely (Contel 232).3 Care must be taken to avoid giving SYG impression our approach based on such fears since we learned nature Von Horn’s recommendations only on confidential basis. Perhaps tone of approach should be that Yemen problem much on our minds during his absence, and we hope he will now be free to get mission underway.4 End FYI.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 YEMEN/UN. Secret; Limited Distribution. Drafted by Campbell (IO/UNP); cleared by Sisco, Strong, Komer (in substance), and Hilliker (S/S); and approved by Wallner (IO). Repeated to Beirut, Cairo, Taiz, Jidda, and Jerusalem.↩
  2. Telegram 168 to Jerusalem, May 9, was repeated to USUN as telegram 2829. It contained a message to Von Horn concerning the observer force for Yemen. (Ibid.)↩
  3. Dated May 9. (Ibid.)↩
  4. Dated May 8. (Ibid.)↩
  5. Ambassador Stevenson delivered the points contained in this telegram to Secretary-General U Thant on May 15. U Thant said the problem remained how to get authorization for the deployment because the Soviet Union still insisted that Security Council action precede the move. (Ibid.)↩