Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XVIII, Near East, 1962–1963

350. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Saudi Arabia⁰

Washington, October 28, 1963, 9:06 p.m.

342. For Ambassador from Talbot.

1. You should disclose to Faysal by most expeditious appropriate means UAR statement to UNSYG that in addition to announced withdrawal six thousand troops he expressed intent withdraw another five thousand by end of year. (This parallels Nasser’s statement to Badeau in Cairo’s 969.)¹ This indicates withdrawal process is continuing albeit not as rapidly as we had hoped.

2. Cable from USUN informs you that SYG has decided to publish his report Tuesday PM (New York time). We have not seen report but understand it will announce termination UNYOM and place primary responsibility on Saudi unwillingness to agree to its continuance. Report will cite Faysal statement that, in absence evidence disengagement agreement will be implemented soon, SAG will make no further commitment to share costs. While we hope to gain postponement, believe Faysal should be aware of deadline and that Saudi unwillingness to agree to extension now will have effect of taking pressure off Nasser for disengagement and place onus on Saudis to own political disadvantage. We hope Faysal will ponder carefully full implications of failure to agree to UNYOM extension which in our judgment would leave him, at least in eyes of international opinion, in weaker political position than necessary. If you think it effective you should remind Faysal again that in your judgment if the demise of UNYOM can be blamed on him in above manner USG will have no alternative but to withdraw Hard Surface aircraft.

3. You should inform Faysal that in light of these new developments President again urges HRH to continue support of UNYOM to permit continued progress toward our mutual objective of reducing UAR presence to insure that Yemenis can determine their own future. President desires you to push Faysal hard to continue support UNYOM and disengagement agreement.

FYI. President has authorized me to inform you that his present intention is to withdraw Hard Surface if Saudis resume supply of arms to royalists; however, if Saudis continue support of UNYOM and disengagement President prepared leave them longer—say to end of year. End FYI.²

Ball

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 YEMEN/UN. Secret; Flash; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Davies; cleared by Cleveland, Komer, and Moor; and approved by Talbot. Repeated to Cairo, London, Taiz, and USUN.
1. See footnote 6, Document 348.
2. Hart met with Faysal on October 30. His telegraphic report is in telegram 463 from Jidda, November 1. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 YEMEN/UN) A memorandum of the conversation was sent in airgram A-156 from Jidda, November 7. (Ibid., POL 15–1 SAUD) On October 31, after further U.S. representations, Faysal agreed to continue financing UNYOM for an additional 2 months, but asked for additional U.S. pressure to obtain a UAR withdrawal. (Telegram 116 to Kuwait, November 4; ibid., POL 27–14 YEMEN/UN)