Office of the Historian

378. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom0

Washington, December 3, 1963, 8:17 p.m.

3413. USG has increasing evidence YARG leaders desire good relations with both SAG and HMG/SAF, partly no doubt as result increasing [Page 822] revulsion against UAR occupation Yemen. Accordingly, tangible HMG gestures in direction propitiating YARG over coming weeks would appear be in HMG’s overall interest. HMG agreement to Aden border pullback1 is step in this direction. Would be most helpful in addition if HMG could “clear air” further by: (1) making more vigorous effort circumscribe free-wheeling activities Sharif of Beihan (FYI. We remain unconvinced Aden authorities doing their utmost this regard. End FYI); (2) passing word to royalists HMG fully supports Spinelli effort obtain political compromise in order spike royalist belief they enjoy HMG moral and—potentially material—support; and (3) agreeing to exchange Consuls with YARG in order establish useful line of communication with YARG and to get USG off embarrassing hook of seeming endorse series of HMG representations to YARG. Request your comments as to appropriateness making above points to HMG at this time.2

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 YEMEN. Confidential. Drafted by Seelye, cleared by Davies and Judd, and approved by Jernegan. Repeated to Cairo, Jidda, Taiz, Dhahran, Aden, and USUN.↩
  2. Documentation is ibid., POL 32–1 ADEN-YEMEN. See also the Supplement, the compilation on Yemen.↩
  3. On December 4, the Embassy in London responded in telegram 2615 that while the British Government was reluctant to improve relations with Yemen for a number of reasons, the United States should continue to press them on this subject. The Embassy offered further proposals on how to approach the United Kingdom on this subject in telegram 2631, December 5. Both telegrams are in Department of State, Central Files, POL 32–1 ADEN-YEMEN.↩