142. Memorandum for the Record0
SUBJECT
- The Future of SAC Bases in Morocco
I-20180/63
On 7 January 1963 a meeting was held with Mr. Witman and others at State to discuss the import of Mr. Gilpatric’s letter to Mr. Ball of 26 December. Major General Wade outlined what the Air Force had in mind when it referred to retaining the bases at Sidi Slimane and Ben Guerir in a “mothball or standby” status. General Wade mentioned 5 purposes: (1) preclusion; (2) support for contingency operations (including the prompt pre-strike stationing of SAC bombers); (3) MATS operations; (4) fair weather training for forces stationed in Europe; and (5) post-strike recovery.
Sidi would be manned by 300 AF personnel, and Ben Guerir would be manned by 200 AF personnel, with no more than a total of 1,000 dependents at both bases residing in the guaranteed rental housing [Page 217] which exists at both bases. The bases would be maintained in a status which would permit their use as emergency weather alternates for the Spanish bases, and for MATS landings.
To carry out this proposal for the 2 bases would not require the return of equipment already removed under the existing phaseout plan. Only excess equipment has been removed to date.
Initially the Air Force does not envisage a great use of the facilities, but it would increase this use from time to time to see “how much the traffic would bear.”
Mr. Witman noted that excluding any Moroccan activity at the bases posed two problems: 1) such an arrangement would not provide the economic benefits which the Moroccans were led to expect from the Baxter report; and 2) more importantly, it would be more difficult for Hassan to provide a gimmick to justify domestically a continued US presence at the bases.
He also noted that the Air Force’s proposal probably would generate Moroccan expectations for greater economic assistance than we presently envisage. We have just informed the GOM that $20 million in support assistance has been programmed for FY 63. The present projection for FY 64 is $10 million and for FY 65 zero.
While the FAA will soon visit Nouasseur to see what is required to make that a civilian airport, AID and DOD will check in this country to determine what is needed for such an airport, what is available at that base presently, and what will have to be funded by AID. The Moroccans have suggested that Pan Am be allowed to use Nouasseur as early as this coming April. General Wade indicated that this would not interfere with our present function there, and many thought that this would allow the American carrier to obtain an advantage over its foreign competitors and thus assure an adequate American presence there.
In summing up Bill Witman noted that we had three significant projects in Morocco: Voice of America facilities; Naval communications at Kenitra; and the Air Force bases. In view of Hassan’s forthcoming visit to the US and the Moroccans’ refusal to undertake meaningful discussions on the issue of post-1963 US presence at these facilities until the King’s visit, we should endeavor to establish, before then, an order of priority among these three undertakings and to arrive at some estimate of the price, both economic and political, which we are willing to pay for each one.
- Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 67 A 4564, Morocco, 333-680.1, 1963. Secret. Drafted by Roland A. Paul of the Office of Foreign Military Rights Affairs, Bureau of International Security Affairs, Department of Defense, on January 9. Copies were sent to William Bundy and Sloan.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩