155. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Regional Affairs (Sloan) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Gilpatric)0
SUBJECT
- Morocco
We have reached a critical point in the Air Force withdrawal from the SAC bases in Morocco. The Air Force is holding at Nouasseur certain property recommended by the FAA as needed for the conversion of this base to a civil airport. The property is non-excess to Air Force needs, however, and arrangements must be made to reimburse the Air Force for its value ($650,000). To this end, AID has included this sum in the Development Loan under negotiation with the Moroccans for the Nouasseur conversion project.
While the Moroccans have stated their willingness to pay for the property with Development Loan financing, this has not yet been reduced to writing. In the absence of a written Moroccan commitment, AID is unwilling to give the Air Force the firm assurances it needs before it can relinquish the property involved. In turn, the Air Force, which has frozen the property since August, states that, unless it receives assurances of reimbursement now, it must begin shipping the property out. To delay further would greatly increase the costs to the Air Force of removing the property, if this could be accomplished at all by the December 31st withdrawal deadline.
Our efforts to gain from AID the assurances that the Air Force needs have been unavailing. AID is unwilling to assume any risk, regardless of how small, that the Development Loan might not go through. If the Air Force starts shipping the property, however, we can expect a strong reaction from the Moroccans, with the real possibility that our objectives at Kenitra would be endangered.
Accordingly, I recommend that you call George Ball to gain his assistance in trying to persuade Dave Bell to give the Air Force the assurances it needs.