Office of the Historian

30. Memorandum From the Department of State Executive Secretary (Read) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)0

Washington, November 4, 1963.

SUBJECT

  • Algerian-Moroccan Dispute: Request of Algerian Special Representative to Call on President

Algerian Special Representative Muhammad Yazid arrived in Washington November 4 and has asked for an appointment with the [Page 37] President in order to deliver a special message from Ben Bella.1 The Moroccans had previously informed us of their desire to send Prince Moulay Abdullah to Washington as the special representative of King Hassan with a message for the President. Prince Abdullah has been delayed but may arrive within the next two weeks.

To help preserve the current delicate cease-fire by all means at our disposal and because Ambassador Porter has been able to see Ben Bella at will even during the recent fighting, the Department recommends that the President receive Yazid. It is also recommended that the Department inform the Moroccans of this and that the President be prepared to receive Moroccan Prince Abdullah if he comes to Washington as planned.2

John A. McKesson3
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 32-1 ALG-MOR. Secret. Drafted by Stoltzfus and approved by Tasca.↩
  2. Yazid met November 8 with the President. For a summary of their conversation, see Document 89.↩
  3. Ferguson warned on November 6 that untold damage had been done by agreeing to Yazid’s appointment with the President before indicating U.S. willingness to receive Moulay Abdullah, the King’s brother, whom Hassan had chosen as his emissary. He urged that the President send a personal message to the King indicating that he would be pleased to receive the Prince. (Telegram 795 from Rabat; Department of State, Central Files, POL 32-1 ALG-MOR) The Department responded that, once Yazid’s appointment was set, it had immediately informed the Moroccan Embassy that the Prince would be welcome. (Telegram 1121 to Rabat, November 6; ibid.)↩
  4. Printed from a copy that indicates McKesson signed the original above Read’s typed signature.↩