306. Memorandum From William H. Brubeck of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy0
This is the first time you have seen Horace Torbert, our Ambassador to Somalia. He has been in Mogadiscio, his first Ambassadorial post, since December 1962, is career Foreign Service Officer whose background is mostly Western and Central Europe.
You remember that Haile Selassie complained about our military aid to the Somalis and you promised to reexamine it after we found out what deal the Somalis were making in Moscow.
The Somalis are about to accept a $30 million Soviet military aid package knowing that they will thus lose an $18 million five-year US-German-Italian program.1 Although they are Western oriented their primary drive is a military strength (which they can’t afford) to back up their quarrel with the Ethiopians and Kenya over borders.
In addition to our small economic aid program the Somalis have received large aid grants from the Chicoms and Russians.
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries, Somali Republic. Confidential.↩
- At a tripartite meeting in Bonn October 17-18, U.S., German, and Italian representatives reached agreement on a joint military aid package for Somalia. (Telegram 1413 from Bonn, October 18; Department of State, Central Files, DEF 19 SOMALI)↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩