Office of the Historian

8. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Algeria0

Washington, October 15, 1963, 6:52 p.m.

609. French Ambassador advised Secretary today1 that GOF does not intend get involved in Moroccan-Algerian dispute. Possible solutions were direct negotiations between two countries possibly with assist from Tunisia, OAU or UN. He stated Moroccans had advanced to points within Algerian territory as last administered by French, while admitting international border in this region had never been defined.

Secretary indicated USG would also not wish become involved and would certainly refrain from any initiatives this direction. In view boundary history resort to ICJ would not seem be feasible means for resolution of problem. Therefore Algerian-Moroccan negotiations would appear be only course open.

Alphand listed as possible Moroccan aims: (1) seizure of limited number of advanced points in preparation for border negotiations, (2) obtaining control of Tindouf and its mineral deposits and possibly (3) positioning for greater pressures on Mauritania.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 32-1 ALG-MOR. Confidential. Drafted by Hooper and approved by Williams. Also sent to Rabat and repeated to Paris and Tunis.↩
  2. A memorandum of this conversation is ibid.↩