209. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State1
629. Embtel 6192—JAA tanks. Saw King Hussein afternoon April 21 re redeployment JAA tanks. Reminded him of our earlier conversation [Page 445] and his assurance that under normal circumstances tanks would be kept on East Bank and that he would do everything possible to avoid provocative actions. Said I recognized that he and he alone could make decisions re legitimate self defense requirements of Jordan, but I had nevertheless been requested to raise question of tanks on West Bank since this seemed contrary to his own earlier assurances. Added that we had absolutely no evidence of any Israeli build-up or redeployment and under circumstances we were fearful that stationing of tanks on West Bank could trigger very reaction we all sought to avoid. Said that we recognized his concerns over dangers inherent in present state of tension and were doing everything in our power to prevent resort to arms as solution to present problems. His recent action in redeployment of tanks if known on other side could well work against objectives which I thought we both shared.
King replied that it was quite correct he had earlier given assurances that under normal circumstances tanks would be retained on East Bank and he felt that he was still operating within framework of those assurances and his own responsibilities for providing all possible defense for Jordan. First, he could hardly describe present situation as being “normal circumstances” which he and I had previously discussed. He had no evidence of an Israeli build-up but he had to face stark reality that Israel had categorically threatened to stop Arab water works by force if necessary. This meant to him that conflict was inevitable and under circumstances he had to take such measures as he could to protect Jordan. Second, tanks that were moved were Charioteers which could hardly be considered a threat. They had been deployed in defensive positions as an anti-tank weapon and in fact they were only anti-tank weapons now available to him. Third, all other tanks including all U.S. models had been retained on East Bank and would continue to be kept there. It was true that he had ordered certain redeployments in last few weeks but in every case he had kept major installations way back from frontier and nothing that had been done could in the least be considered provocative. Fourth, he felt that in his own national interest it was essential that he maintain adequate defense of northwestern frontier against possibility of tank attack which he would under other circumstances be unable to halt. Putting his tanks into defensive positions today rather than after an Israeli build-up was detected seemed less provocative than if this were done at later date.
In summary, he said he hoped that Washington would recognize fact that he had not undertaken a provocative action; that this redeployment was relatively minor and entirely defensive in nature. He said he would be glad to have me discuss other changes in military formations that caused us concern, but as he had told me before my departure [Page 446] for Geneva, he thought USG had to proceed on hypothesis that Arab states and Israel were now on collision course and that conflict appeared inevitable in course of year. Until situation basically altered he would have to take reasonable precautions but he could assure us once again Arab states would not initiate any hostilities.
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 6–1 JORDAN. Secret. The time of transmission is not indicated on the telegram, which was received at 8:46 p.m. Repeated to CINCSTRIKE, Beirut, Damascus, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Baghdad.↩
- Telegram 619 from Amman, April 22, reported that some tanks had recently been stationed on the West Bank. Prime Minister Tell had stated that this was a purely defensive move and that the tanks would be withdrawn in the near future. Telegram 583 to Amman, April 17, instructed the Embassy that if further information confirmed the presence of a battalion of tanks on the West Bank, it should raise the subject with King Hussein. (Both ibid.)↩