228. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Arab Republic to the Department of State1
261. I was summoned today from a lunch at the Australian Embassy attended by the Ambassadors of France, Italy, UK to see the Foreign Min as soon as possible. I began by thanking the Foreign Min [Page 479] for a most pleasant dinner at his house the preceding night. He said he regretted having to disturb me but that he wished to bring on behalf of the President a matter to my attention that he assumed I had already been informed about—the arrest of Mostafa Amin in Alexandria yesterday. Reading from pencilled notes he then stated that an American Embassy official, Mr. Bruce Odell had been lunching with Mr. Amin in what was apparently a weekly lunch (I expressed great surprise at this point), but that immediately on ascertaining the identity of Mr. Odell he had been released although Mr. Amin was under arrest following a surveillance of many weeks. The Minister stated that Mr. Amin had apparently for some time given info to CIA, some of it, as was done yesterday, of a military and security nature. Mr. Amin had claimed to have a personal continuing relationship of confidence with President Nasser, a relationship which did not exist. I stated that I had in fact heard of the incident but that my knowledge of the facts was rather sketchy. I stated, however, that I was shocked at the implications that he had apparently read into a routine lunch with Mr. Amin who had a wide acquaintance among diplomats and Americans and had seen them off and on over the years as I understood it. I said I rejected any idea that there was anything improper in the lunch with Mr. Odell who happened to be vacationing in Alexandria in recent days. I said also that the treatment which had been accorded Mr. Odell had been considerably less than courteous and customary when a diplomat was involved. He appeared surprised and asked me to explain what I meant. I said that my conversation with Mr. Odell on his return this morning had been extremely brief and that I would not want to go into any detail on a matter with which I was not completely informed. I then stated I assumed that he had told me the foregoing for my info and that he would continue to investigate the matter as would I. I said that I would hope that any matter of this seriousness would not be permitted to become a major issue between the U.S. and the U.A.R. as I had worked for many months to improve our relations and viewed with alarm any threat to our friendship and cooperation. I said that the charges with respect to Mr. Odell were most serious and that I found them impossible to believe or accept. We paused for a moment and I then asked whether the fact he had seen me today would be a matter of public record and what he intended to say to the local press concerning our conversation. I said I was concerned because the American press knew of the incident and I might have to make some statement to them in the event he intended to make our conversation public. He then stated he had no intention and, in fact, had not even thought of making a statement. I said that in the event either he or I had to mention the matter publicly I would hope that we could confine our comments to the fact that he had informed me of the incident and that we were both looking into the facts with care. He readily agreed and then stated [Page 480] he did not know what President Nasser’s intentions were, but he implied rather strongly that the President would not be pursuing the issue. During the course of the conversation he remarked that if we wanted to know anything about the UAR I could always get a straight and sometimes colorful answer from the President and that he, the Minister, would always speak with me frankly and honestly. At this I replied that I was grateful for the frankness and sincerity of the President’s and his own conversations with me and, in fact, was increasingly pleased with the candor and warmth of the relationship between the Minister and me and I would not want any incident to interfere with either that relationship or the increasing friendship between our two countries. He readily agreed. In parting I again stated my great shock at the incident and my concern over the implications he had read into a routine lunch.
Comment
The conversation was very warm, very friendly and more in sorrow than in anger. I am convinced that to the best of the Min’s ability this matter will be dropped although he appears to have some uncertainty as to Nasser’s intentions which will probably be clear to us in his speeches in the next few days.
I think it is vital that this matter not be permitted to get out of hand and that we be as restrained and relaxed as possible in dealing with the press. Our earlier recommendation that we refer to the fact that an Embassy officer was detained but that he was released when his identity was established is by far the best line I can think of. I cannot get through the day without having to take it with some of the press. If you have any different views, send them to me as quickly as possible.
Addendum:
PAO has just been informed by Reuters correspondent that Mena plans issue statement to effect Bruce Taylor Odell arrested along with Mostafa Amin and had been communicating with Amin re internal affairs in UAR; that there was list of questions from Odell to Amin in his handwriting at time of arrest; and that Odell had been released after claiming diplomatic immunity.
In view this development and to dampen increasingly wild rumors I plan brief American correspondents this afternoon along lines proposal Embtel 255.2
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL UAR-US. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. The telegram does not indicate the time of transmission; it was received at 12:21 p.m. Passed to the White House.↩
- Telegram 255 from Cairo, July 22, recommended informing the press that Embassy Political Attache Bruce Odell was lunching with Amin at his house when the latter was arrested and that Odell was detained there for 1 hour and 45 minutes until his identity was established and then was released. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, United Arab Republic, Vol. IV)↩