Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XVIII, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1964–1967

276. Telegram From the Department State to the Embassy in Jordan¹

Washington, February 26, 1966, 3:57 p.m.

404. Your 496.²

1. Request you deliver following oral message to King from President:

“After full and careful consideration of the problems you face, I have decided we should make a special effort on a one time basis to meet your request for supersonic defensive aircraft. You are already aware of the many reasons for our reluctance to make this decision. These reasons still exist. Our decision to proceed despite them takes into account the special relationship between our two countries and the extreme pressures that you have felt. The proposals that I have authorized Ambassador Barnes to deliver to you represent a maximum stretching of our policy, and I therefore earnestly hope that you will find them acceptable.”

2. You will receive by separate message further instructions regarding proposal you should present to King.³

3. If King should remark on absence any reference in President’s oral messages to his complaints about aid program or other sections of his letter, you may state you informed full letter under study and that appropriate responses will be forthcoming. Dept would welcome any comments you have in that connection.⁴

Rusk

1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 12–5 JORDAN. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Drafted by Symmes on February 24; cleared by Davies, Colonel Byrd, Meyers, and Komer, in draft by Stoddart, and in substance by Hoopes; and approved by Hare.
2. Not printed. (Ibid.)
3. Telegram 405 to Amman, February 26, conveyed instructions for Barnes’ detailed presentation. It authorized him to offer up to 36 rehabilitated F–104 A/B series supersonic interceptors in three equal increments. If the first increment, for delivery in calendar year 1968, did not create “unmanageable problems,” Jordan would have the option of purchasing 24 additional F–104As or Bs. It also set forth U.S. requirements: Jordan should reconfirm its previous undertaking to make no arms purchases from the Soviet bloc, the delivery of the last 24 aircraft would be keyed to the phase out of Jordanian Hawker Hunters, and Jordan would continue to take all necessary steps to minimize budgetary costs of modernizing its armed forces. The offer was contingent on UAC provision of funds, and no credit would be extended. (Ibid.)
4. Barnes reported in telegram 525 from Amman, March 1, that he had made the presentation to the King. (Ibid.)