Office of the Historian

376. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Arab Republic to the Department of State1

Cairo, January 9, 1967, 1437Z.

3753. For the Secretary. I understand you are seeing my colleague Ambassador Kamel tomorrow.2 In connection this appointment I hope [Page 735] you will read Cairo’s 3744 and 37523 which I trust my old friends in Secretariat will make available to you. I am deeply disturbed at drift and deterioration US position stemming in large part from strong Egyptian belief we are long overdue in giving them answer to their request of last March for additional food. I have seen the report of the IRG meeting of December 19, 1966,4 with which I strongly concur and urge your approval and that of the President of the recommendations contained therein. Regards.

Battle
  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, AID (US) 15 UAR. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Passed to the White House.↩
  2. Rusk met with Kamel on January 12; see Document 378.↩
  3. Telegram 3744 from Cairo, January 9, reported a meeting of Owen T. Jones, the new director of the AID mission in Cairo, with UAR officials. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, AID (US) 15 UAR) Telegram 3752 from Cairo, January 9, reported a meeting between Battle and Finance Minister Hasan Zaki, in which Zaki contrasted the delayed U.S. response to UAR food requests with the allegedly prompt Soviet response to the UAR request in December. Battle commented that the conversation underscored the importance of an early response. (Ibid., POL UAR-US)↩
  4. At its meeting on December 19, 1966, the Interdepartmental Regional Group for Near East and South Asia decided that, on balance, it was desirable for U.S. long-run interests in its relations with the UAR and more broadly in the Near East to offer some food aid to the UAR. It recommended offering a package of $50 to $70 million of commodities for sale under P.L. 480. (Memorandum from Davies to Rusk, January 5; ibid.; and record of meeting, December 19, 1966; Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of Harold Saunders, NSC, SIG, IRG)↩