Office of the Historian

321. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to President Johnson1

Washington, January 31, 1964.

Yemen. This is merely to inform you that we have quietly and successfully redeployed our miniscule jet fighter force (8 planes) out of Saudi Arabia.2 Defense has been panting to do so for months and you’ll recall we finally agreed to leave them there till 31 January only to make sure Faysal extended the disengagement rather than reopening the Yemen war.

Your 19 January letter to Faysal3 clinched his adherence, and he raised no objection at all when we told him we were withdrawing above “training” mission. His subsequent friendly letter to you4 didn’t even raise the question (we’re preparing a suitable reply).

In fact, our best guess is that the Yemen flap is about over (there’s been little fighting for months), and a UAR/Saudi reconciliation in the cards. I may be wrong but I think we can keep this messy little problem off your list of trouble spots.

R. W. Komer 5
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Yemen, Memos, Vol. I, 11/63-6/64. Secret.↩
  2. On June 13, 1963, President Kennedy approved the temporary deployment of an air unit (operation Hard Surface) composed of eight U.S. F-100D tactical fighter aircraft and one transport-type command support aircraft to Saudi Arabia in exchange for Saudi agreement to end all aid to the Royalist side in the Yemen civil war.↩
  3. Reference is to Johnson’s letter of December 19, 1963; see Foreign Relations, 1961–1963, vol. XVIII, Document 389.↩
  4. For text of Faisal’s January 11 letter, see Document 221.↩
  5. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩