Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXI, Near East Region; Arabian Peninsula

407. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Arab Republic¹

Washington, August 20, 1966, 2:54 p.m.

32315. Yemen Mediation.

1. In light Kuwaiti request,² Embassies Cairo and Jidda may indicate at appropriate level local foreign ministries continuing USG interest in solution Yemen problem and hope that governments will continue show forthcoming attitude as reflected in recently concluded meeting in Kuwait.³

2. Request Embassy Kuwait inform posts substance proposal as it emerged after Pharaon-Khouli discussions.⁴

Rusk

1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964-66 POL 27 YEMEN. Confidential; Priority; Limdis. Drafted by Davies and approved by Hare. Also sent to Kuwait and Jidda and repeated to Beirut and Taiz.
2. In telegram 137 from Kuwait, August 20, Cottam reported that Bishara had asked for U.S. support of Kuwait’s proposal for a Yemen settlement. (Ibid.)
3. In telegram 662 from Jidda, August 22, Seelye reported that he discussed Yemen with Mas’ud that day as instructed. (Ibid.) In telegram 1026 from Cairo, August 25, Nes reported that he discussed Yemen at length with EL Fekki, expressing the hope that some progress had been made in the recent al-Khouri-Pharaon talks in Kuwait. EL Fekki responded that the talks had gone well, but that subsequent Saudi secret contacts with royalist tribal leaders in Yemen indicated that King Faisal was not sincerely interested in a solution. (Ibid.)
4. In telegram 866 from Jidda, September 6, Eilts reported that following his return to Jidda, Saqqaf had informed him of the current status of the Kuwait mediation effort, which now called for: a) a transitional Yemeni government (3/5 republican, 2/5 royalist); b) UAR troop withdrawal within 9 months after a new Haradh conference convened October 1-15; and c) withdrawal of Hamid ad-Din and other “undesirables” when UAR troops were down to 3,000 i.e., a number equal to the proposed 3,000-man Arab peacekeeping force. Saqqaf also said that, on instructions from the King, Pharaon had insisted during the negotiations with Al-Khouli that one-fifth of the republican three-fifths be “third force” republicans. The Kuwaitis had since told the Saudis that the United Arab Republic had demanded that the Hamid ad-Din be excluded when the half of the UAR forces had been withdrawn. (Ibid.)