Office of the Historian

Libya

70. Telegram From the Embassy in Libya to the Department of State

Tripoli, March 30, 1965, 11 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15 LIBYA–US. Secret; Priority. Repeated to London, USAFE, USCINCEUR, Baida, and Benghazi.

71. National Intelligence Estimate

Washington, April 22, 1965.

Source: Central Intelligence Agency: Job 79–R01012A, NIE and SNIE Files. Secret; Controlled Dissem. According to a note on the cover sheet: “The following intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of this estimate: The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, Defense, and the NSA.” All members of the U.S. Intelligence Board concurred in the estimate except for the AEC representative and the Assistant to the Director of the FBI, who abstained because the subject was outside of their jurisdiction.

72. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Williams) to the Ambassador at Large (Harriman)

Washington, June 25, 1965.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) LIBYA. Confidential. Drafted by McClanahan.

73. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to President Johnson

Washington, August 31, 1965, 6 p.m.

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of Robert W. Komer, Libya, 1965–March 1966. Secret.

74. Letter From President Johnson to King Idris

Washington, September 1, 1965.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–1 LIBYA. Secret. Circular airgram CA–2580, September 2, transmitted the text of the letter to the Embassy in Tripoli with instructions that it be delivered at an appropriate moment as soon as possible after the presentation of Ambassador Newsom’s credentials. (Ibid., POL 15–1 US/Johnson) David D. Newsom, who replaced Ambassador Lightner, presented his credentials on October 16. He presented the letter to King Idris on November 8.

75. Memorandum From Harold H. Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to President Johnson

Washington, November 19, 1965, 7:45 p.m.

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Libya, Vol. II, 7/64–12/68. Secret.

76. Memorandum of Conversation

Washington, January 27, 1966, 1 p.m.

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of Robert W. Komer, Libya, 1965–March 1966. Secret. Drafted by Assistant Secretary for European Affairs John M. Leddy and approved in S on February 18. The source text is labeled “Part II of IV.” The conversation was held during a luncheon in the Madison Room at the Department of State.

77. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

Washington, February 25, 1966, 6:18 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 1–1 LIBYA. Secret; Priority; Limdis. Drafted by Campbell in AF/AFN; cleared by Root, Lang, Meyers, and Judd; and approved by Trimble. Repeated to Tripoli and Monrovia for Kitchen.

78. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State

London, March 9, 1966, 1835Z.2

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 1–1 LIBYA. Secret; Limdis. Repeated to DOD, Tripoli, CINCSTRIKE, and EUCOM.

79. Memorandum From Harold H. Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Acting Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Komer)

Washington, March 15, 1966.

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of Robert W. Komer, Libya, 1965–March 1966. Secret.

80. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Palmer) to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (Mann)

Washington, April 25, 1966.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 LIBYA. Confidential. Drafted by Campbell.

81. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

Washington, August 26, 1966, 6:13 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15 LIBYA–UK. Secret. Drafted by Campbell, cleared by Looram in AF and Shullaw in EUR/PMI, and approved by Kitchen. Also sent to Tripoli and repeated to Baida.

82. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Libya

Washington, January 11, 1967, 3:40 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15 LIBYA–UK. Secret; Limdis. Drafted by Campbell, cleared by Judd and Major Pinckney in G/PM, and approved by Root. Repeated to London, Baida, and Benghazi.

83. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Libya

Washington, June 2, 1967, 5:54 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15 LIBYA–US. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Newsom; cleared by Hilbert of USAF, Wolf in G/PM, Root, Bergus in NEA/UAR, Colonel Kennedy in DOD/ISA, Neuman in L/AF, and the NE Task Force; and approved by Trimble. Also sent to Baida and repeated to Benghazi, Cairo, CINCEUR, and CINCUSAFE.

84. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Libya

Washington, June 7, 1967, 6:19 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15 LIBYA–US. Confidential; Immediate. Drafted by Tron and Root, cleared by Cooper in S/AH and Bader in DOD/ISA, and approved by Trimble.

85. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Libya

Washington, June 13, 1967, 4:44 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15 LIBYA–US. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Drafted by Root and Campbell of AFN; cleared by Kitchen, Lang of DOD/ISA, General Sibley of the Joint Staff, General Martin of USAF, Neuman, Judd, and NEA Deputy Assistant Secretary Rodger P. Davies; and approved by Palmer. Repeated to USCINCEUR and CINCUSAFE.

86. Telegram From the Embassy in Libya to the Department of State

Tripoli, June 15, 1967, 1500Z.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15 LIBYA–US. Secret; Flash. Repeated to London, CINCUSAFE, and CINCEUR and passed to the White House, DOD, CIA, USIA, NSA, COMAC, CINCSTRIKE, and USUN.

87. Telegram From the Embassy in Libya to the Department of State

Tripoli, June 16, 1967, 0905Z.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15 LIBYA–US. Secret; Flash. Repeated to London, CINCEUR, and CINCUSAFE and passed to the White House, CIA, USIA, DOD, NSA, COMAC for POLAD, CINCSTRIKE, and USUN.

88. Telegram From the Embassy in Libya to the Department of State

Tripoli, June 22, 1967, 0945Z.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15 LIBYA–US. Secret; Priority. Repeated to CINCEUR, CINCUSAFE, and London and passed to the White House, DOD, CIA, USIA, NSA, COMAC, CINCSTRIKE, and USUN.

89. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Libya

Washington, June 30, 1967, 3:58 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15 LIBYA–US. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Campbell on June 29; cleared by Eugene V. Rostow, Jones in AF, Root, Neuman, Wolf, Judd, Kohler, General Sibley of JCS, Bronez and Bader in DOD/ISA, and Hilbert; and approved by Palmer. Repeated to London, CINCEUR, and CINCUSAFE.

90. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Libya

Washington, July 16, 1967, 3:02 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15 LIBYA–US. Secret; Immediate. Drafted by Root, cleared by Colonel Kennedy in DOD/ISA, and approved by Palmer. Repeated to London, CINCEUR, and CINCUSAFE.

92. Memorandum of Conversation

Tobruk, Libya, August 30, 1967.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL LIBYA–US. Secret. Drafted by Suddarth on September 6. The conversation was held at the Royal Palace (Bab Zaytun). The source text is enclosure 1 of airgram A–61 from Tripoli, September 7. (Ibid.)

93. Memorandum of Conversation

Washington, October 17, 1967, 10 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 7 LIBYA. Confidential. Drafted by Sacksteder and approved in S on October 18. The conversation was held in the Secretary’s office at the Department of State.

94. Memorandum From the Director for Plans and Policy, Joint Staff (Johnson) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Hoopes)

Washington, November 14, 1967.

Source: Department of Defense, JCS Files, 842/365 (28 Aug. 67) IR 2543 Sec. 1. Secret.

95. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Washington, March 28, 1968, 10:45 a.m.

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Libya, Vol. II, 7/64–12/68. Confidential.

96. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Washington, April 11, 1968, 4:35 p.m.

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Libya, Proposed Visit of PM Bakkush, 9/25–26/68. Confidential.

98. Memorandum From Harold H. Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow)

Washington, September 4, 1968.

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Libya, Proposed Visit of PM Bakkush, 9/25–26/68. Confidential.

  1. Beginning in Spring 1965, the dates and transmission times of all incoming Department of State telegrams were in 6-figure date-time-groups. The “Z” refers to Greenwich mean time. ↩