Office of the Historian

180. Memorandum of Conversation1

Washington, September 19, 1968, 11:30 a.m.

SUBJECT

  • Tunisian Security

PARTICIPANTS

  • Ambassador Rachid Driss, Tunisian Ambassador to U.S.
  • Mr. Hamed Ammar, Minister, Tunisian Embassy
  • Mr. Eugene Rostow, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
  • Mr. John F. Root, Country Director for North African Affairs
  • Mr. Grant McClanahan, Country Officer for Tunisian Affairs
  • Mr. R.T. Grey, Special Assistant to the Under Secretary

Ambassador Driss said that Tunisia, having withdrawn for good from the Arab League, now feels isolated like a star in the sky. They hope their friends understand them. What was the best thing for Tunisia to do about its security in the present situation, when they have no treaty with anyone?

Mr. Rostow observed that U.S. policy since the 1950’s has been to support the independence and territorial integrity of all states in the Middle East. The Congress even declared it to be our policy in 1957. That policy had been the basis of our support for Israel, of the UAR in 1957, and it was our general line of policy. President Eisenhower even landed troops in Lebanon in 1958.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23 TUN. Secret. Drafted by McClanahan on September 20 and approved in M on October 2. The source text is labeled “Part 2 of 2.” The meeting was held in Rostow’s office.↩