Office of the Historian

41. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy Office in Baida, Libya1

Washington, March 8, 1964, 5:34 p.m.

18. Please convey following oral, personal message from President Johnson to King Idris:

Your Majesty:

The United States, since the days it fought beside the United Kingdom in furtherance of Libya’s independence has been keenly interested in the future and welfare of Your Majesty’s country.

Your Majesty will, I know, agree that in the years since independence, our cooperation at the Wheelus Air Base has been beneficial to us both. I am now deeply concerned that this important element in our cooperation may be threatened.

We believe the presence of this valuable installation helps to symbolize and demonstrate the substantial nature of our common efforts. We believe, in the years ahead, it will be of genuine benefit to the development of Libya’s own air force. We would deeply regret moves which might unnecessarily disturb this cooperation and require negotiation under undue pressures or in the face of foregone conclusions.2

We are, of course, prepared fully to discuss this question at the request of your Government. I hope that a high level U.S. official who will be in the area within the next few weeks may have an opportunity quietly and in confidence and frankness review with Your Majesty and the Prime Minister this general question. Until then, we would strongly hope that such public statements as the Libyan Government may be obliged to make would not prejudice either the pace or the outcome of any discussions of this matter.

I make this approach, Your Majesty, with full appreciation of the problems of the Libyan Government. As a good friend to Libya, however, I would urge that your Government not move too precipitously on a matter of great importance to us both. Lyndon B. Johnson.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15 LIBYA–US. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Drafted by Newsom; cleared by Bronez in DOD, Harriman, and McGeorge Bundy; and approved by Tasca. Repeated to Tripoli. Due to the distribution of Libyan Ministries between Baida and Tripoli, the Ambassador maintained residences at both locations.↩
  2. On February 22, UAR President Nasser made a speech declaring that no country could claim independence unless the military bases on its territory were liquidated. The Libyan Government subsequently announced that it did not intend to renew the treaties whereby the United States and the United Kingdom maintained bases in Libya.↩