75. Memorandum From Harold H. Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to President Johnson1
You scored with your letter to Libya’s King Idris. He was quite pleased and assured Ambassador Newsom we could stay at Wheelus Airbase through our present agreement (1971) and maybe even beyond. So without promising to do any more than “consult” if Libya is attacked, we’ve successfully parried the King’s request for a security guarantee yet still kept his backing. This is the capstone of our effort to end the threat to our tenure triggered by Nasser’s February 1964 anti-base speech (a good example of how he can hurt us without spending a cent).
However, this is just a battle won. While the politicians have knuckled under to the King for the moment, we can never tell when they’ll stir up the base issue again. We’re also vulnerable when occasional plane crashes draw attention to the base, especially if they harm Libyan lives or property. The other crucial variable is whether Nasser continues to lay off. We’ve come back better than we thought possible, but we’re still holding our breath.