Office of the Historian

232. Telegram From the Embassy in Iraq to the Department of State1

Baghdad, June 6, 1967, 2140Z.

2108. 1. According communiquè Oil Ministers’ Conference2 Baghdad June 4–5, unanimously passed two resolutions declaring (A) “Arab oil shall be denied to and shall not be allowed reach directly or indirectly countries committing aggression or participating in aggression on sovereignty of any Arab state or its territories or its territorial waters, particularly Gulf Aqaba,” and (B) “involvement any country, directly or indirectly in armed aggression against Arab states will make assets of its companies and nationals inside territories of Arab countries subject to laws war. This includes assets of oil companies.”

2. Conference also (A) recommended creation permanent committee Arab Foreign Ministers meet on 48-hour notice discuss what new attitudes might be classed as hostile to Arab nation; (B) recommended emergency meeting Arab states to enforce resolution in respect to all assets invested by companies, nationals of aggressor countries; (C) warned all foreign petroleum companies operating in Arab countries of consequences of supplying oil to Israel regardless its origin and whether this done directly or indirectly or in cooperation with others. Said companies would thus be liable have rules standard boycott law enforced against them; (D) considers signing any declaration affecting sovereignty Arab states over Gulf Aqaba will be act warranting banning tankers of signatory countries from transporting Arab oil; (E) stated committee Oil Ministers Arab producing countries “shall be formed to adopt necessary resolution”; (F) called on all Islamic and friendly oil producing countries, especially Iran, to take necessary steps to prevent oil from reaching Israel in any way.3

Duncan
  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Central Files, 1967–69, PET 17–1 ARAB. Unclassified. Repeated to Algiers, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Dhahran, Jidda, Kuwait, Tehran, Tripoli, and Basra.↩
  2. On May 28 the Iraqi Cabinet decided to ban oil shipments to any country that joined in “Israeli aggression.” The Cabinet also decided to convene a conference of Arab oil producers in Baghdad to coordinate action. (Telegram 2029 from Baghdad, May 29; ibid., POL 27 ARAB–ISR) Invitees included the United Arab Republic, Syria, Kuwait, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar. Iraq also sent copies of the Council resolution to the Embassies of Iran and Indonesia. According to telegram 2037 from Baghdad, May 31, “Foreign Ministry also reportedly soliciting support of Venezuela for resolution.” (Ibid., PET 17–1 ARAB)↩
  3. The complete text of the communiquè is in airgram A–804 from Baghdad, June 6. (Ibid., PET 2 ARAB)↩