Office of the Historian

288. Draft Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to Royal Adviser Adham and Prince Saud ibn Faisal of Saudi Arabia1

Washington, January 22, 1974.

[Omitted here is material unrelated to oil.]

“The United States cannot accept a formula for lifting the oil boycott for a fixed period of 90 days only. The lifting of the boycott must be on the basis of that proposed by President Sadat; that is, on a ‘most favored nation’ or equivalent basis and without time limit.

“The United States would be appreciative if, as indicated by Shaykh Adham and Prince Faysal, action to lift the oil boycott could be taken in time for the President to announce the end of the embargo to the Congress in his State of the Union address on January 30.”

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 139, Country Files, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Dec 73–Feb 74. No classification marking. This draft bears markings indicating it was sent to Jidda.↩