Office of the Historian

69. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassies in Jordan and Switzerland1 2

Washington, September 14, 1970, 1658Z.

Refs:

  • Bern 2248; Amman 4693, Amman 4708

We agree with Freymond and Amembassy Amman recommendation that Jordanian Government should be encouraged assume greater role in next few days. Specifically GOJ should be able, through its high-level contacts with PLO/Fatah as well as other Palestinian groups, to locate and verify identification hostages as well provide us with any info that may come to them re demands being made for their release. However, we feel strongly ICRC, as confirmed in last night’s Bern meeting, should be negotiating instrumentality. Is our wish to concert more closely with GOJ in this phase.

Rogers
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, AV 12. Secret; Immediate. Drafted by Scotes, cleared by Seelye, Davis, and Beaudry, and approved by Sisco. Repeated to Bonn, London, Tel Aviv, and USUN New York.↩
  2. The Department agreed with the view that the Jordanian Government should assume a greater role in the hostage crisis.↩