88. Action Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs (Spiers) to Secretary of State Rogers1 2
Sale of F–5s to Libya
Now that you have decided to hold in abeyance the sale of F–5 aircraft to Libya, replies can be made to letters from Mr. Laird and the Spanish Foreign Minister.
Mr. Laird recommended sale of the F–5B either from US or Spanish production. He also asked you to resolve the problem raised by storage costs for the aircraft. We propose that you inform Mr. Laird that: (a) the sale of F–5s to Libya is being held in abeyance; (b) if our policy changes in the future we plan to offer F–5B trainers and (c) we therefore agree to the sale to other countries of the F–5As presently in storage but we wish to keep available for delivery to Libya the one F–5B.
The Spanish Foreign Minister requested US approval to sell Spanish assembled F–5Bs to Libya. The proposed reply informs him that you desire to hold in abeyance for now a decision on delivery of F–5s to Libya from the US and that we thus cannot agree at this time to the sale from Spanish production.
[Page 2]Recommendation:
That you sign the attached letters to Mr. Laird and to the Spanish Foreign Minister. (TAB A)
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, DEF 12–5 LIBYA. Secret. Drafted by Chris C. Pappas, Jr. (PM/MAS); and cleared by PM/MAS, AF/N, NEA/PA, EUR/SPP, and AF. The attachments are not printed, but Rogers sent the letters to Laird and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gregorio Lopez Bravo on April 13. (Ibid.)↩
- Since Rogers had decided again to hold the F–5 question in abeyance, Spiers prompted the Secretary to notify Laird and the Spanish Foreign Minister, who had requested approval of the sales to Libya.↩