Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–9, Part 1, Documents on North Africa, 1973–1976

104. Telegram 259602 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Morocco¹

Washington, November 2, 1975, 2355Z.

259602. Subject: Message for King Hassan—Spanish Sahara. For Ambassador from Secretary.

1. Please convey following message from me to King Hassan:

2. Begin text: Your Majesty: Since I last wrote to you we have received an urgent expression of concern from the Spanish Government that the proposed Green March will include military elements and that this could lead to a confrontation with tragic consequences. Our impression is that the Spaniards still desire a negotiated solution to this problem provided it is one in which the UN plays a constructive role so that Spain will be seen as having fulfilled its international responsibilities. We are encouraging the Spanish Government to continue negotiations with you. I believe the position of the Spanish Government deserves to be taken into account particularly in the light of the present difficult domestic situation which it faces. These considerations reinforce the need which I emphasized to Your Majesty in my last message, that there be a period of patience and calm during which bilateral and multilateral diplomatic efforts might bear fruit. In particular we would encourage you to give serious consideration to the proposals by Secretary General Waldheim. This would be consonant with and responsive to the resolutions of the UN Security Council including the resolution adopted by consensus November 2. The exercising of patience and calm on the part of your government would be an act of statesmanship of the kind that we have learned to expect from Your Majesty. Warm personal regards. Henry A. Kissinger. End text.

3. For Ambassador Neumann: You should show text of Cortina message (Madrid 7618) to Hassan saying I have asked you to do this so that he will have full flavor of Cortina’s concern.

Robinson

1. Summary: The Embassy was instructed to deliver a message from Kissinger to King Hassan conveying the Spanish Government’s concerns about the proposed Green March, and reiterating U.S. support for a negotiated solution to the crisis.

   Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for Africa, Box 4, Morocco, State Department Telegrams, From SecState—NODIS. Secret; Niact Immediate; Nodis. Repeated to Madrid. Drafted by Weislogel; cleared by Atherton, Buffum, Rowell, Mack, and Barbian; and approved by Kissinger. Telegram 259604 (Document 106) subsequently instructed the Embassy not to show Cortina’s message to King Hassan. In telegram 259601 to Madrid, November 2, the Embassy was instructed to deliver a message from Kissinger to Cortina informing him of U.S. efforts to convince King Hassan to stop the Green March, and U.S. support for a diplomatic resolution of the crisis. (Ibid., Presidential Country Files for Europe and Canada, Box 12, Spain, State Department Telegrams, From SecState—NODIS)