Office of the Historian

254. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Murphy) to Secretary of State Shultz1

Washington, January 16, 1986

SUBJECT

  • Invitation for King Hassan To Visit the U.S.

ISSUE FOR DECISION

Whether to recommend to the NSC early announcement that King Hassan of Morocco will be invited to Washington during the first half of 1986.

DISCUSSION

King Hassan was among those Chiefs of State whom the Department recommended be invited to Washington during the first half of 1986. The White House has not announced a final decision, but we have been told informally by the NSC that there is a good possibility that the visit for Hassan will be approved.

Also, in terms of our face-off with Qadhafi, it would be to our advantage to have the visit announced soon. We are sure that Hassan would immediately respond in positive fashion to an invitation.2

Announcement of our invitation during Deputy Secretary Whitehead’s current trip would have the additional political value in demonstrating to the Europeans the continuing vitality of U.S.-Arab relations.3

[Page 529]

RECOMMENDATION

That you approve the attached memorandum4 recommending this course of action to the White House.5

  1. Source: Reagan Library, George Shultz Papers, Official Memoranda (01/16/1986). Confidential. Sent through Armacost. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “GPS.” McKinley also initialed the memorandum and wrote: “21 January.”↩
  2. In a January 22 note to Shultz, Armacost wrote: “I am inclined to endorse this request. We have important interests at stake in Morocco. Hassan has been eager to come for some time, and the prospect of a meeting may offer some leverage on his relationship with Libya.” He continued: “I do believe a Presidential meeting could afford us opportunities to sow seeds of discord between Rabat and Tripoli. While our objective, at least, should be to precipitate a break in the Oujda Union, realistically we are not likely to succeed simply by offering a visit, since both budgetary and political constraints inhibit us from making the kinds of commitments to Hassan that would precipitate such a shift in his relationships.” (Ibid.)↩
  3. Whitehead visited Europe January 15–24 for consultations with the NATO countries about Libya and terrorism. Documentation on his visit is scheduled for publication in Foreign Relations, 1981–1988, vol. XLVIII, Libya; Chad.↩
  4. Not attached.↩
  5. Shultz approved the recommendation on January 24.↩