Editorial Note
On August 11, 1950, in a letter to the Secretary of State, not printed, the Secretary of Defense transmitted the proposed military assistance program of the Department of Defense for Saudi Arabia. He reported the Joint Chiefs of Staff had scaled down the program proposed in the O’Keefe Report because the high cost would be likely to have an adverse effect on the Saudi Arabian economy and because the time required to train Saudi Arabian personnel to handle the equipment might lead to deterioration of valuable equipment before it could be effectively utilized. He added, however, that “in view of the importance of securing long-term rights at Dhahran Air Base, it is believed that the program recommended herein should be modified upward if such action is essential to accomplish this.” The program recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff called for an expenditure of $75,765,648 by Saudi Arabia to equip a military force consisting of 18,085 officers and men in the army, 108 in the air force, and 265 in the navy. (786A.5/8–1150)
Colonel R. D. Wentworth, U.S.A.F., Department of Defense liaison officer with the Department of State on the negotiation of the Dhahran Airfield Agreement, sent a summary of the Joint Chiefs of Staff [Page 1185] recommendations to Ambassador-designate Hare in a memorandum, not printed, on September 28. (786A.5/9–2850)