Prewar Crisis, May 15–June 4, 1967
61. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. No classification marking. A handwritten “L” on the memorandum indicates the President saw it.
62. Message From Prime Minister Wilson to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Secret. The transmission time on the message is 2313Z, which is apparently in error, since Rostow sent it to the President at 6:45 p.m. with a memorandum noting that it was more detailed than the indirect report the President had received that afternoon in Canada. He also noted that Rusk was reading it. For Wilson’s account of British policy during the crisis, the war, and its immediate aftermath, see Harold Wilson, The Chariot of Israel: Britain, America and the State of Israel, pp. 329–361.
63. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Top Secret; Nodis; Flash. Received at 8:05 p.m. Walt Rostow sent this telegram to the President at 10:14 p.m. with an attached note: “Herewith the same message Eban transmitted to Secretary Rusk as it was received and evaluated by Ambassador Barbour.” Telegram 202239 to Cairo, May 25, states that at 5 p.m. Eban advised Rusk of a flash message from Eshkol that the Israeli Government was convinced a UAR-Syrian attack was imminent. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR) No memorandum of this conversation between Rusk and Eban has been found. In a telephone conversation with Goldberg, Rusk referred to a message from Israel and stated that the Israelis “are calling on us for an immediate statement that an attack on them is an attack on us.” (Notes of telephone conversation prepared in S, May 25, 8:15 p.m.; ibid., Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192, Telephone Calls) Eban described the message and his conversation with Rusk in An Autobiography (New York: Random House, 1977), pp. 348–350, and in more detail in Personal Witness: Israel Through My Eyes (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1992), pp. 382–383.
64. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Rusk’s Special Assistant C. Arthur Borg. Sent to the President at 11 a.m. on May 26 with a covering note from Walt Rostow.
65. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Arab Republic
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Drafted and approved by Eugene Rostow. Cleared by Lucien L. Kinsolving for the NEA crisis task force. Also sent Flash to London, Tel Aviv, Moscow, and USUN. A copy was sent to the President on May 26 with a memorandum from Walt Rostow stating, “You may wish to see how the message to the UAR Ambassador was handled last night.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II)
66. Message From President Johnson to Prime Minister Wilson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Head of State Correspondence File, United Kingdom, Vol. 6, Prime Minister Wilson Correspondence File, 12/31/66–12/31/67. Secret. The message was transmitted May 26 at 0453Z. Filed with a draft that Rostow sent to the President on May 25 with a memorandum indicating that it had been amended by Rusk. Johnson initialed the memorandum, “OK. L.”
67. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Arab Republic to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR. Secret; Priority; Exdis; Noforn. Received at 7:32 a.m. and passed to the White House at 7:50 a.m. A copy was sent to the President with a May 26 memorandum from Walt Rostow stating, “You may wish to get the flavor of the perspective of our Embassy in Cairo.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. I)
68. Paper Prepared in the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL UK-US. Secret; Nodis. No drafting information indicated. The date is handwritten on the paper with a query but is evidently correct. The text, except the last paragraph, was sent to London in telegram 203642, May 26. (Ibid., POL ARAB–ISR)
69. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330 77–0075, Memoranda of Conversations between Secretary of Defense McNamara and Heads of State (other than NATO). Top Secret. Drafted by Jordan and approved on June 5 by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Townsend Hoopes. The meeting was held in McNamara’s office at the Pentagon.
70. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Top Secret; [codeword not declassified].
71. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Israel, Vol. XII, 1965–1968. Secret. No drafting information appears on the memorandum. Walt Rostow forwarded it to the President at 12:07 p.m. with a covering memorandum commenting: “It follows the lines you suggested to me earlier but lacks an answer to the questions: Who would join the British party; What would be consequences of this approach in Arab world and elsewhere.” (Ibid., NSC Histories, Middle East Crisis, Vol. 2)
72. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Miscellaneous Material. Top Secret. Drafted on May 27. Filed with a covering memorandum from Saunders to George Christian stating that he had dictated this draft from his notes and Christian could make additions or revisions before putting it in the President’s records. A few handwritten corrections by Saunders appear on the source text and on a copy that Saunders sent to Walt Rostow. (Ibid., Vol. II) No copy with further revisions has been found. The agenda for the meeting, prepared by Rostow, is ibid. The meeting, held in the Cabinet Room, began at 1:33 p.m. The President left the meeting at 3:10 p.m. and returned at 3:51 p.m.; the meeting ended at 4:05 p.m. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary)
73. Special Report of the Watch Committee
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Situation Reports. Top Secret; [codeword not declassified]. The cover sheet indicates the report was sent to Bromley Smith and seen by Walt Rostow.
74. Draft Statement
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Secret. The statement, headed “Draft,” is unsigned. It is filed as an attachment to Rostow’s May 26 memorandum conveying Goldberg’s views on Rusk’s recommendations for the President’s meeting with Eban. (See footnote 2, Document 71.) Rusk’s handwritten draft of the statement is in the Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Histories, Middle East Crisis, Vol. 2. A copy with the President’s handwritten revisions is ibid., Appointment File, June 1967.
75. Memorandum
[Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Filed by the Johnson Library. Top Secret; [codeword not declassified]. 2 pages of source text not declassified.]
76. Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, CIA Intelligence Memoranda, 5/67–7/67. Top Secret; [codeword not declassified]. Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency’s Directorate of Intelligence. An attached note from Helms to the President states, “This is our response to your request of two days ago that we review again the military capabilities of Israel versus the Arab States.”
77. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Johnson Library, President’s Appointment File, May 26, 1967. Secret; Nodis. The date and time of the meeting are from the President’s Daily Diary. (Ibid.) No drafting information appears on the memorandum, but it was apparently drafted by Sisco, whose handwritten notes are in Department of State, Sisco Files: Lot 70 D 237, Middle East. Earlier, from 6:11 to 6:45 p.m., the President met with Israeli Minister Evron and Walt Rostow. (Johnson Library, President’s Daily Diary) No U.S. record of the meeting with Evron has been found. According to Evron’s report of the meeting, printed in Michael Brecher, with Benjamin Geist, Decisions in Crisis: Israel, 1967 and 1973 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1980), pp. 136–137, the substance of the President’s comments was similar to his statements to Eban. Johnson described his meeting with Eban in The Vantage Point: Perspectives of the Presidency, 1963–1969 (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1971), pp. 293–294. Eban described it in An Autobiography, pp. 354–359, and in Personal Witness, pp. 386–391.
78. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Confidential. A note on the memorandum in Johnson’s handwriting reads: “Walt, What do you suggest—L.” A copy was sent to Rusk with a handwritten note: “Sir: This is the roundabout message from Nasser mentioned by Walt Rostow.” (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL UAR-US)
79. Memorandum From the Central Intelligence Agency’s Board of National Estimates to Director of Central Intelligence Helms
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Secret.
80. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR. Secret; Priority; Nodis. Drafted by Eugene Rostow and his staff assistant Robert T. Grey, Jr., and approved by Rostow. Repeated Priority to Cairo, Tel Aviv, Paris, and USUN.
81. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Repeated to Tel Aviv Immediate, and to London and the White House. Received at 4:08 a.m.
82. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Top Secret; Flash; Nodis. Received at 8:23 a.m.
83. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Jordan
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR. Confidential. Drafted by Houghton, and approved by Pierre Shostal in S/S. Also sent to Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Jidda, London, Kuwait, Tel Aviv, Tripoli, Jerusalem, and USUN.
84. Letter From Premier Kosygin to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Special Head of State Correspondence File, U.S.S.R.—Presidential Correspondence. Secret; Nodis. The source text, a translation transcribed in the Division of Language Services of the Department of State, was sent to Walt Rostow, along with the original letter in Russian, with a covering memorandum of May 31 from Read. The classification appears on the translation but not on the original letter. Soviet Charge Yuri N. Chernyakov gave the letter to Secretary Rusk at 3 p.m. on May 27. After Soviet Country Director Malcolm Toon translated the letter, Rusk told Chernyakov he would transmit it to the President immediately. He told Chernyakov he could inform his government that Rusk regarded the letter as highly important, especially its last paragraph, and that the U.S. Government was making a maximum effort to restrain all governments in the crisis area, including Israel. (Ibid., Country File, Middle East Crisis)
85. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by Grey and approved by Grey for Eugene Rostow.
86. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR. Top Secret; Flash; Nodis; Literally Eyes Only for Ambassadors. Drafted by Eugene Rostow, cleared by Walt Rostow, and approved by Secretary Rusk. Repeated to London and USUN.
87. Telegram From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson in Texas
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Secret. Received at the LBJ Ranch at 9:53 p.m. An attached typed note, dated May 27, 11 p.m., quotes Johnson’s comment to Jim Jones: “I don’t see where he says, ‘let’s stand up and be counted.’”
88. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Head of State Correspondence File, USSR, Kosygin Correspondence, Vol. I. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Literally Eyes Only for Ambassador. Drafted and approved by Rusk. Walt Rostow sent the draft message to the President at the LBJ Ranch in CAP 67457, May 27, noting that it had been cleared by Rusk and McNamara. An attached typewritten note, dated May 27, 9:30 p.m., contains the President’s comment: “That’s okay with me.” It indicates that Jim Jones relayed this to Walt Rostow. (Ibid., Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II)
89. Telegram From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson in Texas
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Secret. Received at the LBJ Ranch at 12:14 p.m. A handwritten “L” on the telegram indicates that it was seen by the President.
90. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by Eugene Rostow, cleared by Walt Rostow, and approved by Rusk. Repeated to London, USUN, Paris, and Tel Aviv.