Prewar Crisis, May 15–June 4, 1967
91. Memorandum From the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Hoopes) to Secretary of Defense McNamara
Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330 72 A 2468, Middle East, 381.3. Secret. A stamped notation of June 14 on the memorandum indicates that McNamara saw it. McNamara’s handwritten comments read as follows: “Possible Arab reactions: Nationalization of oil firms, Closing of Suez Canal, Denial of com & mil overflts, Banning of U.S. ships in Arab ports, Closing of Wheelus AB.”
92. 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 11:04 a.m.
93. Memorandum From Nathaniel Davis of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. No classification marking. A copy was sent to Saunders. Davis noted at the bottom of the page: “If you think these tactics should be changed, we would have to move fast!”
94. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassies in Lebanon and the United Arab Republic
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 7 US/ANDERSON. Secret; Nodis. Drafted and approved by Battle and cleared in substance by Walt Rostow and Saunders.
95. Telegram From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson in Texas
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Histories, Middle East Crisis, 5/12–6/19/67, Vol. 2. Secret. Received at the LBJ Ranch at 6:37 p.m. A handwritten “L” on the telegram indicates that it was seen by the President.
96. 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; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by Eugene Rostow’s Special Assistant Alan R. Novak and Thomas M. Judd (EUR/BMI), and approved by Rostow. Repeated to Tel Aviv, Cairo, Bonn, The Hague, and Paris.
97. 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; Limdis. Drafted by David Korn (NEA/ARP); cleared by Atherton, Davies, and Grey; and approved by Eugene Rostow. Repeated Priority to USUN, Cairo, and London.
98. 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; Priority; Nodis. Received at 7:05 a.m.
99. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Washington National Records Center, OASD Files: FRC 330 71 A 4919, 333, Israel. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted on June 2. The meeting was held at the Pentagon. A typed notation on the memorandum indicates Hoopes saw it.
100. 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; Immediate; Exdis. Repeated to USUN for Goldberg. Received at 12:58 p.m. and passed to the White House at 1:09 p.m. Walt Rostow transmitted the text to the President at the LBJ Ranch in CAP 67501, May 30. (Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Histories, Middle East Crisis, 5/12–6/19/67, Vol. 2)
101. 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 4:28 p.m. A handwritten “L” on an attached note by Jim Jones, May 30, 7:35 p.m., indicates the President saw it. Another attached note indicates that Rostow sent copies to Rusk and McNamara.
102. Diplomatic Note From the Israeli Ambassador (Harman) to Secretary of State Rusk
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Secret; Nodis. Sent to the President with a covering note from Walt Rostow: “Mr. President: Herewith a somber letter from Prime Minister Eshkol, foreshadowed this afternoon by Evron.”
103. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk and Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Secret; Exclusive Distribution. No drafting information appears on the memorandum. It was sent to the President with a covering note from Walt Rostow, dated May 30, 6:30 p.m., stating that it was the basic background paper on the Middle East, for discussion and decision at lunch on May 31. A May 30 memorandum from Read to Rostow, which accompanied the memorandum when it was sent to the White House, states that it had been approved by Rusk and McNamara. (Ibid., Vol. III)
104. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in France
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Repeated Priority to London and USUN. Drafted by Eugene Rostow and approved in substance by Rusk.
105. President’s Daily Brief
[Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Histories, Middle East Crisis, Vol. 6, Appendix A. Top Secret; [codeword not declassified]. 1 page of source text not declassified.]
107. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Rostow sent a typed copy of the telegram to the President on June 1, with an attached note that reads: “Mr. President: Herewith King Hussein asks for your neutrality. Our Arab friends really find it difficult to remember what President Eisenhower had to do to get the Israeli troops out of Sinai. Walt.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. III)
108. 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 Eugene Rostow and approved by Eugene Rostow. Also sent to Cairo and USUN.
109. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, President’s Appointment File, June 1967, Middle East Crisis. Secret. Rostow sent a copy to McNamara with a note saying that the President wanted him to have it. (Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330 72 A 2468, Israel 091.112) He also sent a copy to Rusk. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ISR–US)
110. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) and Secretary of State Rusk
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192, Telephone Calls. No classification marking. A handwritten notation indicates there was no distribution. Prepared by Carolyn J. Proctor.
111. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to All Posts
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR. Secret; Priority; Limdis. Drafted by Battle, William D. Brewer, and Director of the Office of OECD, European Community, and Atlantic Political-Economic Affairs Deane R. Hinton; cleared by Eugene Rostow and Walt Rostow; and approved by Secretary Rusk. Walsh initialed for Rusk. Davies cleared the list of addressees with Counselor Nigel C. Trench at the British Embassy. Also sent to Dhahran, Jerusalem, U.S. Mission Geneva, Hong Kong, Paris, USRO Paris, CINCSTRIKE for POLAD, MAC for POLAD, and CINCEUR for POLAD. Rostow sent a draft to the President at 4 p.m. on May 31, with a covering memorandum stating that it would serve as a talking paper when the Declaration of Maritime Nations was presented, and that he thought the President should personally clear it. The “Cleared” option on Rostow’s memorandum is checked.
112. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to All Posts
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR. Secret; Priority; Limdis. Drafted by Legal Adviser Leonard C. Meeker and Hinton; cleared by Battle, Eugene Rostow, and Walt Rostow; and approved by Rusk. Walsh initialed for Rusk. Also sent to Dhahran, Jerusalem, U.S. Mission Geneva, Hong Kong, Paris, USRO Paris, CINCSTRIKE for POLAD, MAC for POLAD, and CINCEUR for POLAD.
113. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. III. Confidential. A handwritten “L” on the memorandum indicates the President saw it.
114. Memorandum by Harold Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Secret. Saunders sent the memorandum and its attachment to Walt Rostow with another memorandum, which states that Saunders wanted to ensure that “we consider a quite different alternative than you were discussing this morning.” It also notes that “we may face a situation where no one will come in with us on the regatta” and in that case, Saunders hoped they would “at least stop and reconsider.”
115. Report of the Working Group on Economic Vulnerabilities
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. II. Secret. Read sent the report to Walt Rostow with a May 31 covering memorandum. A May 31 memorandum from Battle to Rusk, also attached, states that it was the first report of the Working Group on Economic Vulnerabilities, comprised of representatives of the Departments of State, Defense, Treasury, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the White House staff. The group was a subcommittee of the Middle East Task Force. A May 31 memorandum by Eugene Rostow formally established the Task Force and a Control Group, chaired by Rostow and including Walt Rostow, Vance, Kohler, and Battle. Battle chaired the Task Force, which included Hoopes, Popper, Country Director for Soviet Affairs Malcolm Toon, Assistant Legal Adviser for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Donald A. Wehmeyer, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Anthony M. Solomon, and Saunders. (Ibid., Vol. III) The Task Force suspended its formal meetings on June 15. (Memorandum from Eugene Rostow to the Control Group and Task Force, June 15; ibid., Vol. VI)
116. President’s Daily Brief
[Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Histories, Middle East Crisis, Vol. 6, Appendix A. Top Secret; [codeword not declassified]. 2 pages of source text not declassified.]
117. Telegram From the Embassy in Syria to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL ARAB–ISR. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Repeated to Aleppo, Algiers, Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Jerusalem, Jidda, Kuwait, USUN, Tel Aviv, London, Paris, and Moscow. Received at 11:43 a.m. and passed to the White House at 12:15 p.m. Walt Rostow sent a copy to the President, at 2:10 p.m., with a memorandum calling it the “full flavor and feeling of one of our Arabist Ambassadors.” Rostow also attached a copy of telegram 8313 from Cairo, June 1, which reported the Belgian Ambassador’s view that Nasser “would not budge an inch on Aqaba” and that Israeli military action would be preferable to action by the Western powers. Rostow’s memorandum states he wanted the President to have before him as wide a range of perspectives as possible. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. III)
118. Telegram From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Commander in Chief, European Command (Lemnitzer)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Histories, Middle East Crisis, Vol. 7, Appendix H. Secret. Repeated to CNO, CINCLANT, CINCLANTFLT, CINCUSNAVEUR, COMSIXTHFLT, CTF 64, USS LIBERTY, DIRNSA, NSAEUR, DIRNAVSECGRU, ADIRNAVSECGRU, DIRNAVSECGRULANT, DIRNAVSECGRUEUR.
119. 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. Repeated Priority to USUN. Received and passed to the White House at 11:58 a.m. A copy was sent to the President by Walt Rostow at 4:05 p.m. with a note describing it as “an evenhanded view” from Yost. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. III)
120. 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. Received at 7:46 p.m.