LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT FROM THE AMIR OF KUWAIT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-45-4-10-6
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: April 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: April 3, 1974
• Content Type: MEMO

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/04/03: LOC-HAK-45-4-10-6
MEMORANDUM
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION
830
LXDIS (GnS)
MEMORANDUM FOR: GENERAL SCOWCROFT
FROM; HAROLD H. SAUNDERS "V.--
WILLIAM B. QUANDT
SUBJECT: Letter to the President from the Amir
of Kuwait
MORI/CDF
April 3, 1974
State has forwarded the original of a letter from Kuwaiti Amir Sabah
to the President. The letter is a response to the President's
January 9 message to heads of oil producing states.
The letter warns against a confrontation between oil producing and
consuming countries, but includes little else of note other than one
offensive paragraph alluding to "unfounded allegations, provocations and
pointless threats which high officials of your Administration have
persisted in directing against the Arab nation."
There is no reason to reply to the letter. Our Ambassador has already
raised the offensive language with the Kuwaiti foreign ministry. This
does not seem to be the time to pursue confrontation with the Kuwaitis.
RECOMMENDATION: That Amir Sabah's letter to the President be
filed without a reply.
Approve
Prepare a draft reply.
State Dept. and NSS review completed
SECTIFI'ir (GDS)
MORI PER C03353494.
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1111
DEPAP.TN1N STA
SECRET/EXDIS
'
March 2, 1974
? MEMORANDUM FOR MAJOR GENERAL ERENT SOOWCROFT
THE WHITE HOUSE
Subject: Letter to the President from the
Ruler of Kuwait
Attached is a letter to the President from the
Ruler of Kuwait, Amir Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah. It was
handed to Under Secretary Sisco on February 20 by the
Amir's son, Shaykh Salem, who is Kuwaiti Ambassador here.
The Ruler's letter is in response to the President's
January 9 letter to the heads of oil producing states
regarding the Energy Conference. An advanced text of the
Ruler's letter, and our own Ambassador's comments on it,
were received on February 12 in Embasy Kawail's cables
568 and 572, both attached.
As anticipated, the original copy of the Ruler's
letter delivered February 20 retains an inappropriate
and offensively worded fifth paragraph. However, in that
our Ambassador has already made the necessary counter
points, we do not believe anything we might say at this
point would help influence a more positive Kuwaiti pos-
ture. /
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Also on the positive side, the GOK has recently
(1) reassured u8 of its intentions to continue to hold
in prison the five Palestinian terrorists involved in
the Rome attack pending trial in another Arab country;
(2) expressed strong interest in a bilateral civil air
agreement; and (3) indicated, in spite-of the continuing
problems of the Middle East, that it is still interested
enough in us assistance in developing a defense capability
STTFET/T=TS
GDS.--DLC
1SS2
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IIP
...SECRET/
to send approximately. 100 of its air
for English language training, which it hopes can subsequenLly
lead to flight training.
Thus, for the time being, we believe we should defer
any further reaction to the RuWait Ruler's reply to the
President's letter about the Energy Conference and wait
to see what sort of posture the iuwaitis adopt on rescission
of the oil ombargo as a conseque-:,ce of the Secretary's
current initiative in the East.
force personnel here
Attachments:
1. Letter to President
2. Kuwait 568 and 572
.*
Georsje S. Springsteen
Executive Secretary
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.7.%
77 c'
Deiba;.tme;:t" cf State
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SECRET 1.92
PAnE 01 KUWAIT 00568 A213497
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ACTION S5,-.30
INFO neT-91,1 TSniqo SSO-00 NSCE-0I J031 w
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FM AmEmb.ASy Ku,AAIT
10 SECS-11TE WASHOC IMMEDIATL-;
SECRFTKuwATT 05.68
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.E0 116521 1;DS..
TAGS2 FNROH
?SOBj2.HAMTRiS?RFPLY To FREsIuENT7S MESSAGE RE ENErGY CONfERENCE.
REF: STATE 04156
1, FOLLOWING IS TEXT .OF LETTER Tn PRESTOENT NIXON FRO
OF KUWAIT IN RESPONSF To pRESIoENTIs JAN 9 mEssm;E (REFTEL)
RE FEB 11 HEFTINq OF 'MAJOR OIL CoNSUf.i:NG COUNTRIFs IN wASHINGTON,
THE LETT.rR IS DATED 5 FEBi jEL1VPRrD To EMBASSY FED 10 ANO
RELEASE? BY FONHTN (SEE sEF7EL, FE 9 12, ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
,POUCHED TO KUWAIT EmRAssY, lAsH/NGToN,
28 OTE$ MR.. PRF.ST?F_NT: wHILE wE ARPRFCTATE YoUR mESSAGF OF
JANUARY 00 1974, Nn7H1NG 11(1uLO PLEASE 1 'C.4 45'
-1?42-Es of P
'
SECRET
PAGE 02 KUwAIT:00572 121424Z
PART OF FOmMTWS ANQ 11Y 4085 To RE AVOIDANCE OF POLEMICS
AND SETVNn. ALL nPPORTUNTT1tS To I'oCPOSE CODPERA/ToM BENTEEN
nUR TWO CoUNTRTEs,. I.1CLUOIN6 PUBLIC .ODVT POSITtoNs FONMIN
ASKED mE TO HOLD UP ON SENDING LETTER TO DEP/ AND HE WOULD SEE
WHAT HE roOLO
AT ArRpoRT TO GREET MoBuTu FER:i2p uNnERSEC R.AsIn SAID HE
INSTRUCTED JELL ME ON etEHAL:' OF FONmTN SABAH THAT FoNM1N HAD
DISCUSSED MATTER wITH cRo4N PRINCE/PM WHO HAD .COMMENTED THAT
HE APPRECIATED AY PATSTNG SUBJECT AND HE AGREED I HAD A POINT,:
"7ROUALE WAS AWIR HAD ALREADY D1SPATCHED LETTFR TO HIS SON-
(THE Am.B,ASsAfloR) IN WASHINGTON,, PAsHTD SAID CROWN PRINCE AND
FONmTN BOTH VOITFD you To KWIN THAT THFY WOULD HeivE FAVORED
DELETION OF ofFENoT.Nn PARAGHApH AND THAT THEY RECOGNTZED
DAMAGE THAT: COuLP RE UnNE To RELATIoNs WITH US THROUGH
KEEDLE-5.5LY CRITICAL STATEHENTa
44 I WAS UNARLE TO TONE DOwN AmiRls LETTER,' 9U1 PERHAPS I AT
'LEAST STRUCK ANDTHEH BLow IN HIGH noK CIRCLES FOR MORE
TEMPERATE KUwATTI REACTIONS TO OUR CURRENT mIDEAST AND ENERGY
INITIATIvFs,
STOLIZEus
N( iC) t) SEcRLT ; ! ; Iv
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