2134Z 29 May 1967 transmitted message text from
Secretary of Defense to
U.S. Commander-in-Chief, Europe

PART TWO. 1. QUESTION. DOES THE US HAVE A COMMITMENT TO COME TO EITHER
AID OF ISRAEL IN SO FAR AS THAT COMMITMENT IS LIMITED TO EITHER
BREAKING OR RESISTING AN EGYPTIAN BLOCKADE OF THE GULF OF AQABA?
ANSWER: OUR COMMITMENT IS TO PEACE IN THE NEAR EAST AND SPECIFICALLY
WITH RESPECT TO THE GULF OF AQABA. THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID THAT
ANY ACTION TAKEN WITH RESPECT TO THE BLOCKADE OF ISRAELI SHIPPING
WOULD BE ILLEGAL AND WOULD BE A DETRIMENT OF THE PEACE IN THAT AREA.
   2. QUESTION. IN AN AIDE-MEMOIRE TO ISRAEL IN 1967 THE US SAID
THE RIGHT OF FREE, INNOCENT PASSAGE OF INTERNATIONAL WATERWAYS IS
VITAL IN THE INTERESTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
ANSWER. IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR ME TO GO ANY FURTHER
AT THIS POINT THAN TO STAND ON WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAS ALREADY SAID.

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   3. QUESTION. DO YOU FEEL THAT RELUCTANCE ON THE PART OF THE
ADMINISTRATION TO GIVE THE ISRAELIS A SPECIFIC COMMITMENT IN TERMS
OF WHAT WE WILL OR WILL NOT DO WILL IN ANY WAY INFLUENCE THEM TO
ACT THEMSELVES TO BREAK THIS BLOCKADE?
ANSWER: I FEEL THAT IT IS CRITICAL AT THIS TIME, WITH THE
TENSIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THAT ALL PARTIES USE CALM AND RESTRAINT,
AND I HOPE THAT SHALL BE DONE.
   4. QUESTION. HOW MUCH INFLUENCE WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE SOVIET
UNION HAS ON THE GOVERNMENT OF EGYPT AND SYRIA?
ANSWER: I REALLY DON'T KNOW, BUT I HOPE ANY INFLUENCE THEY HAVE
MAY BE USED UPON ALL PARTIES TO SEE THAT PEACE IS PRESERVED IN THE
AREA.
   5. QUESTION. DO YOU SEE ANY LINK BETWEEN WHAT IS HAPPENING IN
THE MIDDLE EAST TODAY AND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SOUTHEAST ASIA?
ANSWER: I SEE NO NECESSARY LINK BETWEEN THE TWO.
   6. ANY POSSIBLE LINK?
ANSWER: I SIMPLY DON'T KNOW.
   7. QUESTION. IF WE ARE PULLED INTO A DEFENSE OF ISRAEL'S
INTEREST COULD WE BE OVEREXTENDED IN A MILITARY SENSE.
ANSWER: WITH RESPECT TO OUR OVERALL DEFENSE POSTURE I
THINK WE ARE IN A STRONGER POSITION TODAY THAN WE HAVE BEEN IN
A VERY LONG TIME. WE HAVE A STRONGER POSITION IN THE FAR EAST THAN
WE EVER HAD, WITH ALL OUR FORCES OUT THERE AND OUR SUPPLY LINES
DIRECTED TOWARDS THAT AREA. WE HAVE A VERY STRONG FORCE IN NATO
AND THE EUROPEAN AREA. OUR FORCES IN THE MED ARE STRONG AND ARE
GROWING STRONGER EVERY DAY, AND I THINK WE ARE IN EXCELLENT POSTURE.
   8. QUESTION. THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF ISRAEL HAS BEEN QUOTED
AS SAYING THAT WASHINGTON MADE KNOWN TO HIM PARTICULARLY FIRM
AND VIGOROUS PROPOSALS FOR MAINTAINING A FREE PASSAGE IN THE
TIRAN STRAITS. COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT THESE PROPOSALS? THE
FOREIGN MINISTER CALLED AT THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT, I BELIEVE.
ANSWER: HE CALLED AT THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT. WE DISCUSSED
GENERALLY THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST. I THINK IT WOULD
BE MOST INAPPROPRIATE FOR ME TO COMMENT ANY FURTHER.
   9. QUESTION. ARE WE GOING TO FIND OURSELVES DRAWN INTO
ANOTHER MILITARY FRACAS WITH OUR PUBLIC LARGELY UNINFORMED IN
ADVANCE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO IT.
ANSWER: THIS MATTER IS BEFORE THE UNITED NATIONS NOW. I
THINK THIS IS THE APPROPRIATE FORUM. WE ARE PRESSING THE MATTER
URGENTLY THERE AND THAT IS WHERE I THINK IT SHOULD BE HANDLED.
BT

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Message subject lineage:

302008Z MAY 67 SECDEF
311259Z MAY 67 USCINCEUR
100627Z JUN 67 USCINCEUR

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