AUDIENCE WITH KING HASSAN - -MESSAGE FOR THE PRESIDENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00420R000901860024-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: December 11, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

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ACTION NODS-60
INFO OCT-66 ADS-66 /668 W
------------------111652 111312Z /56 12
0 111228Z DEC 84
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7653
RABAT 11681
NODIS
DEPT FOR SECRETARY SHULTZ
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO WHITE HOUSE FOR NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISOR MC FARLANE AND ADMIRAL MURPHY
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR
SECRETARY WEINBERGER
E. 0. 12356:OADR
TAGS: PREL, US, MO
SUBJ: AUDIENCE WITH KING HASSAN- -MESSAGE FOR
THE PRESIDENT
1. (SECRET-NODIS)-ENTIRE TEXT
2. SUMMARY: DURING AN AUDIENCE IN FES ON DECEMBER
10, KING HASSAN DICTATED A MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT
REAGAN, URGING THAT THE UNITED STATES PROVIDE
LARGER AMOUNTS OF MATERIAL ASSISTANCE TO MOROCCO.
THE KING'S WARNING THAT THE UNITED STATES IS
GETTING MORE FROM MOROCCO THAN IT RECEIVES IN
RETURN UNDOUBTEDLY REFLECTS THE GROWING DOMESTIC
AND INTERNATIONAL PRESSURES WHICH HE IS UNDER.
END SUMMARY.
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3. IN THE COURSE OF A 90 MINUTE AUDIENCE DECEMBER
10 AT THE ROYAL PALACE IN FES (FULL REPORTS OF
WHICH I AM SENDING BY SEPTELS), THE KING, ACKNOW-
LEDGING MY RENEWED EXPRESSION OF CONCERN OVER
MOROCCO'S RELATIONS WITH LIBYA, ASKED ME TO CONVEY
"TEXTUALLY" THE FOLLOWING "OUESTION" TO "MY FRIEND"
THE PRESIDENT AND HIS SENIOR ADVISORS, WHICH HE
INSISTED THAT POL OFF TAKE DOWN VERBATIM.
4. BEGIN TEXT: "AMERICA KNOWS IT CAN DO WHAT IT
WANTS IN MOROCCO. MOROCCO HAS GIVEN YOU THE ACCESS
AND TRANSIT AGREEMENT, AN ACTIVE MILITARY EXERCISE
PROGRAM, UNRESTRICTED SHIP VISITS, PERMISSION TO
EXPAND YOUR VOICE OF AMERICA STATION, AND A HOST
OF OTHER PROGRAMS. I MUST ASK, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE
FOR MOROCCO IN EXCHANGE? I VALUE THE CLOSE
RELATIONS I HAVE WITH THE LEADERS OF THE UNITED
STATES, AND APPRECIATE THE MANY SIGNS OF FRIEND-
SHIP I RECEIVE, BUT I AM DISAPPOINTED TO NOTE
THAT THE FRIENDSHIP IS RARELY BACKED UP WITH
CORRESPONDING SUBSTANCE. WHAT IS AMERICA GOING
TO DO? YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE!" END
TEXT.
5. IN PARTING I ASKED HASSAN WHY HE HAD CHOSEN
THIS MOMENT TO CONVEY SUCH A MESSAGE RATHER THAN
DURING THE VISITS TO MOROCCO LAST YEAR OF THE
VICE PRESIDENT AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE. HE
RESPONDED, "I DID, BUT, PERHAPS I WAS TOO OBLIQUE.
NOW WITH ADDIS AND NEW YORK THIS IS THE MOMENT
OF TRUTH!" THE KING REITERATED HIS DESIRE FOR
CONTINUED CLOSE TIES, REMINDING ME HE HAD GIVEN
HIS WORD THAT THE "UNION" WITH LIBYA WOULD NOT
IN ANY WAY AFFECT THE U. S. RELATIONSHIP.
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6. HASSAN ALSO OBSERVED SOMEWHAT OMINOUSLY THAT,
WHILE HE WAS STILL UNHAPPY WITH THE SOVIET UNION
AND ITS EQUIVOCAL STANCE ON THE WESTERN SAHARA,
HE HAD RECEIVED INDICATIONS FROM THE SOVIET
LEADERSHIP THAT IT WILL SOON CHANGE ITS POLICY
ON THE WESTERN SAHARA.
7. COMMENT: IN MY 29 YEARS OF ACQUAINTANCE, i
HAVE NEVER SEEN THE KING MORE TENSE OR IMPATIENT
THAN AT THE DECEMBER 10 AUDIENCE. AT SEVERAL
POINTS DURING THE CONVERSATION, I INTERRUPTED
TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT WITH REGARD TO SUB-
STANTIAL AMERICAN ASSISTANCE TO MOROCCO. IN THIS
CONNECTION, I NOTED THAT WE HAVE DONE MORE FOR
MOROCCO IN THE INTELLIGENCE FIELD THAN ANY OTHER
COUNTRY, BUT HASSAN PUT THIS ASIDE AS "A CASE
APART" AND INSTANCE OF "APPLES AND ORANGES".
HE HAD CLEARLY REHEARSED THE MESSAGE HE WISHED
TO DELIVER AND WAS IN NO MOOD TO BE DISSUADED
OR SIDE-TRACKED. AS WE HAVE REPORTED, HE IS
UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE AT HOME FOLLOWING RECENT
DIPLOMATIC DEFEATS AND INCREASED CONFLICT IN
THE SAHARA (RABAT 18923). UNDER SUCH STRESS,
HASSAN IS PRONE TO REACT AS THE TRIBAL, BEDOUIN,
BERBER AND FRANCOPHILE CHIEFTAIN WHICH HE IS.
WHILE THE SOVIET UNION IS CLEARLY MANEUVERING
TO GAIN GROUND HERE (RABAT 18634) HASSAN- -
ISOLATED AND LACKING OTHER OPTIONS- -IS IN MY
VIEW USING THE SOVIET THREAT AS A BARGAINING
CHIP TO GAIN LEVERAGE WITH US. DESPITE HIS
MESSAGE ABOVE, WHICH REFLECTS THE KING'S
CURRENT MOOD, I BELIEVE THAT HASSAN REMAINS
COMMITTED TO CONTINUED CLOSE TIES WITH THE UNITED
STATES. HASSAN IS, HOWEVER, PASSING THROUGH
HIS MOST DIFFICULT PERIOD IN RECENT YEARS, AND
WE WILL NEED TO BE ALERT BOTH TO OUR OWN INTERESTS
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AND TO THE POSSIBILITY OF UNPREDICTABLE REACTION
TO PRESSURE. I WILL BE FORMULATING RECOMMENDATIONS
ON HOW TO RESPOND TO HASSAN FOR DISCUSSION DURING
CONSULTATIONS IN WASHINGTON ON DECEMBER 18.
REED
SECRET
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