CIA COMMENT ON DISPATCH NO. 276 JIDDA TO STATE dated 27 DECEMBER 1948

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-01617A000300320001-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 20, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 18, 1949
• Content Type: IM

Aped ' Release :4R*FOtl5~78-01617 300320001-9
GW3 RAL A4 * !
29 Few 1949
,L11t 8 l Al '! ND. 331
at==# Cfl Caffabe"t on Dsmatoh No. 2% Jfth to Saab dated
27 Defft t>sr 194e
1. C11 st . conaure in us 2 rieter dhil4i I opeertaatione
as the atfttedgio f ertao6 of Secy Arabia, to the W afld agtcees
> th his its or Sing MM 8a04'e desire to aetaM& closer
relatiroae with the 3 peoIfioal37 the fb2louft miner points in
1 .nieterr Chtl+dn' dsepatdh i bt, however, be gal ede
a? epsm lh YV. 1 e re the th let abet Sandi Arabia
w mad be a seeastd lime of dense at the begf.*dng of bostilitiee
but could booome a ffrSt Lim of defonse f i11+ d49 'tbe loss of Perefa?
~? nWL.~Gi1~L.~E The use of the toyer "ideal flying
oonditio and 'natural a ds" milt be WmMmAdo P oly
dst is meaeb is that fi17ittg conditions we bette>rr than those in mezat
Other parts of the old end that there are any aloes 1ioh coil ld be
i The etas that ftod Arab a i "sow
aa+q &Uw New Atetelrn State" is. pall ; 11 a little
ocree ing f6r a a msim.
A,Iwo- i The stab it is difficult
to deterffie - song' King'SSst ava's patio oe vriii6 the US V=
errd n!e to be swat at varisnse vdttt the flartateereaatb, in the
of PAMOMA cis, that neither the t! Wrr the
Crown Prinee ie 2 31ee],T to be deilleeted ft-aeo a 901iey of the 01o8est
possible ration with ibe US*
2. Ganeoral Oofmmerata en Tra tdo-n lbls+ews
a. 10 i*tfaal "tenet requires the 1UNIMM" of eatablitfrhed
t15 aaumsereial air atoe to' 1'ndla and the Ter Naat? Satarli Arabia 1L S
quiokl7 developed into ailf ^Ue.
directly on as& a some.
Document No. 00/
NO NGE in Class. ^
DECLA IED
Class. CHANCED
D
vmo, 4 Apr
EG._ 77ti
This document has been reviewed by the
CIA and a elassifieation retained only
because it senlains information received
from another government agency. The
document may tin risel 'itiau subiect
to approval by the other agency(s)
concerned.
Reviewer: Q __- ---?--- Date: $.
CIA-RDP78-01617A000300320001-9
*,*e.//9/>Sr 4.3 3
 Approved Releas 8-01617A.300320001-9
now Raet ra areas of political tmres WM In mot likely to be direoV7
lnvaIved" in Bastern I(editerrenean politicaa dev ap e. US private
aid ao12110M tat air interests, therefbre are ieeee li bily to be eub4eoted
to regi#Lationa,- reet~rietior~s, or osnoel3ation of privileges due to
3oeal situations.
. The TSB ' oye, for the durance of the air base agreem mt,
full. PIM I esdaa VWTIs rights at Mehm and moat-favored-nation
6reattnent. The tiS-~t and operated Ebabran, air base can acoomnodate
the largest types of air UvnsporS?
~. The 8e eiopmee~tt of US oil interests bees increased the 3m->
portanaa of Mebram as a civil airport. The Arabdaa !mew Oil
company, ABAPe0# depends its own fleet of 22 aircraft based at
lL hren 39or local and for the ferrying of personnel and
wgxMiee between the tZ and the Saudi Arabian oil fields, ? US and
Briti.sh oil ixte eats m engaged in large' Wle pments in the
B=Lit area could be advantsg an - lii*ed by feeder air services with
US interntione.air carriers passing t roug i Mehran.
i2* lh the event of world conflict, the existence of a properly-
equipped civil air ratite through Sandi Arabia weld be of great logistic
significance In sttpnteant3ng military lines of aoo~nesaitlatiano
The aiMa report mentions In V the strategic location of
9ata~3s. Are with respect to important sea router. It seems clear that
control of fsudi Arabia by a strong tttdljr power' could completely
disrupt Mgbly important ocean traffic bysttao%e from sit distances
at the entice to the Persian Gulf and at bo~ err!!s of the Red Sea.
Approved For Release : CIA-RDP78-01617A000300320001-9