FOREIGN RELATIONS, 19 4 9, VOLUME VI


countries with which we have collective defense and regional arrange-
ments, comes as a serious blow to our relations with certain NEA
countries, particularly India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Saudi
Arabia.
   With reference to the SOA countries, all recent policy studies have
 clearly recognized the importance of giving favorable consideration
 to requests for military assistance as a means of achieving our national
 political objectives with respect to these countries. SANACC 3-60/14 8
 states explicitly that the political, economic and strategic importance
 of the emerging S'OA countries to the US national interests require
 the maintenance of internal security within these countries and their
 freedom from Communist domination, and that at the minimum we
 should endeavor to meet the legitimate requirements of spare parts
 and replacements for military equipment of US origin which they
 already possess.
 As you know, both India and Pakistan have attempted to meet
 their security requirements by utilizing materiel of US origin which
 was acquired under Lend-Lease or from US surplus property dis-
 posals. Much of their armor and many other items were so acquired.
 Therefore they are necessarily dependent upon the US for maintenance
 spare parts and replacements for this equipment. Since the informal
 embargo on the export of military matgriel to India and Pakistan
 was removed last March, both countries have sent high level military
 missions to the US to seek-an assured source of future military supplies
 in this country. In seeking these-supplies they have made clear their
 desire to associate themselves closely with us in matters pertaining
 to long-range military planning. The advantages to us of such an
 association are obvious. In response to their approaches we have told
 them that we were sympathetic to their needs and desired to be helpful.
 For over two years-since the withdrawal of the British from
 India-the Afghan Government has been seeking from us the means
 of internal defense. The Afghan Government has even suggested that
 in return for military aid it might abandon its traditional neutrality
 and openly pronounce Afghanistan's association with the Western
 powers...
 In view of these and other considerations, our failure to extend some
 form of procurement assistance or token aid at this time would very
 seriously jeopardize our efforts over the past two years to orient these
countries to the West and away from Communism.
  In the case of Saudi 'Arabia, the Joint Chiefs of Staff have ex-
pressed an interest in the maintenance and expansion of U.S. facilities
at the Dhahran air base. For the last two years King Ibn Saud has
  3Dated April 19, p.8.


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