174. Telegram 10618 From the Embassy in Kenya to the Department of State, December 20, 1974, 1425Z
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ACTION SS-25
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SSO-00 NSCE-00 /026 W
--------------------- 125563
O R 201425Z DEC 74
FM AMEMBASSY
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 590
INFO AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
AMEMBASSY
AMEMBASSY MOGADISCIO
AMEMBASSY
AMEMBASSY
AMEMBASSY
S E C R E T SECTION 1 OF 2
EXDIS
E.O. 11652: XGDS
TAGS: MARR MASS PFOR KE US
SUBJECT:
REF:
BEGIN SUMMARY:
FORMAL REQUEST FOR U.S. MILITARY CREDIT OR GRANT AID TO
SUPPLEMENT (WHAT WILL PROBABLY BE MODEST) BRITISH MILITARY
ASSISTANCE AND ENABLE
POSED BY HEAVILY ARMED AND INCREASINGLY HOSTILE NEIGHBORS. I BELEIVE
THAT SIGNIFICANT
AND
TION BE GIVEN TO KENYAN REQUESTS DESPITE CONGRESSIONAL
RESTRICTIONS ON FMS CREDITS AND MAP. END SUMMARY.
1. IN PAST COMMUNICATIONS WITH
EXPRESSED MY CONCERN REGARDING ARMS RACE AND HENCE
STABILITY IN
ATED AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN PREVIOUSLY THEIR CONCERN
OVER THESE DEVELOPMENTS AND, FOR FIRST TIME, HAVE FORMALLY
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PAGE 02 NAIROB 10618 01 OF 02 201531Z
REQUESTED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM
PURPOSES. VICE PRESIDENT DANIEL ARAP MOI, ON INSTRUCTIONS
FROM PRESIDENT KENYATTA, SUMMONED ME TO HIS OFFICE TODAY
AND INFORMED ME OF
OF ARMAMENT AND HOSTILITY OF NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES. HE
AND ATTORNEY-GENERAL NJONJO, WHO WAS ALSO PRESENT AT
MEETING, STRESSED THAT MAJOR THREAT TO
TO BE CHAIRMAN OF OAU NEXT JUNE,
LONGER FEEL COMPELLED TO EXERCISE RESTRAINT IN PRESSING
MENTIONED AS REGIONAL THREATS UNPREDICTABILITY OF
2. MOI EXPLANINED THAT FOREGOING SITUATION HAD LED
KENYAN GOVERNMENT TO CONCLUDE RELUCTANTLY THAT
MUST SPEND MORE ON ARMAMENT EVEN THOUGH RESOURCES MIGHT
BE DIVERTED FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. MOI SAID THAT
PRESIDENT KENYATTA HAD DECIDED TO APPROACH BOTH
AND
EXAMPLES OF
"SQUADRON" OF F-5E AIRCRAFT, POLICE HELICOPTERS AND
UNSPECIFIED SMALLER ARMS WHICH WOULD SERVE AS "DETERRENTS"
TO POSSIBLE ATTACK AGAINST
IS FINANCING ACQUISTIONS. MOI SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED
THAT
INTEREST RATES OR GRANTS TO FINANCE PURCHASES OF
MILITARY EQUIPMENT, BUT DID NOT SPECIFY AMOUNT OF FINANCING
DESIRED. HE EXPRESSED HOPE WE WOULD FIND IT IN OUR INTEREST
TO ASSIST FELLOW FREE-WORLD COUNTRY, NOTING THAT
FREQUENTLY UTILIZES
IS INCREASING ITS INFLUENCE IN
3. I RESPONDED TO MOI'S REQUEST BY STATING THAT I AM
SYMPATHETIC TO KHYYA'S CONCERNS AND NEEDS AND SAID I WAS
PLEASED THAT KENYA REGARDS U.S. AS A FRIEND. I MENTIONED
RECENT PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION TO MAKE
TO PURCHASE FMS MILITARY ITEMS ON CASH BASIS AS EXAMPLE
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OF OUR EFFORTS IN SECURITY AREA TO BE HELPFUL TO
I SAID I UNDERSTOOD KENYAN CONCERN FOR SECURITY AND
STABILITY IN THIS PART OF WORLD AND SAID
ESTED IN MAINTENANCE OF PEACE AND RECOGNIZES THAT BALANCE
OF POWER IS NECESSARY ELEMENT.
4. I POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT
MAJOR ROLE IN DETERMINING HOW AND WHERE
ASSISTANCE CAN BE GIVEN. ITS MOOD AND ACTIONS PARTI-
CULARLY SINCE
MILITARY AID IN GENERAL. SPECIFIC EXAMPLES ARE RECENT
SHARP REDUCTIONS IN MILITARY AID TO
COUNTRIES. MOREOVER, THERE HAS BEEN A $40 MILLION
CEILING IMPOSED BY CONGRESS ON MILITARY CREDITS AND GRANTS
FOR
AFRICAN COUNTRIES SUCH AS
THESE CIRCUMSTANCES I TOLD MOI THAT I COULD NOT BE
ENCOURAGING RE USG RESPONSE TO HIS REQUEST, BUT SAID
THAT I WOULD TRANSMIT HIS REQUEST TO
HIM OUR RESPONSE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IN COURSE OF
CONVERSATION I REMINDED HIM THAT
WITH OVER $90 MILLION IN ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE SINCE
THIS PART OF WORLD.
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ACTION SS-25
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SSO-00 NSCE-00 ( ISO ) W
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O R 201425Z DEC 74
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 591I
INFO AMDMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 5378
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
AMEMBASSLSLONDON
AMEMBASSY MOGADISCIO
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
RUFNPZSGAME SASSY PARIS 2352
AMEMBAS
XCADEJAN 094
S E C R E T SECTION 2 OF 2 NAIROBI 10618
EXDIS
5. WHILE I REALIZE THAT PROVIDING MAP OR FMS CREDIT TO
KENYA WOULD REPRESENT MAJOR U.S. POLICY DECISION,
I WOULD HOPE THAT THIS QUESTION COULD BE GIVEN SERIOUS
CONSIDERATION WITHIN USG. DEPARTMENT WILL RECALL THAT I
RECOMMENDED
LAST AUGUST (REFTEL) THAT PRIORITY CONSIDERA-
TION BE GIVEN TO NSSM-TYPE STUDY OF CURRENT POLITICO-
MILITARY SITUATION IN EASTERN AFRICA TO DETERMINE EXTENT
TO WHICH U.S. INTERESTS AFFECTED BY DEVELOPMENTS IN
THIS AREA AND WHAT POLICIES VGB MIGHT APPROPRIATELY PURSUE.
SINCE THIS STUDY HAS APPARENTLY NOT BEEN COMPLETED, I AM
TAKING LIBERTY OF SETTING FORTH BRIEFLY IN FOLLOWING TWO
PARAGRAPHS MY PERSONAL EVALUATION OF U.S. INTERESTS IN
KENYA AND EASTERN AFRICA AS WELL AS MY RECOMMENDATION
KORWISG RESPONSE TO KENYN REQUEST.
6. U.S. INTERESTS. I AM NOT ONLY FULLY COGNIZANT OF
CONGRESS'S RELUCTANCE TO AUTHORIZE MILITARY AID, BUT
BASICALLY AGREE. HOWEVER, I FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT TO U.S.
INTERESTS IN NEAR ANWALBN
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PAGE 02 NAIROB 10618 02 OF 02 201736Z
R TERM TO ASSIST STRONG (IN
TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT AND STABILITY) COUNTRIES IN AFRICA
W BECOME REGIONAL LEADERS AND THEREBY PROMOTE DEVELOP-
MENT AND STABILITY IN OTHER COUNTRIES. KENYA FALLS INTO
THIS CATEGORY. U.S. INTEREST IN KENYA (AVESIDES TRADE,
INVESTMENT) IS DEFINITELY STRATEGIC. NOT ONLY IN TERMS
OF INDIAN OCEAN AND CONTINUED U.S. NAVY ACCESS TO PORT
OF MOMBASA, BUT AS STABILIZING INFLUENCE IN AREA OF GROW-
ING UNREST WHICH IS INCREASINGLY COMING UNDER INFLUENCE
OF SOVIET UNION AND CHINA. MOREOVER, KENYA AND NEARBY
COUNTRIES ARE IMPORTANT SOURCE OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES
AMB HAVE MINERAG
IQQMRNIAL, INCLUDING SOME PROSPECTS FOR
PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS. IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE IN U.S. INTEREST
TO HAVE ACCESS TO THESE RESOURCES. NO WAR BETWEN INDEPENDENT
BLACK AFRICAN COUNTRIES HAS YET TAKEN PLACE, BUT AREA
OF GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR SUCH IS EASTERN AFRICA. TURMOIL
IN ETHIOPIA HAS, IN KENYAN VIEW, ELIMINATED ETHIOTVQGAKENYA
MUTUAL DEFENSE
AGREEMENT AS INSURANCE POLICY AGAINST SOMALIA MILITARY
ATTACK. REDRESSMENT OF KENYA'S CURRENTLY INFERIOR MILITARY
POSITION VIS-A-VIS ITS NEIGHBORS COULD PREVENT OUTBREAK
OF HOSTILITIESIN LIGHTLY ARMED KENYA (ONLY 6,400 IN ARMED
FORCES, NO SUPERSONIC JETS, NO TANKS) WOULD AT PRESENT
HAVE LITTLE CHANCE OF COUNTERING SOMALI INVASION OF
NORTHEAST, PARTICULARLY IF THERE WERE A COORDINATED
ATTACK ON KENYA BY UGANDA. WHILE I BELIEVE SUCH A SCENARIO
IS RELATIVELY REMOTE AT MOMENT, IT IS FAR FROM IMPOSSIBLE
OR IMPROBABLE.
7. RECOMMENDATIONS. I RECOMMEND THAT
FT OFFER FMS
CREDIT OR MAP TO FINANCE MODERATE PROCUREMENT OF U.S. ARMS AND
TRAINING BY GOK. (WE UNDERSTAND BRITISH UNWILLING PROVIDE MORE
THAN MODEST CREDITS WHICH WOULD BE ON REGULAR ECGD TERMS.) IN
ADDITION I RAWMMMEND THAT CONSIDERATION BE GIVEN BY USG TO USING
ITS INFLUENCE WITH IRAN TO BRING CYA AND IRAN CLOSER TOGETHER
MILITARILY. SUCH COOPERATION COULD CONCEIVABLY TAKE FORM
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PAGE 03 NAIROB 10618 02 OF 02 201736Z
OF IRANIAN FINANCING OF KENYAN ACQUISITIONS OF U.S. ARMS,
IRANIAN GIFTS OR LOANS TO KENYA OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT NOT
NEEDED IN IRAN, AND EVEN EVENTUALLY SOME TYPE OF MUTUAL
DEFENSE AGREEMENT WHICH MIGHT MAKE KENYA FEEVBORS.
R
8. I WOULD APPRECIATE INSTRUCTION OR AT LEAST INTERIM REPLY
TO VICE PRESIDENT
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS MOI
EMPHASIZED HIGH PRIORITY GOK ATTACHES TO STRENGTHENING
OF KENYAN ARMED FORCES DUE TO THEIR FEARS THAT SOMALI
PRESIDENT SIAD WILL BE LESS INCLINED TO EXERCISE
RESTRAINT ONCE HE GIVES UP CHAIRMANSHIP OF OAU NEXT
JUNE.
MARSHALL
NOTE BY OC/T: NAIROBI 10618, SECTION 2 OF 2 BADLY GARBLED. CORRECTION
TO FOLLOW.
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