Use of Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Masirah, Oman, by USA

This file is part A of two concerning a request by the US to use the UK's RAF base at Masirah. It contains correspondence on:

• The agreement of the Sultan of Oman Qaboos Bin Saeed to a request from Dr Henry Kissinger for the US to make occasional use of the Masirah base, subject to HMG’s agreement
• The possible use of Masirah by aircraft from the USS Enterprise
• The question of whether the US may eventually aim for more comprehensive use of the base
• The possible US use of the Masirah base to spy on the Soviet Union’s activities
• The Sultan's denial as 'propaganda' that an agreement has been reached
• Copies of 1961 and 1969 agreements between the USA and the UK granting reciprocal overflight and landing rights in their worldwide airbase networks
• The link between a US-UK agreement over Masirah with American use of the British Indian Ocean base at Diego Garcia
• Briefings on defence matters for the visit to Washington DC of the Prime Minister Harold Wilson and his talks with Dr Kissinger
• Press reports, including: A Christian Science Monitor article, dated 17 January 1975, entitled ‘What’s behind the new US aid to Oman’; and a Sunday Times article, entitled ‘Britain cool over US plea to use key Gulf base’, dated 19 January 1975
• The exchanges between George Labrakis of the US Embassy; the Foreign Secretary James Callaghan; John Roberts of the Cabinet office; T J Clark of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and the British Ambassador in Washington P E Ramsbotham
• Condemnation of the agreement from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO)
• The concerns over the agreement expressed by UAE Minister of State Saif Ghobash
• The reaction of the Palestine Liberation Organisation official Mohammad Saif in Al Hadaf

The file also contains:

• A draft report on the future of the RAF base at Masirah, prompted by US concerns of a planned early withdrawal
• Correspondence about US military aid to Oman, including the supply of TOW launchers to use against armoured vehicles of the Dhofar rebels