President Osman secretly interceded with Saudi Arabia on West Germany’s behalf

Evidence

Ambassador Nagel … wanted to see me this morning. According to what he said, he received a message from President [Heinrich Lübke] and Chancellor [Ludwig] Erhard, who entrusted him with beseeching me to check out with King Faisal during my visit with him if Saudi Arabia would tie itself again with [West] Germany and redo the interrupted diplomatic relations, without letting it be known that Germany suggested and asked it of me. I told him this would be rather delicate and that I do not have any intention to take advantage of the susceptibility of the host or to speak to him in the presence of others, but if it happens that I can speak to him alone, I will ask him only what he thinks about his relations with Germany and the Arab countries that broke relations after Germany recognized Israel and supplied arms. I told him that King Faisal could be inclined in his heart to follow Tunisia, Morocco, and Lebanon in their relations with Germany, but [Faisal] fears the reaction from the propaganda of Egypt and the other Arab countries, the so-called progressives, who would incite their populations against him. One should not forget that in his recent visit to the USA, King Faisal declared that “the enemy of Arabs is Israel and … who is a friend of our enemies is our enemy.” — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 844

Categorization

• QUESTION: Did Osman actually convey Germany’s request during his Riyadh visit, and did Saudi-West German relations resume as a result?