Office of the Historian

21. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Missions1

Washington, March 8, 1955—2 a.m.

Infotel. We have instructed our representative on North Atlantic Council that when Turkish-Iraqi Agreement is presented to Council he should indicate our warm support of Pact emphasizing importance of contribution to NATO that it represents by opening way to strengthening NATO’s defense on its seriously exposed southeastern front. He is to inform Council that we hope other countries of Middle East will recognize value of Pact to them all in providing forward line of defense against possible Soviet aggression and will see their way to acceding to it or where this is not appropriate working with it. We urge NATO members give this development their support where opportunity arises.

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 700.00 (S)/3–855. Secret; Special State Distribution. Sent to Athens, Brussels, Copenhagen, The Hague, Lisbon, Oslo, Ottawa, Rome, Luxembourg, Reykjavik, and to SACLANT in Norfolk, Virginia.↩