Office of the Historian

236. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt1

Washington, June 27, 1956—11:22 a.m.

3082. Cairo’s 2557.2 Dept convinced basis available reports Egyptians are involved in US difficulties in Saudi Arabia… . Nasser also author of suggested Saudi-Soviet arms deal through Egyptian intermediation… . Pattern of abortive free-Yemeni movement indicates lengths to which Egyptians would go and may be going in Saudi Arabia. While they may deny intention cause any difficulty to US, this is not first instance respecting West in which Egyptians have said one thing and done another. Individual Egyptians in Saudi Arabia,3 if not Government, certainly regard reduction US influence as desirable objective Arab nationalism and we cannot be confident Egyptian Government desires otherwise. We cannot concur therefore in any proposal to approach Hussein or other Egyptian leaders this subject. US does not desire encourage Egyptians to believe their good offices are required for realization American objectives in Saudi Arabia.

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.86A/6–2356. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Newsom and Geren and approved by Wilkins. Repeated to Jidda and London.↩
  2. In telegram 2557 from Cairo, June 23, Byroade suggested that the Department attempt to verify the extent of the Egyptian involvement in Saudi Arabia. The Ambassador informed the Department that he doubted whether the Egyptians had a policy to drive the United States from Dhahran at this time. He added that it might complicate Wadsworth’s relationship with Saud if Nasser were confronted with the charge. Instead, Byroade proposed to bring the matter to the attention of Hussein and emphasize that any Egyptian activities designed to damage the Dhahran negotiations would only hurt the prospects of “constructive” relations between the United States and Egypt. (Ibid.)↩
  3. On June 21 the Department informed the Embassy in Jidda that unconfirmed reports estimated that there were about 60,000 Egyptians in Saudi Arabia as of May 1956—5,000 army officers, advisors, and instructors, and the remainder workers. (Telegram 704; ibid., 674.86A/6–2156)↩