373. Memorandum by the Deputy Director of the Executive Secretariat (Greene)1
MEMORANDUM FOR S/S
During a conversation with the Secretary in New York,2 Dr. Malik said Nasser thought that he had received assurances in 1953 that the United States would give him a free hand in the Middle East. Now he was bitter. Malik asked whether it was true that the Secretary had told him that the United States policy was to work through him with the Arab world. The Secretary replied that he would have to check memoranda of conversation to find out exactly what he had said to Nasser. It was possible that he had said we recognized that he had a position of leadership in the Arab world, but if Nasser thought we had given him any so far-reaching assurances, he was crazy.
Please give me what you can find on the above.3
- Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 916. Secret.↩
- Dulles was in New York to attend the opening of the 12th Regular Session of the U.N. General Assembly, September 16–22. For text of the memorandum of this conversation with Malik, see vol. XIII, p. 710.↩
- On September 24, Greene forwarded to Reinhardt and Rountree “the only two relevant documents we have been able to find”. They were a memorandum of conversation dated May 12, 1953, and telegram 2417 from Cairo, May 12, 1953, both printed in Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. IX, Part 1, p. 19 and Part 2, p. 2065. Greene also commented: “My own conclusion from these is that the matter can be left where it is with Dr. Malik but I pass this package along for your judgment.” (Memorandum from Greene to Reinhardt and Rountree, September 24; Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62D181, CF916)↩