6. Editorial Note
Secretary of State Dulles attended the Baghdad Pact Ministerial Meeting, January 27–30, 1958, as head of the United States Observer Delegation. Dulles’ “hectic” arrival at Ankara was described for President Eisenhower in Dulte 12, January 27: A snowstorm forced two unsuccessful passes by the Secretary’s aircraft at the runway and then a diversion to Istanbul. Rather than face the 13-hour ferry/night train ride to Ankara, Dulles convinced the pilot to return to Ankara for one final attempt to land. The snows cleared and the landing at 5:05 p.m. proved uneventful. The first day of the conference, Dulles told Eisenhower, was “ushered in at midnight with two attempts to blow up the American Embassy Chancery and the American Library.” Dulles related to the [Page 33] President that he slept through the commotion and quoted Turkish Prime Minister Menderes’ view that the bombs, which caused little damage and no personal injury, were a Communist demonstration against the Pact and Dulles himself. Dulles described the opening public sessions as “for the most part good in substance and tone,” but he thought Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Said went on “excessively” about Israel and Algeria. Dulles described the afternoon restricted closed session as really “interesting discussions” about the capabilities of the Soviet Union and the threat it posed to the Middle East. Dulles told the President that he warned Pact members against the Soviet Union’s tactic of stirring up differences between “free world countries.” Dulles thought his presentation was well received, except by Nuri Said “who is pretty tough.” (Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 63 D 123, CF 974)
The most complete set of briefing papers, records of meetings, telegrams, and memoranda of side conversations at the Baghdad Pact meeting is ibid., CF 959–970 and 973–977.