Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, The Near East and Africa, Volume V

780.5/10–1251: Telegram

The Ambassador in Egypt (Caffery) to the Department of State

top secret
niact

Cairo, October 12, 1951—9 p. m.

463. Fol is precise text to be delivered tomorrow:

“1. Egypt belongs to free world and in consequence her defence and that of Middle East in general is equally vital to other democratic nations.

“2. Defence of Egypt and of other countries in Middle East against aggression from without can only be secured by cooperation of all interested powers.

“3. Defence of Egypt can only be assured through effective defence of Middle East area and coordination of this defence with that of adjacent areas.

“4. It therefore seems desirable to establish an Allied Middle East Command in which countries able and willing to contribute to the defence of the area shld participate. The United Kingdom, the US, France and Turkey are prepared to participate with the other interested countries in establishing such a command. Austral, New Zealand and Union of South Africa have moreover indicated their interest in the defence of the area and have agreed in principle to participate in the command.

“5. Egypt is invited to participate as a founder member of Allied Middle East Command on basis equality and partnership with other founder members.

“6. If Egypt is prepared to cooperate fully in the Allied Middle East Command organization, on the lines described in annex, his Majesty’s Govt for their part wld be willing to agree to the supersession of the 1936 treaty and wld also be willing to agree to withdraw from Egypt such Brit forces as are not allocated to the Allied Middle East Command by agreement between Egypt Govt and the govts of other countries also participating as founder members in Allied Middle East Command organization.

“7. As regards the armed forces to be placed at disposal of Allied Middle East Command the provision to that command of necessary strategic defence facilities such as military and air bases, communications, ports etc., Egypt will be expected to make her contribution on same footing as other participating powers.

“8. In keeping with spirit of these arrangements Egypt wld be invited to accept position of high authority and responsibility within Allied Middle East Command and to designate Egypt officers for integration in Allied MEC headquarters staff.

“9. Facilities to train and equip her force will be given Egypt by those participating members of the Allied command in position to give them.

“10. The detailed organization of Allied Middle East defense organization and its exact relationship with North Atlantic Treaty organization have yet to be worked out in consultation between all powers concerned. For this purpose it is proposed that all founding members of the Allied MEC shld send mil reps to mtg to be held in near future with object of preparing detailed proposals for submission to govts concerned.

“Technical Annex:

• “1. In view of Egypt’s importance to Middle East defence it is expected that, in common with other participating powers who are making similar contribution to defence of area.
  • “(a) Egypt will agree to furnish to the proposed Allied MEC organization such strategic defence and other facilities on her soil as are indispensable for organization peacetime of defence of Middle East, and
  • “(b) She will undertake to grant forces of Allied MEC all necessary facilities and assistance in event of war, the imminent menace of war, or apprehended international emergency—including the use of Egypt ports, airfields and means of communication.
• “2. It wld also be hoped that Egypt wld agree to Allied Supreme Commander’s headquarters being located in her territory.
• “3. In keeping with spirit of these arrangements it wld be understood:
  • “(a) That the present Brit base in Egypt wld be formally handed over to Egypt on understanding that it wld simultaneously become Allied base within the Allied Middle East Command with full Egyptian participation in the running of this base in peace and war.
  • “(b) That the strength of the Allied forces of participating nations to be stationed in Egypt in peacetime wld be determined between participating nations including Egypt, from time to time as progress is made in building up forces of Allied MEC.”¹

Sent Dept niact 463, rptd info London priority 176, Paris priority 60, Ankara priority 45.

Caffery

1. In telegram 473 from Cairo of October 13, Caffery informed the Secretary of State that he had just seen the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs to present the contents of the source text. Caffery added, inter alia, “He took careful note of what I had to say, thanked me and said that of course he had not yet read proposals but he hoped that it was not a gang-up against Egypt. I assured him to contrary. He said he expected necessary laws to be voted Monday in Parliament for treaty abrogation Sudan, etc.” (780.5/10–1351)