Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, The Near and Middle East, Volume IX, Part 2

641.74/9–653: Telegram

No. 1217
The Ambassador in Egypt (Caffery) to the Department of State¹

secret

Cairo, September 6, 1953—1 p.m.

293. Re Embtel 292 to Department. Nasir told me last night that he would accept terms discussed yesterday with the Minister Foreign Affairs; but that, that is his last word. Furthermore Egyptians would not propose those terms but they would agree to them if “Washington does something about them with the British.” He said “if we propose them, British will take them as that much gained and then start bargaining for more from there.”

He talked at some length about the rising opposition within the country to the negotiations that are now going on with the British and of the opposition that the government will have to meet forcefully if an agreement is reached with the British. Also, if an agreement is to be reached it is important to reach it before the reopening of the universities in early October.

Caffery

1. Repeated to London as telegram 104 and unnumbered to Paris for Reinhardt, to Rome for Maffitt, to Moscow, Ankara, and to Tel Aviv.