The Question of U.S. Military Assistance to Iraq, U.S. Interest in the Political Stability of Iraq, and the Visit to the United States of Crown Prince Abdul Il Ah1

1. For previous documentation on U.S. relations with Iraq, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. IX, Part 2, pp. 2325 ff.


447. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 5, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 787.11/2–557. Secret. Drafted by Eilts.


448. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 5, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 787.11/2–557. Secret. Drafted by Eilts.


449. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 5, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 787.11/2–557. Secret. Drafted by Eilts.


450. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 5, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 787.11/2–557. Secret. Drafted by Eilts.


451. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 5, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 787.11/2–557. Secret. Drafted by Eilts.


452. Memorandum of a Conversation, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, February 6, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 787.5–MSP/2–657. Confidential. Drafted by Berry.


453. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Iraq

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 787.5–MSP/2–2057. Secret. Drafted by Newsom and approved by Rountree. Repeated to London and Paris for the Permanent Representative on the North Atlantic Council.


454. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Iraq

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 787.5–MSP/3–457. Secret. Drafted by Newsom and approved by Rountree. Repeated to London, Beirut, and Tripoli.


455. Telegram From the President’s Special Assistant (Richards) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 120.1580/4–857. Secret. Repeated to Jidda, Cairo, Dhahran, Tehran, London, Damascus, Amman, Beirut, Tripoli, Ankara, Athens, Rabat, Karachi, and Paris.


456. Telegram From the President’s Special Assistant (Richards) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 120.1580/4–957. Secret. Repeated to Addis Ababa, London, Paris, New Delhi, Rome, Beirut, Cairo, Tripoli, Tel Aviv, Karachi, Kabul, Ankara, Tehran, Khartoum, Rabat, Tunis, Jidda, Athens, Damascus, and Amman.


458. National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Department of State, INRNIE Files. Secret. According to a note on the cover sheet, “The following intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of this estimate: The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and The Joint Staff.” This estimate was concurred in by the Intelligence Advisory Committee on June 4. “Concurring were the Special Assistant, Intelligence, Department of State; the Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Department of the Army; the Director of Naval Intelligence; the Director of Intelligence, USAF; and the Deputy Director for Intelligence, The Joint Staff. The Atomic Energy Commission Representative to the IAC and the Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, abstained, the subject being outside their jurisdiction.”


460. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Iraq

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 887.00–TA/7–3157. Secret. Drafted by Newsom and approved by Berry. Also sent to London.


461. Telegram From the Embassy in Iraq to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 887.00–TA/8–357. Secret. Repeated to London.


462. Operations Coordinating Board Report

Source: Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430, Near East: January-July, 1957. Secret. A covering note by Charles E. Johnson, Executive Assistant to the OCB, indicates that the Board concurred in this Plan for implementation by the responsible agencies of the actions and programs contained therein at its meeting of August 7.

According to minutes of the OCB meeting of July 31, the OCB discussed and revised a July 27 draft of the Operations Plan for Iraq, and deferred final action on the paper pending the preparation by the Working Group of an annex covering U.K. past and present programs and future plans for military aid to Iraq, and the resolving of any questions that might have remained with respect to paragraph 52 of the paper. The OCB noted a report by the Department of Defense that the Military Committee of the Baghdad Pact was making a series of planning studies on the Pact countries, including one on air defense. Upon completion of these studies, the Department of Defense would be able to define more clearly Iraqi military needs within an overall Baghdad Pact context, and the relation of possible U.S. assistance thereto. The OCB noted that it was important that no impression be given the British or the Iraqis that the United States might assume any greater responsibility for the Iraqi military program. (Ibid.)


464. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, October 15, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 787.5–MSP/10–1557. Confidential. Drafted by Rockwell.