113. Editorial Note
On December 18, during a meeting of the NATO Heads of Government in Paris, with President Eisenhower, Prime Minister Menderes, and Foreign Minister Zorlu of Turkey among others present, the subject of Nasser and Egypt’s relations with Jordan were raised. The memorandum of conversation includes the following exchange:
“The President asked Prime Minister Menderes whether he thought there were any signs that Nasser was becoming uncomfortable in his relationship with the USSR. The President had a feeling Nasser might be seeking to disentangle himself from the Russians.
“The Prime Minister commented that Nasser was always gambling. He thought he was merely seeking time to consolidate his position.
“The President said that Nasser must give convincing proof of a change of heart. Mr. Zorlu commented that the yardstick in question must be Jordan. Nasser should stop trying to overthrow the Jordan Government. The President agreed. He said that we would continue to support Jordan and that no doubt if Egypt or Syria should attack Jordan, we would invoke the American Doctrine on the grounds that the attack was carried out as a result of Communist domination of the attacking country.” (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File)