Office of the Historian

359. Notes of the Secretary’s Staff Meeting, Department of State, Washington, August 19, 1957, 9:15 a.m.1

Washington, August 19, 1957, 9:15 a.m.

[Here follow paragraphs 1–4.]

5. Syria—Mr. Rountree gave the Secretary2 a status report including a report on the difficulty which the Embassy is having in carrying on its normal functions, surrounded as it is with police and harassed by police interference with servants. He said that the Communist Chief of Staff3 seems to have taken over firmly and is conducting a purge. He noted that the President4 was not strong and true to form had left the country in the crisis, was in Egypt where he had seen Nasser and was now apparently in the hospital. Governor Herter noted that Strong had done very well. The Secretary indicated that it would be necessary to have a conference on this subject later in the day.

[Here follows the remainder of the notes.]

  1. Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Staff Meetings: Lot 63 D 75. Secret. Drafted by Howe.↩
  2. Dulles returned from vacation on August 18. (Dulles Appointment Book; Princeton University Library, Dulles Papers)↩
  3. On August 16 the Embassy in Damascus reported the Syrian announcement that Colonel Afif Bizri, a Communist, had been promoted to Major General and appointed Chief-of-Staff of the Syrian Army. (Telegram 465 from Damascus, August 16; Department of State, Central Files, 783.00/8–1657)↩
  4. Quwatli.↩