Office of the Historian

85. Telegram From the Embassy in Iraq to the Department of State1

Baghdad, May 6, 1957—8 p.m.

1846. Prime Minister asked me to call at his home this evening. He had there with him the former Jordanian Prime Minister Hazzen Majali and Foreign Minister Bashayan. Majali, it was explained to me, had come to Baghdad on personal mission but with knowledge of King Hussein to press upon Iraqis Jordan’s serious financial plight. After that introduction Majali did the talking.

Iraq, he said, had courageously come out in favor of the West but had thereby isolated herself from rest of Arab world. He suggested that some of any additional aid we might extend to Jordan be extended through Iraq in order to help Iraq rehabilitate herself among Arab states. Any further economic aid for Jordan might very well continue to be extended directly by US. Any military aid, however he strongly advised should come through Iraq and Saudi Arabia. With arrival here of King Saud on 11th a good opportunity would be given for discussion to coordinate aid for Jordan by Saudi Arabia, Iraq and US. King Hussein would probably not be able to come himself at that time. He would though, he was sure, send a representative. Perhaps he himself might return in that capacity. In any event on his return to Amman he would see Ambassador Mallory and explore these suggestions further.

My response was that while I felt these suggestions had merit I was not at all sure they could be carried through. I would, nevertheless, report them and in turn request Department’s views.

I would like particularly Department’s reaction to suggestion that we sit-in on some of the talks while King Saud is here. If we are to do that we should, I think, be prepared to make some concrete suggestions to further coordinated aid.

Nuri in an aside to me maintained again that Iraq did not have the financial means at present to help Jordan. Cost of maintaining troops at H– 3, he added, was proving to be quite a burden.

Gallman
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 785.5–MSP/5–657. Secret; Priority. Repeated priority to Amman.↩