Office of the Historian

U.S. Efforts to Obtain a Settlement Between Egypt and Israel; the Beginnings of Operation Alpha, January 1–August 26, 19551

1. For previous documentation, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. IX, Part 1, pp. 875 ff.

91. Memorandum From the Secretary of State’s Special Assistant (O’Connor) to the Secretary of State

Washington,May 6, 1955.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President.

92. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, May 10, 1955

Washington,May 10, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/5–1055. Top Secret; Alpha; Limited Distribution. Drafted by Bergus.

93. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State

Cairo,May 10, 1955—4 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/5–1055. Secret. Received at 7:26 p.m. Repeated to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, London, Paris, and USUN.

94. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt

Washington,May 11, 1955—2:04 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/5–1155. Top Secret; Alpha; Limited Distribution. Drafted by Russell; cleared with Jernegan and Murphy; approved by Russell; and initialed for Hoover by Murphy.

95. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State

Paris,May 12, 1955—9 p.m.

Source: Department of State,S/S–NEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Alpha Volume 3. Top Secret; Alpha; Limit Distribution. Drafted by MacArthur and cleared with Merchant. Received at 6:56 p.m. Also sent to Cairo. (Telegram 1973;ibid., 684A.86/ 5–1355)

96. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State

Cairo,May 12, 1955—7 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/5–1255. Secret. Received at 10:50 p.m. Repeated to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Amman, Jidda, Damascus, Baghdad, Paris, London, and Beirut.

97. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State

Cairo,May 16, 1955—4 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/5–1655. Top Secret; Priority; Alpha; Limit Distribution.

98. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State

Cairo,May 17, 1955—3 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 774.00/5–1755. Secret; Priority. Received at 8:51 p.m. Repeated to Amman, Beirut, Baghdad, Damascus, Jidda, Ankara, London, and Paris.

99. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State

London,May 19, 1955—6 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/5–1955. Secret. Received at 6:50 p.m. Repeated to Cairo, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Paris, Baghdad, and Jidda.

100. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Washington,May 20, 1955—7:08 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/5–2055. Confidential. Drafted by Bergus; cleared with Ludlow,Burdett, and Russell; and approved by Jernegan, who signed for Dulles. Repeated to Cairo, London, Jerusalem, and USUN; and pouched to Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Damascus, Jidda, and Paris.

101. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State

Cairo,May 20, 1955—5 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/5–2055. Top Secret; Alpha; Limit Distribution;Noforn. Received at 11:56 p.m. Repeated to London.

102. Telegram From the Consulate General at Jerusalem to the Department of State

Jerusalem,May 20, 1955—6 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/5–2055. Secret; Priority. Received at 8:27 a.m., May 21. Repeated to Cairo, Tel Aviv, London, Paris, Amman, Beirut, and Damascus.

103. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Tel Aviv,May 23, 1955—1 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 120.1580/5–2355. Confidential. Received at 12:16 p.m. Repeated to London, Amman, Beirut, Cairo, and Damascus.

104. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Tel Aviv,May 23, 1955—2 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/5–2355. Confidential; Priority. Received at 12:57 p.m. Repeated to Cairo, London,USUN, Jerusalem, Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Damascus, Jidda, and Paris.

105. Memorandum of Conversation, American Embassy, London, May 18, 1955

London, May 18, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85322/5–2355. Confidential. Enclosure to despatch 3477 from London, May 23. Drafted by Mak.

106. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Murphy) to the Under Secretary of State (Hoover)

Washington,May 23, 1955.

Source: Department of State,NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Alpha—Memos, etc., beginning after 2nd London Talks—April 26–June 30, ’55. Top Secret.

107. Draft Memorandum From Francis H. Russell to the Secretary of State

Washington,May 24, 1955.

Source: Department of State,NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Alpha—Memos, etc., April 26–June 30, ’55. Top Secret; Alpha. The source text bears the following handwritten notation: “Withdrawn per agreement of W[alter] K. S[cott]/Russell, 6/2. To be superceded by new memo. 6/2. R[obert] L. B[urns].” Attached was an uninitialed typewritten chit that conveyed the same information.

108. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State

London,May 24, 1955—6 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/5–2455. Secret. Received at 5:09 p.m. Repeated to Cairo, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Paris, Baghdad, and Jidda.

109. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Jordan

Washington,May 28, 1955—2:10 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/5–2855. Top Secret; Priority; Alpha; Limited Distribution. Drafted by Russell; cleared with Jernegan,Allen, and Murphy; and approved by Hoover. Also sent priority to Beirut, Cairo, London, and Tel Aviv.

110. Memorandum From Francis H. Russell to the Secretary of State

Washington,June 2, 1955.

Source: Department of State,NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Alpha—Memos, etc., beginning after 2nd London Talks—Apr. 26–June 30, ’55. Top Secret; Alpha, Limited Distribution. Addressed also to Hoover and Murphy. The source text is not dated but bears a drafting date of June 2. The source text bears Allen’s and Jernegan’s initials, indicating their concurrence, and a notation that Dulles saw it on June 2. A marginal notation by Hoover reads as follows: “Noted:Hoover. Recommend for discussion with the Secretary.”

An attached memorandum dated June 2 from Russell to Hoover and Murphy states that since Byroade had informed the Department on May 30 that there was little prospect of securing Nasser’s cooperation at an early date in launching Alpha (telegram 1806 from Cairo;ibid., Central Files, 684A.86/5–3055), it seemed desirable “to move more expeditiously than we had anticipated in working through Jordan and Lebanon.”

111. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Washington,June 2, 1955—6:46 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/6–255. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Bergus; cleared with Ludlow; and approved by Allen, who signed for Hoover. Also sent to London, Paris, Jerusalem, and USUN. Repeated to Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, and Jidda.

112. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt

Washington,June 2, 1955—6:46 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/6–255. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Bergus; cleared with Ludlow; and approved by Allen who signed for Hoover. Also sent to London, Paris, Jerusalem, and USUN. Repeated to Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Damascus, Jidda, and Tel Aviv.

113. Telegram From the Mission at the United Nations to the Department of State

New York,June 2, 1955—7 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/6–255. Confidential; Priority. Received at 8:11 p.m.

114. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Jordan

Washington,June 3, 1955—7:15 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 120.1580/6–355. Official Use Only. Drafted by Troxel; cleared with Bergus and Barnes; and approved by Russell who signed for Dulles. Also sent to Cairo, Beirut, Tel Aviv, Baghdad, Jidda, London, and Karachi by pouch for Gardiner.

115. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission at the United Nations

Washington,June 4, 1955—12:34 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/6–255. Confidential. Drafted by Ludlow, cleared with Bergus; and approved by Key, who signed for Dulles. Repeated to Cairo, Tel Aviv, London, and Paris.

116. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State

Cairo,June 6, 1955—2 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/6–655. Secret; Priority. Received at 12:11 p.m. Repeated priority to London, Tel Aviv, Paris, Jerusalem, and USUN.

117. Memorandum From the Secretary of State to the Under Secretary of State (Hoover)

Washington,June 6, 1955.

Source: Department of State,S/S–NEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Alpha Volume 4. Top Secret. Addressed also to Murphy,Jernegan, and Russell.

118. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Tel Aviv,June 7, 1955—4 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/6–755. Secret; Priority. Received at 9:31 p.m. Repeated to Cairo and London.

119. Telegram From the Consulate General at Jerusalem to the Department of State

Jerusalem,June 8, 1955—10 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/6–855. Confidential; Priority. Received at 10 a.m. Repeated priority to Cairo, London, Paris, Tel Aviv, Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Damascus, Jidda, and USUN.

120. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 8, 1955

Washington Russell, June 8, 1955

Source: Department of State,S/S–NEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Alpha Volume 4. Top Secret; Alpha; Limited Distribution. Drafted by Russell on June 9.