Office of the Historian

285. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt1

Washington,September 20, 1955—12:15 a.m.

537. From Secretary.Embtel 485.2 Decisions embodied Deptels 515 and 5163 reached only after complete review considerations advanced by Embassy including Embtel 461.4

In essence we believe it inadvisable alter our present and promising plans for Middle East defense arrangements because of Egyptian opposition and in hope Egypt might then cooperate on Alpha. Suggestions advanced by Fawzi nebulous at best and regardless of how presented appear to involve either isolation of Iraq from Arab world or de facto abandonment by Iraq of northern tier.

Re final paragraph your 485 we have asked Israel Government to formulate its most favorable position on various issues and will continue press them on this. This however does not mean “ball no longer in GOE court”. Our primary problem continues to be to induce Arab country to exchange views directly or indirectly with Israel Government. This means, if GOE is to exert leadership we hope for, that it should similarly formulate its views on various issues to be settled and make specific suggestions as to manner and timing of actual exchange.

We believe more persuasive indication serious determination work toward Alpha objectives than contained in Fawzi suggestions is necessary to warrant reconsideration decisions on arms and Nasser visit.5

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/9–1655. Top Secret; Alpha; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Burdett and Russell on September 17 and approved and signed by Dulles. Later that day the Department informed Russell in London that the “Secretary signed Sept 20 tel to Cairo.” (Telegram 1544 to London;ibid., 684A.86/ 9–2055)↩
  2. Document 280.↩
  3. Documents 276 and 277.↩
  4. Document 274.↩
  5. Byroade responded to this message as follows:

    “Want Secretary to know that I appreciate his message Deptel 537 and that my 509 [Document 287] to Hoover sent before its arrival. Also had not interpreted Deptel 515 [Document 276] as a ‘decision’ of Department arms question until arrival his message. My struggle has been to obtain a decision and wording of Department’s cables has been pretty vague on this point as received from this end.” (Telegram 520 from Cairo, September 21; Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/9–2155)

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