Office of the Historian

55. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, March 24, 19551

Washington,March 24, 1955

SUBJECT

  • Status of Alpha Project Following London Meetings

PARTICIPANTS

  • S—The Secretary
  • Mr. George V. Allen
  • Mr. John D. Jernegan
  • Francis H. Russell

I outlined the present situation with respect to Alpha according to my Notes (attached).2 I mentioned the “package” which was worked out in London in general terms (showing the Secretary the map with suggested border provisions).3 I said it had received Eden’s approval and that Eden had favored pressing ahead with Nasser. The Secretary made no specific comment but nodded generally.

The Secretary made the following points:

1.
He believes the northern tier should be confined to the northern-tier countries. They are the ones which are required from the point of view of the military defense of the area. Jordan, Lebanon and Syria are not important from a military viewpoint. Their adherence to the Turko-Iraq Pact, on the contrary, would have two adverse effects: it would further isolate and embitter Nasser, and it would give the IG the occasion for claiming that the US had put its political and diplomatic weight behind Israel’s Arab neighbors and therefore against Israel. Even though the US did not itself adhere to the Turko-Iraq Pact, Israel would claim that we have close relations with Turkey and with Iraq and were therefore backing the whole arrangement. The Secretary said that it looks as though the UK had grabbed the ball on the northern-tier policy and was running away with it in a direction which would have the above unfortunate consequences.
2.
The Secretary indicated that he attaches a high priority to the Alpha undertaking and that he sees no leader in the Arab world through whom it can be initiated besides Nasser. He believes, therefore, that we must pursue policies in the area during the next few months that will help build up Nasser and will give us the opportunity to say to him that we are prepared to cooperate with him in strengthening his position but that it must be accompanied by his cooperation in Alpha. The Secretary asked the officers present to give active thought to proposals that would accomplish this and come back to him with them soon. He himself suggested casually [Page 119] the possibility of a conference of some kind in Cairo that would give Nasser a little prestige.

  1. Source: Department of State,NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Alpha—memos, etc., beginning after return from London—Mar. 11 thru April 26. Top Secret; Alpha. Drafted by Russell.↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. See footnote 13, Document 47.↩