U.S. Decision to Withdraw Support from the Aswan High Dam and Egyptian Nationalization of the Suez Canal Company, March 13–July 26, 1956


220. Letter From the Under Secretary of State (Hoover) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Gray)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 786.56/3–2856. Top Secret. Drafted by Russell.


221. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, March 28, 1956, 3 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.00/3–2856. Top Secret; Limited Distribution. Drafted on March 30 by Russell. The time of the meeting is from Dulles’ Appointment Book. (Princeton University Library, Dulles Papers)


222. Memorandum Prepared in the Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs

Source: Department of State, S/SNEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Omega #I. Top Secret. The first draft of this memorandum is printed as Document 192. See also Document 209. The source text bears a notation that Dulles saw this memorandum.


223. Memorandum From the Secretary of State to the President

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DullesHerter Series. Top Secret. The following handwritten notation by Dulles appears on an uninitialed carbon copy of the memorandum “Approved by President—March 28. JFD” (Department of State, S/SNEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Omega #1)


224. Memorandum of a Conversation, White House, Washington, March 28, 1956, 4:40–6:30 p.m.

Source: Department of State, S/SNEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Omega #1. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted on March 29 by Rountree. Another version of this conversation is infra . Dulles’ Appointment Book notes the conversation was to begin at 4:30 p.m. (Princeton University Library, Dulles Papers), but the President’s Daily Appointments indicates it began at 4:40 p.m. and concluded at 6:30. (Eisenhower Library)


225. Memorandum of a Conference With the President, White House, Washington, March 28, 1956, 4:40–6:30 p.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman Files, Eisenhower Diaries. Top Secret. Drafted on March 29 by Goodpaster. Regarding the time of the meeting, see footnote 1, supra . Another version of the conversation is supra .


226. Diary Entry by the President

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Top Secret.


227. Memorandum of a Conversation, Secretary Dulles’ Residence, Washington, March 28, 1956, 8 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.56/3–2856. Secret. Drafted by Merchant. The time of the meeting is from Dulles’ Appointment Book. (Princeton University Library, Dulles Papers)


228. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Minister of the Israeli Embassy (Shiloah) and the Secretary of State’s Special Assistant (Russell), Department of State, Washington, March 29, 1956

Source: Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Alpha—Memos, etc., Feb. 16 to March 31, 1956. Top Secret; Limited Distribution. Drafted by Russell. A note attached to the source text indicates the Secretary saw the memorandum.


229. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in India

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 880.00/3-2956. Secret. Drafted by Barnes, cleared with Troxel, and approved by Wilkins who signed for Dulles.


230. Memorandum of a Conversation, Secretary Dulles’ Residence, Washington, March 30, 1956, 2:38–3:10 p.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Israeli Relations, 1951–1957. Top Secret. According to a covering memorandum by MacArthur, MacArthur drafted this memorandum of conversation in the first person for Dulles, and Macomber initialed Dulles’ approval on the covering memorandum. The time and place of the meeting are from Dulles’ Appointment Book. (Princeton University Library, Dulles Papers)


231. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State and His Special Assistant (Russell), Washington, March 30, 1956, 4:14 p.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Phyllis D. Bernau. Dulles was at his residence.


232. Memorandum of a Conversation, Secretary Dulles’ Residence, Washington, April 1, 1956, 4–5:40 p.m.

Source: Department of State, S/SNEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Omega #1. Top Secret; Omega. Drafted by MacArthur. The source text bears a notation indicating that Dulles saw it.

Omega was the code name approved by Dulles and adopted within the Department of State for the handling of all materials pertaining to the implementation of the special Middle East policy that President Eisenhower approved on March 28 (see Document 223). The Director of the Executive Secretariat, Fisher Howe, assumed responsibility for the distribution of all Omega category materials and worked closely with the Counselor of the Department of State, Douglas MacArthur II, who was designated Coordinator of the Omega program by the Secretary of State. In addition to Dulles, Hoover, Howe, and MacArthur, the following Department of State officers were authorized to see Omega materials: Murphy, Henderson, Merchant, Allen, Rountree, Phleger, Bowie, Russell, Armstrong, and Randolph Higgs of the Operations Coordinator’s staff. (Memorandum of April 4 transmitting attachments from Howe to Murphy, Henderson, MacArthur, Merchant, Allen, Rountree, Phleger, Bowie, Russell, Armstrong, and Higgs; Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Omega. Mr. Rountree (for NATO Meeting May ’56))

Those within other agencies who were personally informed of Omega by Secretary Dulles were Allen Dulles, CIA; Admiral Radford, Joint Chiefs of Staff; William H. Jackson, Special Assistant to the President; Theodore Streibert, USIA; and Gordon Gray for the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense. (Memorandum of conversation by McAuliffe, April 2; ibid., S/SNEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Omega #1)


233. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 2, 1956

Source: Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Omega—Memos, etc. from March 24, 1956 to April 23, 1956. Confidential. Drafted on April 14 by Russell.


234. Memorandum of a Conference With the President, White House, Washington, April 3, 1956, 10:30 a.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster.


235. Message to Washington

Source: Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Alpha—Anderson Talks w/BG & Nasser. Incoming Telegrams—Jan.–March 1956. Part II. Secret. A note dated April 3 attached to the source text indicates that Russell forwarded this message to Dulles and Hoover. The note bears Hoover’s initials and a marginal note indicating that Dulles saw the message.


237. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Allen) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.5–MSP/2–1856. Secret. Concurred in by Robert G. Barnes and Dennis A. FitzGerald. Drafted by Lathram and Troxel on March 20.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/4–356. Top Secret; Omega. Drafted by Rountree and Allen, approved by MacArthur in substance and by Dulles in draft, approved by Hoover, and signed for Dulles by Rountree.


239. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Counselor of the Department of State (MacArthur)

Source: Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Omega. Mr. Rountree (for NATO meeting May ’56). Top Secret; Omega.


240. Memorandum of a Conversation, Secretary Dulles’ Residence, Washington, April 4, 1956, 6:30-7:10 p.m.

Source: Department of State, S/SNEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Omega #1. Secret; Omega. Drafted by MacArthur.


242. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 5, 1956, 12:15 p.m.

Source: Department of State, S/SNEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Omega #2. Top Secret; Omega. Drafted on April 6 by Rountree. A notation on the source text reads: “Not cleared by the Secretary 4/9”.


243. Letter From the British Ambassador (Makins) to Secretary of State Dulles

Source: Department of State, S/SNEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Omega #2. Top Secret.


244. Memorandum of Conversations, New York, April 5, 1956

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85322/4–556. Confidential. Drafted by Ludlow.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.56/4–656. Secret; Priority. Received at 6:32 p.m. Repeated to London, Paris, Rome, and Ottawa.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.6141/4–556. Confidential; Priority. On April 4, Dulles sent the text of this message to Eisenhower with the recommendation that he approve its transmission to Eden. (Memorandum from Dulles to Eisenhower, April 4; Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DullesHerter Series)


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/4–656. Official Use Only; Niact. Received at 11:18 p.m., April 5. Repeated priority to Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Cairo, and Tel Aviv.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/4–656. Confidential; Niact. Received at 12:28 a.m. Repeated priority to Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Cairo, and Tel Aviv.


249. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, White House, Washington, April 6, 1956, 8:30 a.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President. Secret; Personal and Private. Drafted by Dulles.