Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Arab-Israeli Dispute, January 1–July 26, 1956, Volume XV

142. Message From Cairo¹

No. 97

March 1, 1956

REFERENCE

• A. Out Message No. 1²
• B. Out Message No. 2³

1. Ali Sabri says Nasr will be “Out of town” from 3 March until 9 March, that he has made plans he cannot change, and that first possible meeting with Anderson … will be Saturday 10 March. (This apparently confirmation rumors of Nasr meeting Aswan with Kuwatly and King Saud).⁴

2. Shortly after receipt Ref A on 28 February, a … representative, at previously scheduled meeting with Ali Sabri, pressed for another meeting on 1 or 2 March despite Ali Sabri preoccupation with Selwyn Lloyd meetings with Nasr. The … representative stressed urgency proceeding with discussion preliminary details because of probability of quick Anderson return. In lieu instructions from Washington, this was thought best way alert Nasr to possibility of meeting this weekend.

3. On receipt of Ref B, the … representative approached Ali Sabri to make appointments as requested in Paragraph 3 of Ref B. Ali Sabri gave reply reported in Paragraph 1 above and said that when he had told Nasr that the … representative seemed to think Anderson arrival by March 3 possible, Nasr had said it too late to change his plans. The … representative explained that Anderson … probably already on way and urged arrangement brief meeting anywhere before 10 March. Ali Sabri replied he thought it impossible.⁵

4. … expects report on Lloyd–Nasr conversations from Trevelyan through Ambassador Byroade on 2 March and from Ali Sabri through the … representative on 3 March. Will forward to Washington and Rome.

1. Source: Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Alpha—Anderson Talks w/BG & Nasser. Incoming Telegrams—Jan.–March 1956. Part II. Secret.
2. See footnote 5, Document 118.
3. This message directed that permission be requested from Egyptian authorities to allow Anderson’s aircraft to land at Cairo on March 3 at 2 p.m. Nasser was to be informed of Anderson’s “impending visit through appropriate channels” and a meeting was to be requested for March 4. (Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Alpha—Anderson Talks w/BG & Nasser. Outgoing Telegrams—Jan.–March 1956)
4. On March 6, King Saud of Saudi Arabia and President Shukri al-Quwwatli of Syria arrived in Cairo to confer with Prime Minister Nasser on ways to coordinate their plans for both war and peace in the Middle East. The meetings concluded March 11, and the participants issued a joint communiqué on March 12. The Embassy in Cairo transmitted a translation of the joint communiqué to the Department in telegram 1827 on March 13; Ibid., Central Files, 684A.86/3–1356.
5. Anderson could not wait until March 10. Message 99 from Rome to Cairo, March 1, directed that Nasser be informed of the substance of Message 97 and requested “arrangements for meeting wherever Nasr going, if possible”. (Ibid., NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Alpha—Anderson Talks w/BG & Nasser. Incoming Telegrams— Jan.–March 1956. Part II)