March 12 Notes

U.S. and the Middle East

Dual Containment

March 12, 2008

I. Cold War Comes to the Middle East

1. Closing Out Truman (difficulties of the MEC; effects of NSC-68; Israel & the Cold War: confluence of domestic politics and international realities; path to NSC 47/2)

2. The New Look (NSC 162/2: role of economy, massive retaliation, covert operations)

3. Transforming the Middle East (Iranian coup; water diplomacy and collapse of Johnston Plan)

II. The Road to Suez

1. Nasser’s Egypt (U.S. background with Nasser; United States and Anglo-Egyptian base settlement; aid and Israel; limitations—necessities of Anglo-Am alliance; effect of base settlement—rise of pan-Arab rhetoric, tensions with Israel; Nasser’s turn east—Bandung, Czech arms deal)

2. Containing Nasser (Syria: internal instability and CIA involvement; NSC 5412; Eisenhower and Malki regime; assassination and anti-American surge—rise of Ba’athists; creation of Baghdad Pact—significance of Iraq, pulling Pakistan in; question of Jordanian membership; U.S. outside support)

3. Suez (the Aswan Dam debate; origins of Project OMEGA; creation of anti-Nasser alliance: Eden and Munich analogy, France and Algerian war, Israel and French weapons supply; keeping Eisenhower in dark; Hungarian uprising—Secret Speech, rollback rhetoric, Soviet intervention, Nagy death; invasion launched and DDE response; withdrawal, Eden resignation, and UN settlement)

III. Beyond Suez

1. Syria (Operation STRAGGLE to Operation WAPPEN; creation of U.A.R. 1958; U.S. assistance in creation of SAVAK)

2. Collapse (DDE and congressional power: Formosa Doctrine as precedent; debate over Eisenhower Doctrine—constitutional questions, Democratic divisions; implementation: Qassem coup in Iraq; powers’ response—Britain to Jordan, U.S. to Lebanon; rise and fall of Chamoun; Israel: DDE vision, moderate public support, Douglas amendment and congressional role)

3. The Fringes (Algeria: French postwar position and political culture—limitations of 4^th Republic, outbreak of revolt and FLN, role of international public opinion, alternative to Cold War?, Kennedy speech and American anti-colonial traditions, DDE difficulties; Turkey: Eisenhower and nuclear weapons, decision to build Jupiters: US-British tensions, domestic pressures, limits of DDE theories; effects of Sputnik and offer to all NATO; who will take?: limitations of Greece, Italy, West Germany; decision to station in Turkey; ramifications)