“The Pentagon talks of 1947” between the United States and the United Kingdom concerning the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean 1
1. Previous general conversations with the British on the Middle East had taken place in April 1944, when Wallace Murray, the then Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs, held discussions with officials of the British Foreign Office. For documentation on these conversations, see Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. iii, p. 2 and pp. 28 ff.; and ibid., vol. v, pp. 6, 7.
Note: The following is a table of reference by document to the various subjects and countries discussed below:
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I. Documents Reviewing the Genesis of the Talks and Detailing the Department’s Preparations for Them: | ||||
Chronological summary of correspondence and exchanges of views leading up to discussions with the British on the Middle East | 488 | |||
Annex 1: Memorandum by Loy W. Henderson of a conversation with Ernest Bevin and Lewis Douglas, September 9, 1947: Near East, Greece, Palestine, Egypt, Cyrenaica, Transjordan, Iraq and Iran | 496 | |||
Annex 2: Telegram 5006 from London, September 16, 1947: preparations for the talks | 502 | |||
Annex 3: Ernest Bevin to Secretary of State Marshall on social and economic development of the Middle East | 503 | |||
Chronology of developments stemming from Mr. Bevin’s memorandum regarding raising the standards of living in the Middle East | 505 | |||
The British and American positions | 511 | |||
Specific current questions: | ||||
A. Military (non-technical) questions | 521 | |||
1. Bases: Egypt, Cyrenaica, Transjordan, Kuwait, Iraq, Palestine and Cyprus | 521 | |||
2. Military missions and military assistance: Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Greece and Ethiopia | 523 | |||
3. Arms policy | 527 | |||
4. Central African road | 528 | |||
B. Political questions | 529 | |||
1. Problems involving a threat to the peace: Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Palestine and French North Africa | 529 | |||
2. The Communist problem | 531 | |||
3. Internal political situations: Greece, Turkey, Iran, Arabian Peninsula, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, other Middle Eastern countries and French North Africa | 532 | |||
4. Special British treaty relationships: Kuwait, Bahrein, Oman, Muscat, Sheikhdoms of the Trucial Coast, Iraq and Egypt | 535 | |||
5. British Middle East Office | 537 | |||
6. Cultural and informational activity | 537 | |||
7. The Turkish Straits | 537 | |||
8. The Palestine question | 538 | |||
9. The Arab League | 538 | |||
10. Transjordan | 539 | |||
11. Greater Syria | 539 | |||
12. The Egyptian question | 540 | |||
13. Disposition of the Italian colonies | 543 | |||
C. Politico-Economic questions | 544 | |||
1. Improvement of living standards in the Middle East through development of resources and industrialization: Iraq irrigation scheme, The Tana Dam project, Egypt, Palestine, Syria and the Lebanon, Arabia, other Arabian States, Ethiopia, Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan | 544 | |||
2. The dollar-sterling problem | 548 | |||
3. Technical and economic aid to Middle Eastern countries | 551 | |||
4. Petroleum in the Middle East and pipelines: Saudi Arabia, Bahrein, Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, the Levant States, Palestine, Ethiopia, Libya, Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan | 551 | |||
5. Development of U.S. aviation in the Middle East | 556 | |||
6. American economic interests in the Middle East | 556 | |||
7. British economic interests in the Middle East | 557 | |||
8. Organized Anglo-American cooperation to handle economic problems of the Middle East | 558 | |||
9. Proposed establishment of an economic committee for the Near East by the United Nations Organization | 559 | |||
Memorandum by Raymond A. Hare of a conversation between officers of the State and Defense Departments to attain a consensus, October 9, 1947 | 561 | |||
II. Documents Prepared During the Talks: | ||||
Suggested remarks by the Acting, Secretary of State at the opening of the US–UK talks on the Middle East, October 16, 1947 | 563 | |||
Draft notes for remarks by the United Kingdom at the opening of the US–UK talks on the Middle East, October 16, 1947 | 565 | |||
Substance of response of the Acting Secretary of State to the British Ambassador at the first meeting on October 16, 1947 | 568 | |||
Introductory paper on the Middle East submitted informally by the United Kingdom Representatives | 569 | |||
The American paper | 575 | |||
Memorandum by Raymond A. Hare on consideration in support of policy in respect of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East drawn up after consultation with the British Group, November 5, 1947 | 576 | |||
Memorandum on policy in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean by the British Group | 580 | |||
General statement by the American Group | 582 | |||
Statements by the United States and United Kingdom Groups: | ||||
Retention of British military rights in Egypt | 584 | |||
Assurance of British strategic facilities in Cyrenaica | 586 | |||
Disposition of the former Italian colonies other than Cyrenaica | 588 | |||
The maintenance of the British position in the Sudan | 590 | |||
Iran | 592 | |||
Turkey | 593 | |||
Greece | 593 | |||
Iraq as a factor in the maintenance of stability in the Middle East | 94 | |||
Anglo-American interest in Ethiopia | 596 | |||
Current political and economic questions in Saudi Arabia | 597 | |||
Political and strategic questions relating to the Persian Gulf sheikhdoms | 599 | |||
Political and economic questions relating to Yemen | 601 | |||
Palestine | 602 | |||
Transjordan and the Greater Syria movement | 603 | |||
Political and economic situation in Syria and Lebanon | 604 | |||
The Arab League | 606 | |||
Political, strategic, and economic questions relating to Afghanistan | 607 | |||
Pakistan | 609 | |||
French North Africa | 609 | |||
Cyprus | 610 | |||
Subversive activities in the Middle East | 610 | |||
Coordination of informational and cultural activities | 612 | |||
Supply of arms and equipment to Middle Eastern countries | 613 | |||
Anglo-Iranian Standard Oil pipeline | 613 | |||
Summary memorandum of informal conversations relating to social and economic affairs in the Middle East (United States and United Kingdom) | 614 | |||
Closing remarks by the Acting Secretary of State | 620 | |||
III. Documents Dealing With the Period After the Talks: | ||||
The Acting Secretary of State to President Truman, November 24, 1947. | 623 | |||
Michael letter No. 1, November 24, 1947 (Editorial Note) | 624 | |||
Michael letter No. 5, December 8, 1947 | 624 | |||
Michael letter No. 5a, December 10, 1947 | 626 |
[396] Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of South Asian Affairs (Hare)
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[397] Memorandum Prepared in the Department of State
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[398] Draft Notes for Remarks by the United Kingdom at the Opening of the United States–United Kingdom Talks on the Middle East
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[399] Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of South Asian Affairs (Hare)
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[400] Introductory Paper on the Middle East Submitted Informally by the United Kingdom Representatives
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[402] Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of South Asian Affairs (Hare)
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[403] Memorandum on Policy in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean by the British Group
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[405] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[406] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[407] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[408] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[409] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[410] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[411] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[412] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[413] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[414] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[415] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[416] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[417] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[418] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[419] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[420] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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[421] Statement by the United States and the United Kingdom Groups
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