U.S. Interest in the Baghdad Pact, U.S. Response to the Egyptian-Syrian-Saudi Pact, NSC 5428 Series, Development of the Eisenhower Doctrine, and Regional Petroleum Policies1
1. For previous documentation, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. IX, Part 1, pp. 1 ff
151. Special National Intelligence Estimate
Source: Department of State, INR–NIE Files. Secret. According to a note on the cover sheet, “The following intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of this estimate: The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Joint Staff.” This estimate was concurred in by the Intelligence Advisory Committee on November 29, 1956. “Concurring were the Special Assistant, Intelligence, Department of State; the Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Department of the Army; the Director of Naval Intelligence; the Director of Intelligence, USAF; and the Deputy Director for Intelligence, The Joint Staff. The Atomic Energy Commission Representative to the IAC, and the Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation abstained, the subject being outside of their jurisdiction.”
[1 paragraph (3 lines of text) not declassified]
153. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (Wilson)
Source: Eisenhower Library, Staff Secretary Records. Top Secret. Secretary of Defense Wilson forwarded this memorandum to President Eisenhower on December 4. See Document 159.
154. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Israeli Ambassador (Eban) in New York and the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) in Washington, November 30, 1956
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/11–3056. Secret. Drafted by Rountree.
155. Telegram From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/12-256. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Ankara, Baghdad, Karachi, London, and Paris.
156. Informal Record of a Meeting, Secretary Dulles’ Office, Department of State, Washington, December 3, 1956, 11:07 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.00/12–356. Secret. Drafted by Joseph N. Greene, Jr. The time of the meeting is from Dulles’ Appointment Book. (Princeton University, Dulles Papers)
157. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Murphy) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) and the Assistant Secretary’s Special Assistant (Burdett)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.80/12–356. Secret. Copies were sent to Dulles, Hoover, and Henderson. The date 12–3–56 is written in hand on the source text.
158. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, December 4, 1956, 10:30 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/12–456. Secret. Drafted by Rountree.
159. Letter From the Secretary of Defense (Wilson) to the President
Source: Eisenhower Library, Staff Secretary Records. Top Secret. Attached to the source text is Document 153; a memorandum from Assistant Secretary of Defense Gordon Gray to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, dated October 22; four pages of excerpts from Department of State telegrams, quoting statements of foreign leaders and U.S. diplomats to the effect that the United States should join the Baghdad Pact; a paper entitled “Statement by Defense of the Reasons for U.S. Adherence to the Baghdad Pact at This Time”, printed below; and a paper entitled “Statement by State of the Reasons Against U.S. Adherence to the Baghdad Pact at This Time”, also printed below.
160. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.80/12–356. Secret. Drafted by Mathews and Burdett on December 4.
161. Paper Prepared in the Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs and the Policy Planning Staff
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 661.80/12–556. Secret. Forwarded to Secretary Dulles under cover of a December 5 memorandum from Bowie and Rountree, indicating that the paper was a revised version of the one discussed at the December 3 meeting and should be considered in conjunction with the paper attached at Tab A, supra. Wilcox, Phleger, and Barnes concurred in the paper. The Bureau of European Affairs concurred in the general approach. Murphy noted on the source text: “comments forthcoming.” Henderson concurred “subject to reservation favoring Baghdad Pact.” MacArthur submitted no comments on the paper.
162. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration (Henderson) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 58 D 460, Baghdad Pact, 1956. Secret.
163. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President in Augusta, Georgia, and the Secretary of State in Washington, December 6, 1956, 4:50 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Carolyn J. Proctor. A note on the source text indicates that she was able to hear only Secretary Dulles’ part of the conversation.
164. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 780.00/12–756. Top Secret. Drafted by Rountree.
165. Informal Record of a Meeting, Secretary Dulles’ Office, Department of State, Washington, December 7, 1956, 11 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.80/12–756. Secret. Drafted by Greene.
166. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, December 8, 1956, 11:53 a.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Carolyn J. Proctor.
167. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Secretary of State and Senator William F. Knowland, Secretary Dulles’ Residence, Washington, December 8, 1956, Noon–1:15 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Memoranda of Conversations. Secret; Personal and Private. Drafted by Dulles on December 9.
168. Memorandum From the Acting Secretary of State to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Murphy)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.80/12–1056. Secret.
169. Memorandum of a Conversation, Ambassador Dillon’s Residence, Paris, December 10, 1956, 9:45 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 814. Secret. Prepared by the U.S. Delegation to the North Atlantic Council Ministerial Meeting. The source text bears the following marginal notation by Macomber: “OK WM.” Secretary Dulles was in Paris December 9–14 to attend the 18th Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council. For additional documentation on discussions at the Ministerial Meeting pertaining to the Middle East, see vol. XVI, pp. 1278–1306.
170. Special National Intelligence Estimate
Source: Department of State, INR–NIE Files. Top Secret. According to a note on the cover sheet, “The following intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of this estimate: The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and The Joint Staff.” It was concurred in by the Intelligence Advisory Committee on December 14.
171. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.80/12–1556. Secret. Drafted by Rountree and Wilkins. According to notations on the source text, the memorandum was cleared with Henderson, Phleger, and Hoover who wrote the following comment: “The economic fund will have to be correlated with our MSA requests before the Bureau of the Budget within the next few days.” Another marginal notation reads: “Sec saw.”
172. Note Prepared by Roger G. Sturgill of the Executive Secretariat
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.80/12–1856. Confidential.
173. Memorandum by the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.80/12–1856. Top Secret. Sent to Secretary of Defense Wilson on December 18 under cover of a letter that reads: “I enclose herewith a memorandum indicating what I discussed yesterday. I am sending a copy of this to Admiral Radford. I hope that at this stage it will be kept top secret.” See supra.
174. Memorandum of a Conference With the President, Washington, December 19, 1956, 2:30 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster on December 20.
175. Memorandum of a Conference With the President, Washington, December 20, 1956
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Memoranda of Conversations with the President. Top Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster.
176. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, December 20, 1956
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 887.2553/12–2156. Confidential. Drafted by Rountree and Waggoner on December 21.
177. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, White House, Washington, December 22, 1956, 6 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President. Secret; Personal and Private. Drafted by Dulles. A handwritten notation on the source text reads: “No dist[ribution].”
178. Operations Coordinating Board Report
Source: Department of State, S/S–NEA Files: Lot 61 D 167, Near East (NSC 5428). Top Secret. Transmitted to James S. Lay, Jr., under cover of a memorandum from Elmer B. Staats that indicated that the progress report was concurred in by the Operations Coordinating Board on December 19. Staats also noted: “In considering this report, the Board agreed that transmission of the report to the National Security Council be delayed about a week to permit recording the final withdrawal of the U.K. and French forces from Egypt, if that event took place as expected. This report, therefore, covers the period from May 18, 1956 through December 22, 1956.”
The progress report was discussed at the 310th meeting of the NSC on January 24, 1957; see Document 187.