History 439

The Cold War and the Middle East

February 27, 2007

I. Cold War and the Middle East

            1. Truman and Israel (pressures on Truman; stalling policy; NSC 47/2; turn to UN)

            2. Beyond Israel (Northern Tier vs. Middle East; formation of Middle East Command; US emphasis on regionalism)

3. Eisenhower and Transforming the Middle East (NSC 162/2; Mussadiq, the Shah, and the 1953 coup; short- and long-term effects)

II. Eisenhower’s Dual Containment

1. Eisenhower and Nasser (background with Nasser—CIA, foreign aid; US, Nasser, and Aswan Dam; exploiting the British; Nasser’s turn east—Bandung, Czech arms deal; Israel/France/Britain marriage of convenience; Eden and Munich analogy; the US and the Suez intervention)

2. Containing Nasser (the US and Syria—Malki and covert action?, assassination, development of Project OMEGA and Operation Straggle; road to U.A.R.; significance of Iraq and Pakistan; path to Baghdad Pact; where does Israel fit in?—arms procurement, security guarantee)

            3. The Fringes: Algeria (French postwar position
            4. The Fringes: 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)