THE VISIT OF JOHN FOSTER DULLES, THE US SECRETARY OF STATE, TO THE MIDDLE EAST IN 1953 AD IN THE REPORTS OF THE IRAQI ROYAL LEGATIONS AND EMBASSIES

Abstract

The United States built its policy toward Middle Eastern issues, including Arab affairs particularly the Palestinian question on the strategy of Western defense of the Middle East and the expansion of U.S. military bases, which were used to encircle the former Soviet Union and to target its strategic depth.        

Given the Middle East’s geographical proximity to the Soviet Union, the region was of great importance to U.S. national security. From the American perspective, this created the need to integrate the countries of the region into a system of alliances and military blocs.                                             

John Foster Dulles’s policy in the Middle East relied on two main pillars. First, he was not keen to incorporate all Middle Eastern countries into the measures of military containment, but rather sought to apply a flexible strategy that focused on the so-called “Northern Tier” states Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Iraq. These states possessed sensitive strategic locations that would allow the launching of a comprehensive air war against vital Soviet targets in the event of conflict. Second, Dulles’s policy was based on a stance of non-alignment toward Israel.

The motives behind Dulles’s visit to the Middle East varied from one country to another. Nevertheless, the visit constituted a landmark event in Arab–American relations, as it was the first time a U.S. Secretary of State visited the region to closely examine its affairs and relations with the United States.          

Reports from the Royal Iraqi legations and embassies stressed the importance of Arab officials refraining from making commitments to Dulles regarding relations with Israel, especially in political, economic, and social matters. They also highlighted the insistence of Arab states on implementing United Nations resolutions on Palestine and countering the spread of communism.                                                               

Upon his arrival in Cairo on May 11, 1953, Dulles discussed with Egyptian officials the possibility of finding a solution to the Egyptian question. He expressed satisfaction and interest in his visits to Arab countries, listening to the views and proposals of their leaders, exchanging opinions with them on their respective national issues, and promising to convey their perspectives to the U.S. administration to help shape its policy toward the Arab world accordingly.                                                          

Dulles’s visit to India on May 20, 1953, aimed at clarifying the U.S. position toward India, demonstrating goodwill, and discussing international issues, particularly the Korean conflict, the Kashmir dispute, and Sino–Indian relations. On May 22, 1953, Dulles visited Pakistan to discuss shared concerns with India, especially the Kashmir issue and Middle Eastern affairs, as well as the possibility of U.S. assistance to Pakistan in addressing its economic crisis.                                         

It appears that Dulles’s Middle East tour was initiated by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to hold talks with officials in Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, and Iraq regarding the establishment of a regional military defense pact in the Middle East and to emphasize the necessity of the region’s participation in such an alliance.