Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

MLTCNaval Aidc) 282 OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE WASHINGTON November 19, 1951 E.O. 6, 1982 T S E State By PEB Dept. NLT, Date 9-6-85 SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS EGYPT Lebanese UN delegate Charles Malik approached Mr. Ross of our delegation in Paris on Saturday morning to inform him urgently that the Egyptian Foreign Minister Salaheddin is exerting "tremendous pressure" on the headso the Arab delegations at the UN in an effort to persuade them, as a matter of Arab unity, to issue a joint statement or separate statements early this week (Tuesday or Wed- nesday) strongly endorsing Egypt's position on rejecting the Middle East Command proposals and abrogating the Anglo-Egyptian treaties. Malik characterized Salaheddin's efforts as an "order" which other Arab gov- ernments would find most difficult to resist. Malik said the Lebanese Foreign Minister told Malik that he would resign before yielding to Sala- heddin on this point, but Malik replied that this would serve no useful purpose, since the present government would either yield or be overthrown by a government which would yield to the Egyptians. Malik said the key to the present situation was Ibn Saud, and he strongly urged that the US Government should endeavor to persuade Ibn Saud to intervene in the situ- ation. The Department, in reply to this report, has urged the Secretary to talk personally to the heads of the Arab delegations (ex- cept Egypt) and to impress upon them the great importance which we attach to the Middle East Command and the grave mistake the Arabistates would make if they turned against it. We have also instructed our missions in the Arab capitals (except Cairo) to make representations to the respec - tive governments urging them not to support Egypt's "precipitate actions" against the true merits of the case and against their own interests. Meanwhile, Embassy Cairo reports that Hassan Youssef, the Chief of the King's Cabinet, approached Ambassador Caffery again on Saturday to emphasize the importance of "doing something" on the Sudan issue during Salaheddin's absence in Paris, implying that if we could move this issue forward a bit it would facilitate Farouk's reported plan for "sabotaging"1 Salaheddin and might lead Egypt to begin negotiating on the MEC defense proposals. Hassan Yousseff said that another Palace repre- sentative, Andraos, would journey secretly to London in the next day or so, E T