Ask the Scholar

{
    "localId": "290016596",
    "label": "Memorandum from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee, with Attachments",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290016596"
}

{
    "id": "290016596",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290016596",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee, with Attachments",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290016596",
    "collections": [
        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
        "Subject Files"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750342/750342-40-001.tif",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750342/750342-40-001.tif",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750342/750342-40-001.tif",
    "imageCount": 10,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290016596",
    "naId": 290016596,
    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 21,
            "logicalDate": "1946-06-21",
            "month": 6,
            "year": 1946
        }
    ],
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}

{
    "seq": 3,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750342/750342-40-003.tif",
    "mediaId": "4ebd35c77afb4e73",
    "ocrText": "DECLASSIFIED\nE.O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E)\nOSD letter, April 12, 1974\nNLT-\nAC\n,\nNARS Date 7.16.7\nshock attending the reappearance of U.S. armed forces in the\nMiddle East would unnecessarily risk such serious disturbances\nthroughout the area as to dwarf any local Palestine difficulties.\nSuch a condition would, among other effects, invalidate entirely\nany current estimates of required strengths of the Army and Navy.\nFurther, the Middle East could well fall into anarchy and become\na breeding ground for world war.\nIt is believed that implementation of the report by force\nwould prejudice British and U.S. interests in much of the Middle\nEast and that British and U.S. influence would consequently be\ncurtailed except as it might be maintained by military force.\nThe USSR might replace the United States and Britain in influence\nand power through the Middle East.\nAs to the importance of a stable Middle East, friendly to\nthe Western Powers, it is obvious that this area is the buffer\nbetween Russia and the British Mediterranean life line. If the\npeoples of the Middle East turn to Russia, this would have the\nsame impact in many respects as would military conquest on this\narea by the Soviets. Under these conditions, even if Turkey\nmaintains her internal and political integrity, it is highly\nquestionable that she could continue her stand on the Dardanelles\nand maintain her position as other than a satellite Russian state.\nAlso, for very serious consideration from a military point of view\nis control of the oil of the Middle East. This is probably the\none large undeveloped reserve in a world which may come to the\nlimits of its oil resources within this generation without having\ndeveloped any substitute. A great part of our military strength,\nas well as our standard of living, is based on oil.\nAs to U.S. participation in a Palestine trusteeship, we con-\nsider that military advice must rest on our supposition that such\nparticipation would lead to military involvement, on which sub-\nject our views are stated above.\nSWNCC 311\n- 2 -\nEnclosure\nTOP SECRET"
}