Page 216 - Begrave Thesis_Neat

went about his mission in Bahrain without the Administration or British knowing,

remains a mystery.

Having set up Nasser in Egypt and aided him through its intelligence services

to take over the state, the Americans were ready to abandon the Alpha Plan that had

aimed at establishing a long-term peace settlement between the Arabs and Israelis.

In President Eisenhower’s opinion it had become clear by the spring of 1956 that

the Egyptian leader’s primary objective was ‘to be the most popular man in all the

Arab world’. 605 In addition, Nasser turned towards the Eastern bloc, incited trouble

in Jordan, and increased his influence in Bahrain. This prompted the Western

powers to seek different solutions to perceived threats in the Middle East.

US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles proposed, in a memorandum to

Eisenhower, a new plan to handle Egypt’s leadership. The strategy, which was

eventually adopted by the US and Britain, was dubbed the Omega Plan and set down

Anglo-American policy towards the Egyptians. The plan inter alia would refuse the

selling of arms to Egypt, purposely delay the Aswan High Dam’s financial support,

and help Iraq to establish radio services to counter Egyptian propaganda in the

Arabian Gulf region. In short, the plan aimed at Nasser’s isolation from within the

Arab World and at lessening his status domestically. 606

In Britain, Eden before the adoption of the Omega Plan, had urged

Eisenhower to make ‘a careful re-examination’ of policy targeted at Egypt’s

605 R.H. Ferrell (ed.), The Eisenhower Diaries (New York: 1981), entry from 13 March 1956, 319.
606 FRUS, vol. XV, ‘Arab-Israeli Dispuate January 1-July 26, 1956’. Doc. 223: Memorandum From the
Secretary of State to the President, 28 March 1956.

© Hamad E. Abdulla 195