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brought awareness to the populations of the countries involved that the Soviet

threat was alive and well. 222

A delegation of Egyptian diplomats led by Major Salah Salem, the then

Minister of National Guidance, arrived in Baghdad on 13 August to open discussions

with the Iraqis on the Arab World’s future policy. The Egyptians objected to

entering into any form of an alliance that included Turkey or Pakistan. 223 It was

followed by Nuri’s attempt to personally convince Nasser of the alliance in Cairo.

The two leaders had met face to face for the first and last time in September 1954.

The Iraqi Prime Minister’s failure in Cairo took him to London and Eden decided to

adopt Baghdad as the new cornerstone of a Western-oriented Middle Eastern

alliance. 224

The evacuation treaty was signed between Egypt and Britain on 19 October.

Sir Anthony Nutting, the British Minister of State, negotiated the final detail of the

treaty with Nasser. 225 The Agreement inter alia laid down that British troops should

withdraw in twenty months, the maintenance of the base during peacetime by

technicians, and the use of the base in case of emergency by Britain if an attack on

any other Arab State or Turkey occurred. 226 The signature of the treaty was

followed by an attack on Nasser’s life on 26 October in Al-Ma’nshiya Square in

Alexandria. The perpetrators were radical members of the Muslim Brotherhood and

222 BDEEP, Series B, Part III, vol. 4, ‘Egypt and the Defence of the Middle East 1953-1956’, ed. J. Kent,
‘Introduction’, xxxvi.
223 Gallman, Iraq Under General Nuri, 24.
224 TNA, FO 371/111000, Minutes by Eden, 20 September 1954.
225 Nutting, The Aftermath of Suez, 94.
226 BDEEP, Series B, Part III, vol. 4, ‘Egypt and the Defence of the Middle East’ 1953-1956. Doc. 554:
DEFE 7/1011, ‘Anglo-Egyptian agreement regarding the Suez Canal base’: text of the final agreement,
19 October 1954.

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