Briefs and papers on UK policy in Middle East

This file contains correspondence relating to:

• C A E Shuckburgh's tour of the Middle East from October - December 1955. In his report Shuckburgh commented on issues including: the strategic and political importance of the Middle East; the state of the Arab world; regional defence; public relations; the British Council; the BBC Arabic service; development and the work of the British Middle East Office; Anglo-US relations; other outside influences, including Russia, communism, France, and Turkey, Persia [Iran]; the Gulf; oil; and Egypt. Shuckburgh made particular reference to the Arab-Israeli question, including some preliminary thoughts on a possible settlement, and Middle East oil after the Persian Agreement (1)
• Shuckburgh's suggestion that before Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd leaves for America, he should visit the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Pasha and the Israeli and Egyptian Ambassadors (2)
• British treaty commitments in the Middle East, including: the Baghdad Pact; the Special Agreement with Iraq; the Anglo-Jordanian Treaty; and the Tripartite Declaration (3)
• Paper on 'Military Facilities in the Middle East' by T Rapp, which is concerned with the possibilities for a main base away from the Suez Canal Zone. It focusses on Iraq, Libya, Jordan, Cyprus, Israel and Gaza. It also includes discussion of: the supply of British officials and the work of the Middle East Centre for Arabic Studies; the training of commercial companies' personnel; and the development of schools and hospitals (4)
• British policy in the Middle East following the threat to the area caused by the supply of Soviet arms to Egypt. It includes a memo titled: 'The Geneva Spirit and the Middle East' (5-6, 8)
• Prime Minister Anthony Eden's concern that Israel might be contemplating a preventative war. It also contains a correction of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anthony Nutting's views on Jordanian accession to the Baghdad Pact (9)
• Discussion of points, including Buraimi, Saudi Arabia, and the Baghdad Pact, to brief the Prime Minister for a public statement (11)
• Soviet, West German, Egyptian, and Spanish press reaction to the 12 December Commons debate on the Middle East (13-14, 17-18)
• Prime Minister's request for clarification on certain points for his speech in the Commons debate (15)
• Middle East debate in the House of Lords. It includes notes for a speech by Lord Reading and a request for briefs by D J D Maitland (19, 21)
• Draft passage about the Middle East for the Secretary of State's party political broadcast (22)
• Arrangements for a meeting in London of Britain's ambassadors in the Middle East, ahead of the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary's visit to the US. It includes a cutting from the Manchester Guardian (24-25)
• Economic committee and financing of the Baghdad Pact (26)
• Socialist/Labour Party attitude to the Middle East (27)
• Nuri Pasha's views on Saudi bribery and the Palestine question (28)