421. Editorial Note
According to the record of President Eisenhower’s daily appointments, former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Said met with President Eisenhower between 9:48 and 10:04 a.m. on December 10, but no record of the conversation has been found. (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File)
Following the meeting, Eisenhower telephoned Secretary Dulles. According to the memorandum of conversation, prepared in the President’s office:
“They discussed the visit of His Excellency Nuri Al-Said to the President’s office. He was formerly Prime Minister of Iraq. The President said he liked everything about him. Dulles said that he had two planks in his platform: first, we should divide up Israel; second, we should use our Air Power to knock out Syria. But Dulles said this man had a modern sort of approach, was willing to be definite rather than vague. The President said the former Prime Minister had advocated adherence to Report of Commission of 1949 [sic]—only way we can live with Israel is to have commerce and trade and friendly communion with people of the area. We have got to recognize their right to existence. The President said he did not know how drastic were the changes advocated—Dulles said not very much.” (Ibid., Eisenhower Diaries)