America's Great Game - The CIA's Secret Aarabists and the Shaping of the Modern Middle East

148 Pages·2013·2.76 MB·English

by  Hugh Wilford

More Adv ance Praise for
America’s Great Game
“America’s Great Game is an ep ic story of how the American search for adventure and idealism contributed to coup s and counter-
revolut ions in the M iddle East. Drawing on extensive research, Wilford exp lains the rise of the CIA, t he tort ured American
relationship with Arabs and Jews, and Washington’s Cold War comp licity with Brit ish imp erial interests. What makes this book most
enthralling is that the author builds the story around the grandsons of T heodore Roosevelt . T his is a valuable history and a fascinating
read—a true p age-turner.”
—Jeremi Suri, M ack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs, University of Texas at Aust in, and author of
Liberty’s Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama
“ T his is a great book: well written with comp elling det ails, good stories, and imp ressive use of p rimary evidence. It is tied together by
a first-rate thesis that will make p eop le think again about t he M iddle East.”
—Rhodri Jeffrey s-Jones, author of In Spies We Trust: The Story of Western Intelligence

Co p y ri g h t © 2 0 1 3 b y H u g h W i l fo rd
P u b l i s h ed b y Bas i c Bo o k s ,
A Memb er o f t h e P ers eu s Bo o k s G ro u p
A l l ri g h t s res erv ed . N o p art o f t h i s b o o k may b e rep ro d u ced i n an y man n er w h at s o ev er w i t h o u t w ri t t en p ermi s s i o n excep t i n t h e cas e o f b ri ef q u o t at i o n s emb o d i ed i n
cri t i cal art i cl es an d rev i ew s . Fo r i n fo rmat i o n , ad d res s Bas i c Bo o k s , 2 5 0 Wes t 5 7 t h St reet , N ew Yo rk , N Y 1 0 1 0 7 .
Bo o k s p u b l i s h ed b y Bas i c Bo o k s are av ai l ab l e at s p eci al d i s co u n t s fo r b u l k p u rch as es i n t h e U n i t ed St at es b y co rp o rat i o n s , i n s t i t u t i o n s , an d o t h er o rg an i zat i o n s . Fo r
mo re i n fo rmat i o n , p l eas e co n t act t h e Sp eci al Mark et s D ep art men t at t h e P ers eu s Bo o k s G ro u p , 2 3 0 0 Ch es t n u t St reet , Su i t e 2 0 0 , P h i l ad el p h i a, PA 1 9 1 0 3 , o r cal l (8 0 0 )
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A meri ca’s G reat es t G ame: t h e CIA’s Secret A rab i s t s an d t h e Sh ap i n g o f t h e Mo d ern Mi d d l e E as t / H u g h W i l fo rd .
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In cl u d es b i b l i o g rap h i cal referen ces an d i n d ex.
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For
JONATHAN
I meant to make a new nation, to restore a lost influence, to give twenty millions of Semites the foundations on which to
build an inspired dream-palace of their national thoughts.
—T. E . L aw ren ce, S even P i l l a r s o f W i s d o m (1 9 2 2 )
I had formed a beautiful and gracious image and I saw it melting before my eyes. Before every noble outline had been
obliterated, I preferred to go; in spite of my love for the Arab nation and my sense of responsibility for its future, I did
not think I could bear to see the evaporation of the dream which had guided me.
—G ert ru d e Bel l t o K i n g Fai s al o f Iraq (1 9 2 2 )
Contents
Abbreviations

Dramatis Personae

The Arab World in 1947

Preface

Part One Pre -Game, 1916–1947
ONE Learning the Game
T WO Beginning the Quest
T HREE OSS/Cairo
FOUR Great Game Redux
FIVE Z ion
SIX The Guest No One Invites Again
Part Two Warm-Up, 1947–1949
SEVEN Game Plan
EIGHT T he Right Kind of Leader? Sy ria, 1949
Part Three Winning, 1949–1956
NINE American Friends of the M iddle East
T EN In Search of a Hero: Egy p t , 1952
ELEVEN M ad M en on the Nile
T WELVE Authoring a Coup : Iran, 1953
T HIRT EEN From ALPHA . . .
FOURT EEN Cry p to-Dip lomacy
FIFT EEN Peacemakers
Part Four Losing, 1956–1958
SIXT EEN . . . to OM EGA
SEVENT EEN Increasingly a Vehicle for Your Purp oses
EIGHT EEN Archie’s Turn: Sy ria, 1956
NINET EEN Game On: Jordan, Lebanon, Sy ria, 1957
T WENT Y Game Over
T WENT Y-ONE Ep ilogue
Notes
Index
Abbreviations

ACJ American Council for Judaism
AFME American Friends of the M iddle East
AIOC Anglo-Iranian Oil Comp any
AIPAC American Israel Public Affairs Committee
AMCOMLIB American Committee for Liberation
ARAMCO Arabian American Oil Comp any
AUB American University of Beirut
AYC American Youth Congress
BA&H Booz, Allen & Hamilton
BP British Petroleum
CBS Columbia Broadcasting Sy stem
CCMCC Continuing Commit t ee on M uslim-Christian Coop eration
CIA Central Intelligence Agency
CIC Counter Intelligence Corp s
CIG Central Intelligence Group
CJP Committee for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land
COI Coordinator of Information
FBI Federal Bureau of Investigat ion
FOIA Freedom of Information Act
GID General Investigat ions Directorate
MP M ember of Parliament
NEA Near East/Africa Division
NSC National Security Council
OCB Op erations Coordinating Board
OPC Office of Policy Coordination
OSO Office of Sp ecial Op erations
OSS Office of Strategic Services
OWI Office of War Information
PWB Psy chological Warfare Branch
RAF Roy al Air Force
RCC Revolutionary Command Council
SIS Secret Intelligence Service (also known as M I6)
TAPLINE Trans-Arabian Pip eline
UAR United Arab Rep ublic
UN United Nations
VOA Voice of America
Dramati s Personae

THE PLAYERS
The CIA Arabists
KERM IT “KIM ” ROOSEVELT JR.: Ch i ef o f CIA co v ert o p erat i o n s i n t h e Mi d d l e E as t . G ran d s o n o f Th eo d o re Ro o s ev el t (TR), s o n o f t h e b u s i n es s man an d exp l o rer K ermi t
Ro o s ev el t Sr. an d Bel l e W i l l ard Ro o s ev el t , an d h u s b an d o f Mary “ P o l l y ” G ad d i s .
ARCHIB ALD B . ROOSEVELT JR.: A n o t h er g ran d s o n o f TR an d CIA o ffi cer; exp ert o n t h e Mi d d l e E as t b u t b eat en o u t t o t h e ro l e o f co v ert o p erat i o n s ch i ef b y h i s co u s i n
K i m. Marri ed fi rs t t o K at h eri n e W i n t h ro p “ K W ” Tw eed , t h en Sel w a “ L u ck y ” Sh o w k er.
M ILES A. COPELAND JR.: A l ab aman fri en d o f t h e Ro o s ev el t co u s i n s , K i m’s l i eu t en an t i n CIA , an d l at er au t h o r o f co n t ro v ers i al b o o k s ab o u t i n t el l i g en ce. Marri ed
L o rrai n e A d i e.
The ir Predece ssors, the OSS Arabists
WILLIAM A. EDDY: L eb an o n -b o rn A rab i s t , mari n e, s ch o l ar, i n t el l i g en ce o ffi cer, an d A meri can mi n i s t er t o Sau d i A rab i a, h e b l azed t h e CIA’s t rai l i n t h e A rab w o rl d .

HAROLD B . HOSKINS: E d d y ’s co u s i n ; a b u s i n es s man an d d i p l o mat w h o al s o p i o n eered A meri can i n t el l i g en ce i n t h e Mi d d l e E as t d u ri n g Wo rl d War II.

STEPHEN B . L. PENROSE JR.: E d u cat o r an d ch i ef o f t h e O SS s t at i o n i n Cai ro .

Othe r Americans
OSS/CIA
WILLIAM J. DONOVAN: H ead o f t h e O SS an d Ro o s ev el t fami l y fri en d .

ALLEN DULLES: D o n o v an ’s E u ro p ean d ep u t y i n t h e O SS; l at er d ep u t y d i rect o r o f t h e CIA an d t h en d i rect o r b et w een 1 9 5 3 an d 1 9 6 1 ; a k een ad v o cat e o f co v ert

o p erat i o n s .
WALTER B EDELL SM ITH: D u l l es ’s i ras ci b l e p red eces s o r as CIA d i rect o r.
FRANK G . WISNER: O SS ch i ef i n s o u t h eas t ern E u ro p e an d fi rs t h ead o f CIA co v ert o p erat i o n s .
DONALD N. WILB ER: Sch o l arl y exp ert o n Iran w h o w as s t at i o n ed t h ere as an O SS o ffi cer d u ri n g Wo rl d War II; l at er h el p ed p l an t h e Iran i an co u p o p erat i o n o f 1 9 5 3 .
M ICHAEL G . M ITCHELL: Fi rs t h ead o f t h e CIA’s Mi d d l e E as t s ect i o n , h e reco mmen d ed K i m o v er A rch i e Ro o s ev el t as co v ert o p erat i o n s ch i ef fo r t h e reg i o n .
STEPHEN J. M EADE: To u g h army o ffi cer p eri o d i cal l y l o an ed t o t h e O SS an d CIA t o p erfo rm s p eci al mi s s i o n s .
M ATHER G REENLEAF ELIOT: Yo u n g CIA cas e o ffi cer fo r t h e A meri can Fri en d s o f t h e Mi d d l e E as t (A FME ).
LORRAINE NYE NORTON: E l i o t ’s s u cces s o r as A FME cas e o ffi cer (t h ey l at er marri ed ).
JAM ES M. EICHELB ERG ER: Wart i me Co u n t er In t el l i g en ce Co rp s co l l eag u e o f Mi l es Co p el an d ; l at er ad v ert i s i n g execu t i v e an d CIA s t at i o n ch i ef i n Cai ro .
JAM ES B URNHAM: E x-Tro t s k y i s t i n t el l ect u al an d CIA co n s u l t an t w h o s e w ri t i n g s i n fl u en ced A g en cy o p erat i o n s i n N as s er’s E g y p t .
EDWARD G . LANSDALE: K i m Ro o s ev el t ’s “ n at i o n -b u i l d i n g ” co l l eag u e i n t h e Far E as t ; o ft en i d en t i fi ed as t h e mo d el fo r G rah am G reen e’s Th e Q u i et A m er i ca n .
JAM ES JESUS ANG LETON: L eg en d ary h ead o f CIA co u n t eri n t el l i g en ce, h e al s o ran t h e A g en cy ’s “ Is rael i acco u n t .”
HOWARD “ROCKY” STONE: Yo u n g memb er o f t h e CIA t eam i n Iran i n 1 9 5 3 . H e at t emp t ed u n s u cces s fu l l y t o mo u n t a s i mi l ar o p erat i o n i n Sy ri a i n 1 9 5 7 .
WILB UR CRANE EVELAND: A rmy o ffi cer an d Mi d d l e E as t ad v en t u rer l o an ed t o A l l en D u l l es fro m 1 9 5 6 t o p l o t reg i me ch an g e i n Sy ri a.
State Department
DEAN ACHESON: D i rect o r o f t h e L en d -L eas e p ro g ram d u ri n g Wo rl d War II, s ecret ary o f s t at e fro m 1 9 4 9 t o 1 9 5 3 , an d p at ro n o f K i m Ro o s ev el t .
JOHN FOSTER DULLES: Bro t h er o f A l l en D u l l es ; A ch es o n ’s s t ern l y mo ral i s t i c s u cces s o r as s ecret ary o f s t at e.
EDWIN M . WRIG HT: Mi d d l e E as t s p eci al i s t i n army i n t el l i g en ce d u ri n g Wo rl d War II an d St at e D ep art men t aft erw ard .
LOY W. HENDERSON: Vet eran fo rei g n s erv i ce o ffi cer an d So v i et exp ert ; as s i s t an t s ecret ary o f s t at e fo r N ear E as t ern affai rs i n t h e ru n -u p t o t h e creat i o n o f Is rael ;
amb as s ad o r t o Iran at t h e t i me o f 1 9 5 3 co u p .
JAM ES HUG H KEELEY JR.: A rab i s t d i p l o mat s erv i n g as amb as s ad o r t o Sy ri a at t h e t i me o f t h e 1 9 4 9 co u p t h ere.
JEFFERSON CAFFERY: Vet eran d i p l o mat s erv i n g as U S amb as s ad o r t o E g y p t at t h e t i me o f t h e 1 9 5 2 E g y p t i an Rev o l u t i o n .
HENRY A. B YROADE: Yo u n g ex-s o l d i er an d as s i s t an t s ecret ary fo r N ear E as t ern affai rs ; s el ect ed as Caffery ’s s u cces s o r i n E g y p t t o cu l t i v at e N as s er b u t u n d ermi n ed b y
CIA “ cry p t o -d i p l o macy.”
Kim Roosevelt’s Arabist, Anti-Zionist Citize n Ne twork
G EORG E L. LEVISON: P ro mi n en t an t i -Zi o n i s t A meri can Jew ; cl o s e fri en d o f K i m Ro o s ev el t .

ELM ER B ERG ER: A n t i -Zi o n i s t rab b i an d an o t h er i n t i mat e o f K i m Ro o s ev el t ’s ; execu t i v e d i rect o r o f t h e A meri can Co u n ci l fo r Ju d ai s m.

JAM ES TERRY DUCE: In fl u en t i al A RA MCO v i ce p res i d en t b as ed i n Was h i n g t o n .

VIRG INIA C. G ILDERSLEEVE: D i s t i n g u i s h ed ed u cat o r an d h i g h -p ro fi l e an t i -Zi o n i s t .

G ARLAND EVANS HOPKINS: Mi n i s t er an d ed i t o r; execu t i v e o ffi cer o f s u cces s i v e A rab i s t , an t i -Zi o n i s t o rg an i zat i o n s , i n cl u d i n g A FME .

DOROTHY THOM PSON: Cel eb ri t y j o u rn al i s t w h o p res i d ed o v er A FME .

CORNELIUS VAN H. ENG ERT: Ret i red fo rei g n s erv i ce o ffi cer w h o h el p ed l i ai s e b et w een A l l en D u l l es an d A FME .

EDWARD L. R. ELSON: P res b y t eri an p as t o r o f b o t h D w i g h t E i s en h o w er an d Jo h n Fo s t er D u l l es ; a d i rect o r o f A FME .

The Arab Players
Iraq
‘AB D AL-ILAH: Reg en t o f Iraq d u ri n g mi n o ri t y o f K i n g Fai s al II.

NURI AL-SA‘ ID: P ro -Bri t i s h p ri me mi n i s t er o f Iraq ; mu rd ered al o n g w i t h t h e H as h emi t e ro y al fami l y d u ri n g t h e 1 9 5 8 co u p .

Saudi Arabia
‘AB D AL-‘AZIZ AL SA‘UD: Ib n Sau d , t h e w arri o r-k i n g an d fo u n d er o f Sau d i A rab i a; s u cceed ed b y h i s l es s i mp res s i v e s o n SA U D .
Syria
SHUKRI AL-Q UWATLI: Sy ri an p res i d en t o v ert h ro w n i n t h e 1 9 4 9 mi l i t ary co u p b u t ret u rn ed t o p o w er i n 1 9 5 5 .

HUSNI AL-ZA‘IM: A K u rd i s h army o ffi cer, h e b ecame p res i d en t aft er l ead i n g t h e 1 9 4 9 co u p b u t w as d ep o s ed an d execu t ed o n l y mo n t h s l at er.

ADIB AL-SHISHAKLI: Tan k co mman d er, fri en d o f Mi l es Co p el an d , an d p art i ci p an t i n n u mero u s co u p co n s p i raci es , h e b ecame p res i d en t h i ms el f i n 1 9 5 3 .

M IKHAIL ILYAN: Co n s erv at i v e Sy ri an p o l i t i ci an w h o p l o t t ed reg i me ch an g e w i t h W i l b u r Cran e E v el an d .

‘AB D AL-HAMID SARRAJ: Cl ev er ch i ef o f Sy ri an s ecu ri t y s erv i ce w h o fo i l ed s u cces s i v e CIA p l o t s t o o v ert h ro w t h e g o v ern men t .

Egypt
FAROUK: L i cen t i o u s y o u n g k i n g o v ert h ro w n i n t h e E g y p t i an Rev o l u t i o n o f 1 9 5 2 .

M UHAM M AD NAG UIB : P o p u l ar E g y p t i an g en eral w h o l ed t h e rev o l u t i o n ary g o v ern men t .

G AM AL ‘AB DEL NASSER: Bri l l i an t y o u n g army o ffi cer w h o u s u rp ed N ag u i b an d , w i t h CIA s u p p o rt , emerg ed as t h e A rab w o rl d ’s l ead i n g n at i o n al i s t .

M UHAM M AD HAIKAL: E g y p t i an j o u rn al i s t an d co n fi d an t o f N as s er’s .

‘ALI SAB RI: A i r Fo rce i n t el l i g en ce ch i ef an d l at er d i rect o r o f N as s er’s O ffi ce o f t h e P ri me Mi n i s t er.

HASSAN AL-TUHAM I: Mi l es Co p el an d ’s l i ai s o n w i t h N as s er’s g o v ern men t .