Under the Eisenhower Doctrine, the United States pledged to give increased economic and military aid to receptive Middle Eastern countries and to protect--with U.S. armed forces if necessary--the territorial integrity and political independence of these nations from the threat of "international Communism." Salim Yaqub demonstrates that although the United States officially aimed to protect the Middle East from Soviet encroachment, the Eisenhower Doctrine had the unspoken mission of containing the radical Arab nationalism of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, whom Eisenhower regarded as an unwitting agent of Soviet expansionism. By offering aid and protection, the Eisenhower administration hoped to convince a majority of Arab governments to side openly with the West in the Cold War, thus isolating Nasser and decreasing the likelihood that the Middle East would fall under Soviet domination. Employing a wide range of recently declassified Egyptian, British, and American archival sources, Yaqub offers a dynamic and comprehensive account of Eisenhower's efforts to counter Nasserism's appeal throughout the Arab Middle East. Challenging interpretations of U.S.-Arab relations that emphasize cultural antipathies and clashing values, Yaqub instead argues that the political dispute between the United States and the Nasserist movement occurred within a shared moral framework--a pattern that continues to characterize U.S.-Arab controversies today.

Here also are the documents that tell what the U.S. State Department knew about the repressive nature of the shah's rule and the degree of popular support he enjoyed. Martial law, imposed after Mohammad Mosaddeq's overthrow in 1953, was maintained until 1957. As the collection details, the shah continued to exercise strict political controls even after ending martial law. In 1955, Iran entered the Baghdad Pact with Britain, Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan. In March 1959, Iran signed a bilateral defense agreement with the United States. The Central Files offer insights into the shah's desire for close relations with the United States-which resulted in these alliances-and into his requests for U.S. military and economic aid.

An extensive collection of published material in different print formats, microform, essays, monographs, and articles, as well as graduate school efforts, in western languages up through the end of 1992 and into 1993. Extensive coverage is provided for the Persian Gulf War. Citations are organized by selected index terms, with an accompanying author index. ...will no doubt earn its keep in research libraries dealing with World and Middle Eastern affairs...--REFERENCE REVIEWS