<--PREV Doc #2060  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #2062 Document #2061; November 2, 1956 To Ibn Abd al-Aziz Saud Series: EM, AWF, International Series: Saudi Arabia ; Category: Cable. Secret The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XVII - The Presidency: The Middle Way Part XI: The free world's "sad mess"; October 1956 to January 1957 Chapter 22: On Suez "we do not see eye to eye"   Your Majesty: Thank you for your messages of October 30 and November 1.1 It is heartening to receive your support of the United States efforts to bring to an end the grave crisis in the Near East. Your Majesty knows of the messages sent by this government to the governments of Israel, the United Kingdom and France in an endeavor to forestall the use of force.2 We are now exerting every effort through the United Nations to effect a cease-fire and the early withdrawal of forces.3 The United States first referred the question of the Israeli action to the Security Council. The resolution the US put forward to end the hostilities was not adopted although seven Council members supported it. The US then proposed in a special session of the General Assembly a resolution calling for a cease fire, the halting of the movement of military forces into the area, and the withdrawal of the forces of the parties to the armistice agreements behind the armistice lines. This resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority of the members of the General Assembly, revealing the deep concern of the world community over the situation in Egypt. I assure Your Majesty that the United States will continue its efforts to resolve the present grave threat to world peace. Your Majesty knows from my statements of October 31 and November 1 that the United States believes the actions in Egypt to have been taken in error and that we do not accept the use of force as a wise or proper instrument for the settlement of international disputes.4 Now that these grave steps have been taken we must all work to end the conflict and see that it does not spread. To this end I count on the cooperation of Your Majesty, who shares my deep interest in the preservation of the peace and security of the Near East.5 May God have Your Majesty in His safe keeping. Your sincere friend 1 King Saud's message of October 30 praised the President's opposition to the threat to Egypt by Israeli and Anglo-French forces and criticized "Zionist aggression" (AWF/I: Saudi Arabia; see also papers in WHCF/OF 116-LL). We were unable to locate King Saud's November 1 message. 2 See nos. 2048 and 2054. 3 See no. 2057. 4 For Eisenhower's statement of October 31 see no. 2058; for his speech of November 1 see Public Papers of the Presidents: Eisenhower, 1956, pp. 1066-74. 5 Eisenhower would send similar messages to Dr. Nazem al Koudsi, Acting President of Syria (Nov. 4, 1956, AWF/I: Syria); King Hussein of Jordan (Nov. 4, 1956, AWF/I: Jordan); and Libyan Prime Minister Mustafa Ben Halim (Nov. 2, 1956, AWF/I: Libya). Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. Cable. Secret To Ibn Abd al-Aziz Saud, 2 November 1956. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 2061. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/first-term/documents/2061.cfm <--PREV Doc #2060  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #2062

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