Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-02
MIDDLE EAST
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in London in close touch with
British leaders on developments.
The Syrian radio reported new
clashes between police and dem
onstrators in the southern Iraqi
town Of Majaf and said 140 peo-
|ple have been killed in five days
of rioting against Premier Nuri
Said's government.
AS tensions grew. Iraq's King
Faisal II announced martial law
and suspended parliament for a
month, freezing political activity.
The suspension-at the behest
of the government-gave the
premier a breathing spell.
In a speech from the throne
FaiSal referred pointedly to "be-
loved Egypt" His aim seemed to
be to show Arab nationalist in
the country that the government,
while linked with Britain in the
Baghdad pact, was nevertheless
Arab-minded.
Threat to Baghdad Pact
The downfall of Mr.. Nuri's
government presumably would
wreck the Baghdad pact, which
links Iraq, Turkey. Iran, Pakis-
tan and Britain in a military
shield against the Soviet Union.
Egyptian President Canal Alb
del Nasser's controlled press in
Cairo has been calling for a gen.
eral strike throughout Iraq to
unseat the premier.
With the Middle East in fer
ment, Britain and France were
reported planning to base a
strong fire brigade force on Cy-
prus after the pullout from
Egypt. The two Western powers
thus would be geared to move
quickly in any new mideast
blowup.
The British cabinet met in
emergency session today and pre-
sumably studied the terms of
Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd's
pullout statement, expected in
the House of Commons Monday
afternoon.
Mr.. Lloyd is expected to say
that the withdrawal will begin
almost at once and the hope is
to finish it by Christmas.
In the eyes Of many in Britain,
the pullout will be seen as q ma
tional humiliation. But the shock
already has been cushioned by
news leaks" showing the gov
ernment's intention, and also by
Mr.. Eisenhower's announcement
that the United States will sell
oil both to this country and to
Western Europe generally.
The government. will try to
show that Britain has succeeded
in at least some of its detectives.
When the attack on Egypt was
launched, Prime Minister Eden
said the goals were to safeguard
the canal and stop fighting be-
tween the Egyptians and Israelis
No government minister would
say so, but there were also hopes
that military Intervention would
bring the downfall of President
Nasser's Soviet-assisted govern
ment in Egypt.
LabOrite Summarizes Crisis
The Labor Party's arguments
were summarized tonight by
John Strachey, a party leader,
in political speech at Coventry
He said:
"In a few weeks time. this
country Is going to wake up to
the fact that we have marched
into Egypt, marched out Of
Egypt, caused the canal to be
blocked, stopped our oil, made
every Arab in the world into an
enemy. opened the Middle East
to Russian penetration, split the
commonwealth. Quarrelled with
the Americans. ruined ourselves
all for nothing"
The opposition party also has
begun hammering on the theme
that with Prime Minister Eden
convalescing in Jamaica the
country is leaderless at a time
of crisis.
Harold Wilson. a power in the
Labor Party. has urged that Sir
Anthony must either return or
resign. Sir Anthony was re-
ported well rested after a week
under the Caribbean sun.