Anglo-American Defense Projects in the Postwar Middle East

Book excerpt: This book aims to explore Anglo-American defence policies in the Middle East between 1945 and 1955 and the attempts of these two Western powers to contain the Soviet expansion towards the region. It does not attempt to offer a comprehensive history of British and American policies in the Middle East. Instead, it aims to explore those policies with a particular focus on the problems of Middle East defence. It also seeks to determine the aims behind the proposals of MEC, MEDO, NTDC and BP, their failings, and the struggle that was undertaken against them by hostile countries, such as Egypt, India and the Soviet Union. It examines the events surrounding their formation, development and collapse. Furthermore, it explores the policies of the regional countries, namely Turkey, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq. Thus, it poses the questions of how the participating countries perceived the question of Middle East defence, what their basic aims were, and what problems they faced while trying to achieve these aims and implementing their chosen solutions.