United Pakistan – Hashemite Arab Federation (1958) relations

Arab Federation—United Pakistan relations

Hashemi Arab Federation	PAKISTAN   (Occupied Kashmir)

The American Intelligence services. They knew there had been no Soviet citizens in-volved. The Soviet leaders had not foreseen the revolution nor had they even heard of Kassem. The Secretary said he could be persuaded that the Soviet Union had played no active part in the overthrow of the Nuri Government, but he was talking about activities that had taken place since then. Mikoyan observed that if they had not interfered before the Revolution it was strange to suggest that they were interfering now. They were glad that the revolution had occurred because it undermined the Baghdad Pact. But, it was not the Communist Party alone but other forces in Iraq as well who were supporting the legal government of Kassem. On the other hand, in the UAR, Nasser was arresting Communists. The Soviet Union had good relations with both countries. Its policy of non-interference was paying off for it in the Middle East. The Soviets had assured the Shah of Iran" that they would not interfere in Iranian affairs, although they didn't like his regime. He had given them assurances that Iran would not engage in any military arrangements directed against the Soviet Union nor allow foreign bases to be set up on Iranian soil. However, since the split in the Baghdad Pact there had been certain developments and his policy seemed to have changed. Iran was providing military bases for the United States. We were thus interfering in the area, not they. As to Pakistan, Mikoyan said he didn't know whether there were Communists there or not. He had had good relations with Mirza and had represented the USSR at the Constitution ceremonies. The Soviet attitude towards Ayub Khan was the same as toward the previous government. The Soviets saw no constitutional basis for his government, but this was a matter for the Pakistani people. Western policy in the Middle East was mistaken because it did not recognize that the colonial era had come to an end. The Secretary said there had been much loose talk about the United States putting in new bases under new treaties with Turkey, Iran and Pakistan.

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