ABSTRACT
There was a long-standing difference between British and American strategists over the best line on which to defend the Middle East against a Soviet offensive. In 1945, Winston Churchill was convinced that the UK could not maintain her position in the Middle East, especially not in Palestine, without active, and 'constructive' American involvement. In July 1945, he addressed the following minute of despair on the Palestine question to his Chiefs of Staff and to the Colonial Secretary. The Middle East Command (MEC) had been transformed into a Middle East Defense Organisation (MEDO). MEDO was to be initially 'a planning, co-ordinating and liaison organisation', developing ultimately into a full-blown defence organisation. MEC had been part of the traditional, Egypt-centred British strategy in the Middle East. With Turkey in NATO, the way was open to an alternative, Northern Tier-based strategy.
