ABSTRACT
During the summer of 1957 one might also have expected relations to become strained between Syria and the other two monarchies in the vicinity, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. In retaliation, the Saudis closed their embassy in Damascus, recalled their ambassador, and froze Syrian assets in Saudi Arabia. Iraq had been a cornerstone of British interests in the Middle East since World War One, clearly evidenced by the fact that it was the only Arab country to join the Baghdad Pact. The United States and Britain, although realizing the damage Suez had done to their positions in Iraq, did not approve of the moderate tone Jawdat had taken toward Syria and Egypt. In response, Jawdat continued to proclaim Iraq's intention to cooperate with the West, but behind the scenes, he set about transforming Iraq into a good Arab nationalist state—not exactly what the United States expected when Henderson arrived in Istanbul.
