Nasser Said To Have Lost Confidence Of The West

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27795, 21 October 1955, Page 13

Nasser Said To Have Lost Confidence Of The West

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.)

■tee. • p.m.) LONDON, October 20. •Colonel Nasser still says occasionally how much he would like to cooperate with the West but if he has raised his prestige among the Arabs by bis flirtations with the Communist Bowers he has certainly forfeited the confidence of Washington and London,” says the Cairo correspondent of “The Times” reviewing the position in Egypt after what he calls the disappointing first year of the BritishEgyptian Agreement. “A year ago an agreement providing for the withdrawal of British forces from Egypt was signed. At that time it was confidently hoped that little by little the military regime would guide Egypt into the paths of co-operation

wim me west. . , “Optimists considered it safe and advisable to leave base installations m the Canal Zone under the protection of Egyptian forces, withdrawing all British military forces and leaving only unarmed civilians. , “It was supposed that in the event of war British forces could depend on installations maintained at a high Eitch of readiness, provided with ample ibour. and protected until the moment of need by a friendly and reliable Power. . “He would be a rash observer who would make these claims today. Colonel Nasser has cast vicious aspersions on the motives of the Western Powers. His newspapers conduct a ceaseless campaign of vilification against ‘American Zionists’ and his government seems to be at pains to prove that while the West is for Israel, the East is for Arabs. “Nobody could call his a popular government. There are rumours of dissension. A parliament has been promised for January but no details have yet been made public and it is

extremely unlikely that there will be any elections for it. Internal censorship is still complete. “Against this background must be placed the fact that almost all British fighting forces have been withdrawn from the Canal Zone leaving one of the most complex and importent base depots in the world dependent on the goodwill and stability of the Cairo Government. “It may be that the threat of a major conflict in the Middle East has been reduced since Geneva and that it is the possibilities of Soviet economic penetration that must occupy first place in Western thought. “But if it is necessary to have defensive forces in the Middle East it is necessary to have the Canal Zone base safe and in good condition. “How safe, one wonders, do the military planners in Cyprus now consider it to be? Would the Egyptian Government in its present mood encourage the'necessary labour to work there in the event of war against Russia? What would the Russian Ambassador, Mr Solod, say?”