Egypt and American Foreign Assistance 1952-1956: Hopes Dashed

Unprecedented in its use of Egyptian official sources, this book sheds new light on the difficulties and challenges of a nascent relationship characterized by missed opportunities, mixed messages, and mutual frustrations. Alterman compellingly shows how the interests of the U.S. and Egypt diverged to undermine this early American attempt at economic assistance for Egyptian development. He shows how the attempt was stymied by bureaucratic obstacles both in Egypt and the U.S. and how it became entangled inthe politics of the Cold War and the Arab-Israeli conflict. This important book reveals the complexities of linking economic aid with political objectives.