Mostafa Kamel

Mostafa Kamel represented the United Arab Republic in Washington from August 1958 and repeatedly tried to keep political disagreements from closing channels of cooperation. Preparing for Gamal Abdel Nasser’s September 1960 visit to the United Nations, he sought both strong security arrangements and a discreetly warm American welcome. State Department officials explained that visiting leaders would be treated as heads of UN delegations, with limited special hospitality. Kamel acknowledged that he had no instructions to make particular requests, but offered to relay American concerns about public statements that might damage relations. ^{1, 2}

Food assistance gave him another means of pursuing a closer relationship. On 7 June 1961, he suggested to Senator J. William Fulbright that placing assistance under Public Law 480 on a multiyear basis would improve relations. Fulbright’s account reached the White House, where Walt Rostow discussed the idea with Under Secretary George Ball and proposed contacting Food for Peace director George McGovern. ⁴

By July 1965, Kamel was arguing that renewed wheat supplies had become essential to Egypt’s political independence. Secretary of State Dean Rusk told him that congressional consideration of the aid bill and the public atmosphere made immediate negotiations difficult. Kamel warned that Egypt would obtain food elsewhere if Washington refused, and that reliance on Communist suppliers could erode its nonalignment. Rusk rejected a categorical commitment and emphasized the administration’s obligation to consult Congress. ⁵

The channel remained active during the June 1967 war, but could not prevent rupture. At 2:30 p.m. on 6 June, Assistant Secretary Lucius Battle met Kamel, forcefully denied Egyptian accusations of American air support for Israel, and expressed regret that Cairo had chosen to break relations on that basis. Battle said that the United States would treat the United Arab Republic and its representatives reciprocally. ³