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IRAQ: Gathering of the Kings

2 minute read
TIME

The three Iraqis waited nervously on the tarmac as King Saud’s Convair, escorted by nine Iraqi jet fighters, came in to land at Baghdad. There was young King Feisal, whose Hashemite great-grandfather had been driven from Arabia by King Saud’s father; his thin and shy uncle, Crown Prince Abdul Illah; and Iraq’s strongman, grizzled old Premier Nuri asSaid, the special enemy of Saud’s onetime closest ally Nasser. Tall and majestic in his flowing robes, King Saud embraced the King and the crown prince, kissing both. Then Nuri asSaid, beaming, grasped the King’s outstretched hand in both of his.

The air was heavy and hot under a low overcast. In the ceremonial reviewing tent, the conversation was stiff. “It’s humid here. In our country the weather is dry,” observed Saud. Said Nuri: “This is unusual for Iraq. It usually doesn’t rain this time of year.” Saud: “We have had unusual weather, too; more rain than last year.” Nuri: “That’s good for sheep. Lots of rain increases the value of meat.” There was a pause. Visibly, the three Iraqis deferred to Saud: Prince Abdul Illah perched on the edge of his chair; King Feisal fidgeted with his sunglasses; Premier asSaid leaned respectfully toward Saud to catch his every word. Saud responded warmly, and if the ten minutes were awkward it was obvious that all four were intent on making their meeting a success.

In the eight days planned for Saud’s stay in Iraq, the talk would presumably rise above agreement on the humidity. There were still many awkward subjects between the leaders: Iraq’s membership in the Baghdad Pact, its dependence on British advisers, its dams and irrigation ditches, which could hardly be shown off without implying a painful contrast with Saud’s palaces in the midst of poverty.

But the overriding fact was that Saud was visiting Hashemite Iraq for the first time since he became King—and the first time since Iraq broke from the Nasser axis to join the Western-sponsored Baghdad Pact. In the Arab world, such physical events have more significance than many a communiqué.

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