World War III in the Middle East

Abstract

Strategic planning in Washington and London achieved a momentum of its own. Often acting on their own initiative, the intelligence and planning staffs brought forward recommendations for consideration by the Chiefs of Staff. They in turn sometimes sought departmental and political endorsement for their plans. At other times, the procedural order was reversed. The Chiefs of Staff had to respond to political requests for advice and the planners to specific directives from the Chiefs of Staff. Strategic planning took place in a highly specialized, multi-dimensional, world, conducted by bureaucratic machines geared to continuous obsolescence as one imaginary scenario gave way to another in rapid succession. Yet the process incorporated certain continuities. The exposition of basic concepts became somewhat like doctrinal exegesis. Accepted assumptions and strategic principles were re-worked to meet changing circumstances as weaponry and force-levels changed and political events unfolded.KeywordsMiddle EastSuez CanalBandar AbbaLand ForceStrategic BomberThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.