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Economic Aid and American Policy Toward Egypt 1955-1981, by William J. Burns. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1985. 212 pages. Appendices to p. 221. Notes to p. 262. Bibliography to p. 277. Index to p. 285. $32.50 cloth. $10.95 paper.
Eugene Black once stated that as President of the World Bank he was concerned about the diplomacy of economic development, that is, "with how to secure advantages in terms of development without arousing too much hostility."[1] This is no easy task; development, by definition, means change. More difficult yet is trying to secure major changes in political behavior in an independent country through supporting specific development projects or programs. This is no easy task either: the means appear at first inconsistent or marginal to the stated objective.
Mr. William J. Burns, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State, provides us with a case study of U.S. economic assistance to Egypt and its effectiveness in furthering U.S. foreign policy in Egypt. The period until 1967, when Gamal Abdel Nasser was President of Egypt, receives his most detailed attention. What is new is that Mr. Burns focuses on the relationship between economic assistance and foreign policy, not economic assistance and economic development.
Mr. Burns' basic conclusion is that "economic assistance, however it is disbursed, does not in itself furnish a foundation for U.S.-Egyptian cooperation--it reinforces an interest in mutual accommodation derived from more basic, shared political objectives." No surprise in this conclusion. But what makes the book worth reading is the meticulous research on who expected what, when and how the U.S. government formulated, presented and twice withdrew assistance to Egypt, and the political and institutional...