Abstract

The principle of civilian control over the military and the secret services is essential for healthy democracies. That principle was challenged under the Labour government in Britain from 1945-1951, when the military and MI6 in the Middle East conducted their own parallel ‘defence policy’ using deception and misinformation, not only against their country’s enemies, but against their own elected government. The outcome was a divided and confused foreign policy in a region that was considered vital to Britain’s strategic interests. This research, which is based on sources from French, British, American and Israeli archives, as well as Syrian and other Arab documents, sheds light on the covert action of MI6 officers operating from their headquarters in Cairo with the backing of high-ranking officers in the Middle East Command, to subvert France's colonial rule in North Africa. Their clandestine activities contradicted the policy of Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin, who sought to amend his country’s relations with France after their clash in Syria in the summer of 1945, and integrate it in an anti-Soviet European alliance. The MI6 Arabists' covert action in French North Africa serves as a case study to re-evaluate Bevin’s control of the organization, which was ostensibly accountable to him. The article questions Bevin’s reputation as a powerful Foreign Secretary who dominated the Foreign Office, and raises doubts about his ability to oversee MI6’s clandestine operations in the Middle East.

摘要

文官控制军队和秘密机构的原则对于健康的民主国家至关重要。这一原则在 1945 年至 1951 年期间在英国工党政府的领导下受到挑战，当时中东的军方和军情六处利用欺骗和错误信息实施了他们自己的平行“国防政策”，不仅针对他们国家的敌人，而且针对他们自己的民选政府. 结果是在一个被认为对英国的战略利益至关重要的地区实行分裂和混乱的外交政策。这项研究基于来自法国、英国、美国和以色列档案以及叙利亚和其他阿拉伯文件的资料，揭示了军情六处军官在高级军官支持下在开罗总部开展活动的秘密行动在中东司令部，颠覆法国 在北非的殖民统治。他们的秘密活动与外交大臣欧内斯特·贝文的政策相矛盾，后者在 1945 年夏天在叙利亚发生冲突后试图修改法国与法国的关系，并将其纳入一个反苏的欧洲联盟。军情六处阿拉伯人在法属北非的秘密行动可作为重新评估贝文对该组织的控制权的案例研究，该组织表面上对他负责。这篇文章质疑贝文作为一个强大的外交大臣、主导外交部的声誉，并对他监督军情六处在中东的秘密行动的能力提出了质疑。1945 年夏天在叙利亚发生冲突后，他试图修改法国与法国的关系，并将其纳入反苏欧洲联盟。军情六处阿拉伯人在法属北非的秘密行动可作为重新评估贝文对该组织的控制权的案例研究，该组织表面上对他负责。这篇文章质疑贝文作为一个强大的外交大臣、主导外交部的声誉，并对他监督军情六处在中东的秘密行动的能力提出了质疑。1945 年夏天在叙利亚发生冲突后，他试图修改法国与法国的关系，并将其纳入反苏欧洲联盟。军情六处阿拉伯人在法属北非的秘密行动可作为重新评估贝文对该组织的控制权的案例研究，该组织表面上对他负责。这篇文章质疑贝文作为一个强大的外交大臣、主导外交部的声誉，并对他监督军情六处在中东的秘密行动的能力提出了质疑。