Ike's Suez Blunder

William Rees-Mogg says we are living with the fallout of the 1956 Suez Crisis to this day:

It has been reported that President Eisenhower in his old age was asked what was the greatest mistake of his presidency, and replied, “Suez”. Certainly many Americans now see Eisenhower’s rebuff over Suez, which pushed Britain into the arms of the French and the Israelis, as a self-inflicted wound on American policy. That undermined the whole Western position in the Middle East, destroyed the friendly monarchy of Iraq and had a negative effect that lasts to this day.
Middle Eastern oil was as essential, in 1956 as now, to the economy and security of the United States, Europe and world trade. So long as Britain had influence in the Middle East, Britain would remain a real world power. Yet Britain could not maintain that influence without American support. Nasser’s nationalisation of the canal was a direct challenge to the West. Eden believed that the challenge had to be met. Eisenhower and Dulles, his Secretary of State, were not prepared to meet it...

Read the rest, very educational.