Editing Suez Crisis (section)

==== Frustration of British influence in the Middle East ====
Throughout 1955 and 1956, Nasser pursued a number of policies that would frustrate British aims throughout the Middle East, and result in increasing hostility between Britain and Egypt. Nasser saw Iraq's inclusion in the Baghdad Pact as indicating that the United States and Britain had sided with his much hated archenemy [[Nuri al-Said]]'s efforts to be the leader of the Arab world, and much of the motivation for Nasser's turn to an active anti-Western policy starting in 1955 was due to his displeasure with the Baghdad Pact.<ref>{{Harvnb|Burns|1985|pp=24–25, 26–27}}</ref> For Nasser, attendance at such events as the [[Bandung Conference|Bandung conference]] in April 1955 served as both the means of striking a posture as a global leader, and of playing hard to get in his talks with the Americans, especially his demand that the United States sell him vast quantities of arms.<ref>{{Harvnb|Burns|1985|pp=27–28}}</ref>

Nasser "played on the widespread suspicion that any Western defence pact was merely veiled colonialism and that Arab disunity and weakness—especially in the struggle with Israel—was a consequence of British machinations."<ref name="Darwin 210"/> He also began to align Egypt with the kingdom of [[Saudi Arabia]]—whose [[House of Saud|rulers]] were hereditary enemies of the [[Hashemites]]—in an effort to frustrate British efforts to draw [[Syria]], Jordan and [[Lebanon]] into the orbit of the [[Baghdad Pact]]. Nasser struck a further blow against Britain by negotiating an arms deal with communist [[Czechoslovakia]] in September 1955.<ref>{{Harvnb|Darwin|1988|p=211}}</ref>