┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ RECORD TYPE ......... ANNOTATION — SOURCED RECORD REGISTRY NO. ........ MARG-2494 SLUG ................ /syria-1957-cia-mi6-coup-attempt-declassified STATUS .............. ACTIVE FILED ............... 2026-07-19 18:12 UTC LAST ANNOTATED ...... 2026-07-19 18:12 UTC CLAIMS ON FILE ...... 12 MEAN TAG CONFIDENCE . 0.87 └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Syria 1957: Declassified CIA/MI6 Coup Attempt and 'The Preferred Plan'
SUMMARY
In 1957, Syria accused the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of plotting to overthrow its neutralist government, leading to the expulsion of three US diplomats [3, 11]. This event, known as the Syrian Crisis of 1957, was a significant diplomatic confrontation during the Cold War [2]. Declassified documents, including a 1957 report by an Anglo-American working group, reveal a detailed 'Preferred Plan' for covert action against the Syrian regime [8, 12]. This plan allegedly involved stirring unrest, instigating border incidents to justify intervention by pro-Western neighbors, and targeting key Syrian figures for 'elimination' [8, 9, 12, 14]. While Syrian counterintelligence claimed to have aborted the plot, the full extent of the operation's implementation and its long-term impacts remain subjects of historical inquiry and public discussion, particularly within online communities [3, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15].
STRONGEST CASE FOR
The strongest case for significant CIA/MI6 involvement in a 1957 coup attempt in Syria rests on multiple declassified documents. A key piece of evidence is the 'Preferred Plan' report, which details explicit strategies for regime change, including destabilization, false-flag operations to provoke invasions, and targeting of key Syrian officials [8, 12, 14]. Syria's contemporary actions, such as surrounding the US embassy and expelling diplomats, align with a discovered plot [3, 11]. Historical context from various sources supports the broader pattern of CIA intervention in the region during the Cold War [1, 16].
STRONGEST CASE AGAINST
While declassified documents confirm the existence of planning for covert operations, including the 'Preferred Plan,' it is not entirely clear from the provided sources how far these plans progressed or if a full-scale coup attempt was launched and then thwarted as claimed by Syria [3, 8]. The Syrian government's public allegations of a plot, while consistent with the declassified planning, might also have served domestic political purposes [3]. Some intelligence estimates, like SNIE 36.7-57, focus on 'Developments in the Syrian Situation' rather than explicitly confirming a successful or thwarted coup operation [5].
CLAIMS
- CORROBORATEDCONF 0.80
The CIA has been involved in coup attempts and assassination plots in Syria since 1947.
— attributed to: Wikipedia (general historical overview)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Syria
- VERIFIEDCONF 0.90
The Syrian army surrounded the US embassy in Damascus on August 12, 1957, claiming to have aborted a CIA plot to overthrow President Shukri Quwatly.
— attributed to: JSTOR academic article citing historical events
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/4328056
- VERIFIEDCONF 0.90
Syrian chief of counterintelligence Abdul Hamid Sarraj expelled three US diplomats and jailed dozens of officers implicated in the alleged conspiracy in August 1957.
— attributed to: JSTOR academic article citing historical events
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/4328056
- CORROBORATEDCONF 0.80
Syria became the first Arab country to expel an American diplomat in 1957 after exposing a CIA plot.
— attributed to: Reddit forum discussion (attributing common historical knowledge)
- https://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/2ipydy/in_1957_syria_became_the_first_arab_country_to/
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/4328056
- VERIFIEDCONF 0.90
A 1957 Anglo-American working group report, known as 'The Preferred Plan,' recommended covert action to topple the Syrian regime.
— attributed to: Scribd document summary, Reddit discussions
- https://www.scribd.com/document/268971168/The-Preferred-Plan-The-Anglo-American-Working-Group-Report-on-Covert-Action-in-Syria-1957
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Syria/comments/1c4zz1a/cia_mi6_regime_change_syria_1956_1957/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/history/comments/1qyw1v/the_preferred_plan_how_us_uk_intelligence_schemed/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/17xerh/1957_harold_macmillan_and_president_dwight/
- VERIFIEDCONF 0.90
'The Preferred Plan' included instigating unrest, creating fake border incidents as a pretext for intervention by pro-Western Iraq and Jordan, and eliminating key Syrian figures.
— attributed to: Scribd document summary, Reddit discussions citing newly discovered documents
- https://www.scribd.com/document/268971168/The-Preferred-Plan-The-Anglo-American-Working-Group-Report-on-Covert-Action-in-Syria-1957
- https://www.reddit.com/r/history/comments/1qyw1v/the_preferred_plan_how_us_uk_intelligence_schemed/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/17xerh/1957_harold_macmillan_and_president_dwight/
- CORROBORATEDCONF 0.80
President Dwight Eisenhower and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan approved 'The Preferred Plan.'
— attributed to: Reddit discussions citing newly discovered documents
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Syria/comments/1c4zz1a/cia_mi6_regime_change_syria_1956_1957/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/history/comments/1qyw1v/the_preferred_plan_how_us_uk_intelligence_schemed/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/17xerh/1957_harold_macmillan_and_president_dwight/
- CORROBORATEDCONF 0.80
CIA and MI6 intended to fund a 'Free Syria Committee' and arm 'political factions with paramilitary or other actionist capabilities' within Syria as part of the plan.
— attributed to: Reddit discussions summarizing historical documents
- https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/17xerh/1957_harold_macmillan_and_president_dwight/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/communism/comments/545c3s/britihamerican_1957_plan_called_for_funding_of_a/
- SINGLE-SOURCECONF 0.70
The CIA would instigate internal uprisings, help free political prisoners, and stir up the Muslim Brotherhood as part of 'The Preferred Plan.'
— attributed to: Reddit discussion summarizing historical documents
- https://www.reddit.com/r/communism/comments/545c3s/britihamerican_1957_plan_called_for_funding_of_a/
- VERIFIEDCONF 1.00
Special National Intelligence Estimate (SNIE) 36.7-57, 'Developments in the Syrian Situation,' was submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence in September 1957.
— attributed to: CIA declassified document
- https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp98-00979r000400350001-9
- VERIFIEDCONF 1.00
Intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of SNIE 36.7-57.
— attributed to: CIA declassified document
- https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp98-00979r000400350001-9
- VERIFIEDCONF 0.90
The Syrian Crisis of 1957 was a period of severe diplomatic confrontations during the Cold War.
— attributed to: Wikipedia (general historical overview)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Crisis_of_1957
TIMELINE
- 1947CIA inception; beginning of reported CIA activities in Syria. [src]
- 1956Special National Intelligence Estimate (SNIE) 36.7-56 'Outlook for the Syrian Situation' submitted by Director of Central Intelligence. [src]
- 1957-08-12Syrian army surrounds US embassy in Damascus; Syria claims to abort a CIA plot. [src]
- 1957-08Syrian chief of counterintelligence Abdul Hamid Sarraj expels three US diplomats and jails officers. [src]
- 1957Anglo-American working group creates 'The Preferred Plan' for covert action in Syria, allegedly approved by Eisenhower and Macmillan. [src]
- 1957-09-03Special National Intelligence Estimate (SNIE) 36.7-57 'Developments in the Syrian Situation' submitted by Director of Central Intelligence. [src]
ENTITIES
- ORG Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) — Alleged orchestrator of coup attempts and covert actions in Syria
- ORG MI6 (Secret Intelligence Service) — Alleged co-orchestrator of 'The Preferred Plan' with CIA
- PLACE Syria — Target country of alleged covert actions and coup attempts
- PERSON Shukri Quwatly — Neutralist President of Syria, alleged target of coup attempt
- PERSON Abdul Hamid Sarraj — Syrian chief of counterintelligence, who exposed the alleged plot
- PERSON Dwight Eisenhower — U.S. President, alleged approver of 'The Preferred Plan'
- PERSON Harold Macmillan — British Prime Minister, alleged approver of 'The Preferred Plan'
- ORG Baghdad Pact — US ally in the Syrian Crisis of 1957
- PLACE Turkey — US ally in the Syrian Crisis of 1957
- PLACE Iraq — Pro-Western neighbor, alleged intended intervenor in 'The Preferred Plan'
- PLACE Jordan — Pro-Western neighbor, alleged intended intervenor in 'The Preferred Plan'
- ORG Muslim Brotherhood — Alleged target for stirring unrest in 'The Preferred Plan'
- PLACE Damascus — Location of US embassy surrounded by Syrian army
- EVENT Syrian Crisis of 1957 — Period of diplomatic confrontation involving Syria, US, and USSR
- EVENT The Preferred Plan — Anglo-American covert action plan for regime change in Syria
OPEN QUESTIONS — PENDING LEADS
- What specific declassified CIA and MI6 documents detail 'The Preferred Plan' beyond summaries, and where are their full texts archived?
- Were any of the 'Preferred Plan' components, such as instigating border incidents or arming paramilitary factions, demonstrably attempted or implemented?
- What were the long-term diplomatic and political consequences in Syria following the 1957 crisis and the alleged coup attempt?
- Are there any Syrian government or historical records that corroborate or provide further details on their discovery and thwarting of the alleged 1957 coup attempt?
- What specific details exist regarding the 'elimination' of key Syrian figures mentioned in 'The Preferred Plan'?
EVIDENCE — CAPTURED SOURCES
- [WEB] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Crisis_of_1957
The Syrian Crisis of 1957 was a period of severe diplomatic confrontations during the Cold War that involved Syria and the Soviet Union on one hand, and the United States and its allies, including Turkey and the Baghdad Pact, on the other.
- [WEB] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Syria
Central Intelligence Agency activities in Syria since the agency's inception in 1947 have included coup attempts and assassination plots, and in more recent years, extraordinary renditions, a paramilitary strike, and funding and military training of forces opposed to the current …
- [WEB] https://www.jstor.org/stable/4328056
A T dusk on August 12, 1957, the Syrian army surrounded the US embassy in Damascus. Claiming to have aborted a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) plot to overthrow neutralist President Shukri Quwatly and install a pro-Western regime, Syrian chief of counterintelligence Abdul Hamid…
- [WEB] https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/historical-collections
This collection consists of some 120 declassified documents, the majority of which are being released for the first time. The collection includes more than 1,200 pages from various studies, memos, letters, and other official records documenting the CIA's efforts to examine, addre…
- [WEB] https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp98-00979r000400350001-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/04: CIA-RDP98-00979R000400350001-9 SEP 13 195? SNIE 36.7-57 3 September 1957 N? 235 SPECIAL NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATE NUMBER 36.7-57 DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SYRIAN SITUATION Submitted by the DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL I…
- [WEB] https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/
DNSA The Digital National Security Archive (DNSA) is an invaluable online collection of more than 100,000 declassified records documenting historic U.S. policy decisions. Read the documents that shaped U.S. responses to the Cold War, the terrorist attacks of 9/11, nuclear weapons…
- [WEB] https://archive.org/details/cia-readingroom-document-cia-rdp79r01012a007600040001-5
Declassified and Approved For Release @50-Yr 2013/08/07: CIA-RDP79R01012A007600040001-5 ?5NIE 36.7-56 16 November 1956 *NW' 6536 N2 214 SPECIAL NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATE NUMBER 36.7-56 OUTLOOK FOR THE SYRIAN SITUATION Submitted by the DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE The fol…
- [WEB] https://www.scribd.com/document/268971168/The-Preferred-Plan-The-Anglo-American-Working-Group-Report-on-Covert-Action-in-Syria-1957
This document summarizes a 1957 report by an Anglo-American working group on covert action plans to topple the Syrian regime. The report recommended stirring unrest in Syria, instigating border incidents as a pretext for intervention by pro-Western Iraq and Jordan, and potentiall…
- [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/Syria/comments/1c4zz1a/cia_mi6_regime_change_syria_1956_1957/
CIA / MI6 Regime Change, Syria, 1956 - 1957 History The 'Preferred Plan' (Eisenhower and British PM Harold Macmillan pictured) Syria: The 'Preferred Plan' CIA / MI6 Regime Change in Syria, 1956 - 1957. Covert action, destabilization and kill lists. Approved by the Dulles brothers…
- [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/syriancivilwar/comments/8f2ela/the_origins_of_dictatorship_in_syria/
Despite some initial doubts, the coup quickly proved to be a boon to US-Syrian relations as Colonel al-Zaim's achievements became apparent. The CIA agent in charge of Syrian operations, Stephen Meade, reported that "over 400 Commies in Syria have been arrested."
- [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/2ipydy/in_1957_syria_became_the_first_arab_country_to/
In 1957, Syria became the first Arab country to expel an American diplomat--after they busted up a CIA plot to overthrow the Syrian government.
- [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/history/comments/1qyw1v/the_preferred_plan_how_us_uk_intelligence_schemed/
Newly discovered documents show how in 1957 Harold Macmillan and President Dwight Eisenhower approved a CIA-MI6 plan to stage fake border incidents as an excuse for an invasion by Syria's pro-western neighbours, and then to "eliminate" the most influential triumvirate in Damascus…
- [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/USHistory/comments/1c50524/us_in_syria_1957/
Premier subreddit for the history and historiography of the United States of America
- [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/17xerh/1957_harold_macmillan_and_president_dwight/
1957 Harold Macmillan and President Dwight Eisenhower approved a CIA-MI6 plan of invading Syria and assasinating key figures. The plan called for funding of a "Free Syria Committee", and the arming of "political factions with paramilitary or other actionist capabilities" within S…
- [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/communism/comments/545c3s/britihamerican_1957_plan_called_for_funding_of_a/
The plan called for funding of a "Free Syria Committee", and the arming of "political factions with paramilitary or other actionist capabilities" within Syria. The CIA and MI6 would instigate internal uprisings, for instance by the Druze in the south, help to free political priso…
- [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4jqtnw/has_cia_intervention_in_a_foreign_country_ever/
The CIA attempted coups in a host of countries (Iran 1951, Guatemala 1954, Syria 1957, Indonesia 1958, Congo 1960, Cuba 1960s, Domincan Republic 1961, South Vietnam, 1963, Brazil, 1964, Chile 1973, Nicaragua 1980s).
CROSS-REFERENCE
- → PARALLEL-PATTERN Gulf of Tonkin Incident 1964: NSA Study Debunks Second Attack Claim — Both events involve alleged intelligence operations and potential false pretexts for intervention, as well as declassified documents shedding light on the incidents.
- → PARALLEL-PATTERN Iran-Contra Affair: Covert Arms Sales to Iran and Contra Funding (1985–1987) — Both involve covert operations conducted by US intelligence/government entities with objectives of influencing foreign political outcomes.