Eisenhower’s Islam strategy armed Islamists against secular nationalists

Evidence

The Eisenhower doctrine, unveiled in 1957, promised financial and military assistance to countries in the MENA region that were under threat “from any nation controlled by international communism.” In short, in addition to financial incentives, Eisenhower also put the military option on the table. One lesser-known aspect of the Eisenhower doctrine was the “Islam strategy.” This strategy consisted of bolstering Islamist organizations against secular nationalists and of trying to create an Islamic pole of attraction in King Saud of Saudi Arabia. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 397

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 397
• XREF: connects to: Eisenhower’s doctrine secretly armed Islamist groups against secular nationalists.; US cold-war strategy deliberately weaponized religion against nationalism and communism in Muslim regions — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 388; CIA Islamic-geopolitics strategy failed because elites preferred communism or nationalism — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 391 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Eisenhower armed Islamist groups against secular nationalists during the Cold War #corroborates (1.00)
• American Cold War strategy cultivated Islamists against secular nationalism #corroborates (1.00) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 219
• Governments’ own Cold War policies helped Islamists dominate Muslim political opposition #corroborates (0.85) — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 313
• Arab regimes in the 1970s deliberately backed Islamists against secular nationalists and the left #expands (0.80) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 372
• An intercivilizational quasi war between Islam and the West developed after 1979 #expands (0.75)