3.   The area of Syria and Iran
 
     I think this area is strategically, and in view of the ultimate
winning of the war, more  important than the Egyptian area because it
furnishes our safest route for help to Russia.     Thus far our
activities consist solely in the improvement  of the base and the
furnishing of supplies. There is no prospect apparent to me of combat
efforts.
 
4.   The Egyptian area
 
     While this area is of immense importance psychologically to the
British Empire and pe rhaps     strategically as a possible though
unfavorable front for an attack on Hitler i n Europe, it seems    to me
of the least importance to us as a combat area.  We should of course
continue our supplies to the British. In my opinion we should not
divert armed forces to that area which could by any possibility ^ [
necessary for use in (handwritten) ] to be used in the Far Eastern
area, in Ireland, or in the west African area.