Dwight D. Eisenhower was the 34th President of the [[United States]], serving from 1953 to 1961. His reliance on aerial photography as Allied Commander in Chief in World War II was reaffirmed by postwar bombing surveys, which concluded that a significant portion of useful intelligence came from overhead reconnaissance. Upon becoming president, he was concerned about the lack of aerial intelligence on the [[Soviet Union]] and ordered the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] to address this.[^1] Eisenhower authorized a daring reconnaissance program, primarily targeting the [[Soviet Union]], and assigned the development of the revolutionary [[U-2 Spy Plane]] jointly to the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] and the Air Force. The U-2 became operational in July 1956, providing crucial intelligence on Soviet military and nuclear programs.[^1] Eisenhower and his administration, including [[John Foster Dulles]] and [[Allen Dulles]], were angered by [[Israel]]'s attempt to mask its military buildup before the 1956 [[Suez Crisis]]. The U-2 continued to monitor sensitive areas, including the [[Middle East]], and by 1958, CIA photo interpreters observed significant activity at an Israeli Air Force practice bombing range south of [[Beersheba]], which turned out to be the early signs of the [[Dimona]] nuclear reactor.[^1] Despite being sympathetic to [[Israel]]'s precarious international position in 1958, Eisenhower secretly authorized the U.S. Air Force to provide fighter pilot training and courses in aerial reconnaissance and photo interpretation to the Israelis. However, when presented with clear evidence of the secret nuclear reactor at [[Dimona]] in late 1958 or early 1959, Eisenhower showed no interest in a follow-up investigation, a decision that puzzled intelligence officials like [[Arthur C. Lundahl]] and [[Dino A. Brugioni]].[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 4.