JOURNAL OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00380R000100110072-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 19, 2003
• Sequence Number: 72
• Publication Date: October 10, 1973
• Content Type: NOTES

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JOURNAL
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL
Wednesday - 10 October 1973
25X1 1. . GLC) Accompanied OCI, to a
briefing of Senator Sam Nunn (D., Ga.) on the Sino Soviet situation. The
Senator was also interested in the latest developments in the Arab/Israeli
25X1A hostilities. Obrought him up-to-date on the situation, including the
fact that the Soviets appear to be mounting a resupply effort to Syria and
possibly Egypt.
LDA 1 2. GLC) In response to Richard Perle's, Senate Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations, request yesterday, I provided him with a
breakdown by quarters of the Soviet supply of tanks, amphibious vehicles,
25X1 B aircraft, missiles, and supplies provided Syria by the
Soviets since the first of the year. I made a point of telling Perle that these
figures were soft and we could not guarantee their accuracy with respect to
specific time frames. He said he understood.
Later in the day I also briefed Perle and Dorothy Fosdick, of the
Committee staff, on the fact that there is now evidence that at least 18 Soviet
military related AN-12 transport aircraft have landed or were en route to
Syria this morning in what appears to be a resupply of air defense equipment.
I said we had not detected any flight activities into Egypt. They asked if we
would keep them informed of any further developments.
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3? GLC) Called Jed Johnson, Senate Watergate
Committee, to advise him that our file checks on 25X9
have been negative. I made it clear to Johnson that there
was always the possibility that someone had had some contact with this
individual, but our record checks do not reflect this fact.
4. I IGLC) Left with Jack Ticer, Senate Armed Services
Committee staff, for Ed Braswell, of the staff, a DCI Congressional Briefing
sheet dated 10 October 1973 on the Middle East and a summary of today's
situation reports on the situation. I asked Ticer to be sure to bring these
to Braswell's attention with the suggestion that Senator Symington be alerted
to their contents.
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Highlights of the Middle East Situation
THE MILITARY SITUATION
1. The war enters the fifth day showing no
promise of a short decisive campaign for either side.
The evening passed quietly on both fronts with Is-
raeli air attacks starting at daybreak. No concurrent
ground action has been detected on either front.
2. The Egyptians have established their force
firmly on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal, forcing
an Israeli admission that their ground forces have
been unable to push them back. In the Golan Heights,
despite heavy fighting, the Israelis have been unable
to push the Syrians back beyond the 1967 cease-fire
line, and they admit that they have not broken the
Syrian army. The ground is still contested, however,
and no clear-cut advantage is evident for either side.
3. Heavy fighting continues on both fronts, but
neither side has made deep advances. Egyptian forces
already across the canal continue to be reinforced, and
the Israelis admit they have not been successful in des-
troying all of the Egyptian bridges. Israeli aircraft
continued their attack with little opposition from Arab
fighters, but remain under heavy fire from SAMs and anti-
aircraft guns.
4. The depth of the Egyptian bridgehead varies from
5 kilometers to as much as 20 kilometers, and over 500
Egyptian tanks are reported to be on the east bank. The
Isra.eli counterattacks have not been successful in push-
ing the Egyptians back to the canal despite Israeli air
support. Logistical factors are beginning to have an
effect on the battle as some Israeli units are experienc-
ing shortages of artillery ammunition, while the Arabs
continue to fire without restraint.
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5. The introduction of another Syrian armored
division into the battle for the Golan Heights yesterday
is helping Damascus to hold its ground despite continu-
ing :heavy Israeli airstrikes. The Syrians are still
holding Qunaytirah, but Israel claims to have crossed
into Syrian territory late this afternoon Tel Aviv time.
Syrian fighters have responded to the Israeli aircraft
but have been unable to gain control of the air. Israeli
aircraft struck the ports of Latakia, and Tartous today,
and the city of Hims in central Syria.
6. Egyptian armored and infantry forces continue
to hold the east bank of the canal, and Tel Aviv admits
that Egyptian forces have advanced 10 kilometers into
the Sinai. Cairo claims penetrations as much as 20 kilo-
meters. Israeli air attacks on the canal bridges appear
to be having only limited success, and the Israelis con-
cede that the Egyptians are continuing to reinforce
their bridgeheads.
7. The Israeli air force this morning renewed
its attacks on Egyptian positions on the west bank
of the Canal and on the bridges crossing the Canal.
According to Israeli press accounts, there has been
little activity along the canal over the evening.
The Egyptians continued to resupply their forces over
the night without opposition from air attack. Despite
losses taken during the air attacks of the last few
days, the Egyptians evidently are able to keep their
bridges in operation and their forces supplied.
8. With yesterday's admission that their ground
forces were unable to destroy the Egyptian forces on
the eastern bank, the Israelis are counting on their
air force to hold the line. For the last two days,
the Israelis have concentrated their air attacks along
the canal in the face of heavy antiaircraft fire--guns
and surface-to-air missiles--covering the bridgeheads.
The Israelis reportedly lost seven fighters during these
attacks. By late yesterday some success may have been
achieved in suppressing these defenses, and communica-
tions intercepted from the Port Said area indicate the
Israeli pilots are not experiencing opposition from
Egyptian air defenses.
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9.
An Egyptian incursion yesterday
reached the Mitla Pass but, according to the Israelis,
was driven off by air attacks. The Israelis claim to
have stabilized the lines and to be establishing defen-
sive positions in front of the Egyptian forces. They
claim to be building up their forces behind these lines
for what Israel acknowledges will be a longer war than
initially it expected. The earlier confidence of a
short and decisive counter-stroke has faded and the
Israelis are facing up to Egyptian forces that are more
capable than they had envisaged.
10. Although the military situation is still far
from settled, some Israeli newspapers are calling for
the destruction of Syrian and Egyptian military capa-
bility to prevent future Arab attacks. A columnist
with Haaretz, an authorative Tel Aviv daily, however,
points out the dilemma for Israel if it should carry
out such a policy. The columnist argues that a re-
sounding defeat would make it almost impossible for
Arab governments to enter into negotiations with
Israel. He said that a military victory could serve
as a political instrument if military aims were ac-
companied by political aims. He notes, however, that
the Israeli Government has made it clear that it has
no political aims in this war and concludes that the
main fruit of the struggle is also likely to be a
military victory.
11. Few details are available on the ground fight-
ing, but Cairo claims that a major tank battle occurred
in the Sinai this morning and that its forces destroyed
over a hundred Israeli tanks. More than 500 Egyptian
tanks are across the canal,
25X10 The Egyptians are husbanding ei.r air orce
an depending on their SAM air defenses, particularly
the SA-6 which can move forward with the ground forces,
to defend against the Israeli air attacks. At least 30
Israeli air sorties have been directed against the Port
Said area today with some 25 additional Israeli aircraft
attacking elsewhere along the length of the Canal.
12. The Israelis also attacked two Egyptian air-
fields in the delta region--Quwaysina and Abu Hammad--
and a radar station on the Mediterranean coast this
morning.
1.3. Logistical factors may begin to have an effect
on the battle soon. The Israelis are anticipating some
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ammunition shortage for their artillery and have requested
105- and 155-mm ammunition 25X1X
he Israelis
nave in ica e a the Egyptians are expending ammuni-
tion and missiles at a very high rate, as though they
had unlimited supplies.
SYRIAN FRONT
14. Heavy air activity resumed over the Syrian front
early on 10 October with at least 40 Israeli and Syrian
planes engaged in dogfights over the Golan Heights and in
the Syrian interior. The Syrians claim that they have
downed 14 more Israeli jets today, while 25X1C
17 Syrian planes were destroye .
15. Israeli planes also struck the Syrian ports of
Latakia and Tartous and the city of Hims in central Syria
this morning. An Israeli spokesman claims that "accurate
hits" were made on fuel depots in Hims and the naval head-
quarters at Latakia. A Syrian military spokesman has
stated that six Israeli aircraft were downed on these raids.
The Damascus radio also claims that four Israeli planes
attempted to strafe the Damascus International airport,
but that Syrian air defenses downed three of the planes.
16. On the ground, two Syrian armored divisions
and. three infantry divisions continued to hold Qunaytirah,
in the central part of the Golan Heights this morning,
where UN observers reported heavy fighting. Israeli
forces crossed into Syria late this
afternoon, Tel Aviv time, has not yet been confirmed.
With the introduction of another armored division into
the Golan Heights on 9 October, the Syrians may now
have as many as 700 operational tanks, 28,000 infantry,
and 10,000 to 15,000 armored troops in the Golan area.
17. Although Syria has reportedly lost 55 aircraft,
it still has sufficient aircraft for air defense opera-
tions, and Syrian airfields are believed to be essentially
serviceable.
18. As the fighting entered its fifth day the
situation on the Golan Heights remains stable after
a quiet, night. There are conflicting reports from
both Syria and Israel concerning the positions they
hold, with both sides claiming to hold the cease-fire
line. Syrian forces still retain possession of
Qunaytirah despite Israeli attempts to retake it.
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19. Radio Jerusalem reports that early this
morning the IAF began conducting heavy air strikes
indicate that Israeli air-
craft were attacking a Syrian armored column in the
area and Syria claims to have downed two Israeli jets
in the fighting. On the ground, fighting this morning
seems to be limited to minor skirmishes..
20. indicate that an
Iraqi force has entered Syria and is en route to the
front. This force includes at least one tank regiment.
Beirut newspapers state that the Iraqi contingent num-
bers 16,000 men, 100 tanks, and has taken up positions
on the Heights. There are no other reports that the
Iraqis have reached the Heights area.
21. The Syrians have published a list of those
injured in yesterday's attack on the Soviet cultural
mission in Damascus. No Russian names figure in the
list, and Syrian officials refuse to confirm or deny
that 30 Soviets were killed in the raid. The wreckage
of the building has not been completely cleared, how-
ever, and further bodies may be discovered. According
to press reports, the Syrian director of the mission
was badly injured and a number of Syrian students were
wounded. Other press cables from Damascus report that
the oil refineries at Hims were severely damaged by
Israeli air strikes and that three Israeli aircraft
were lost in the attack.
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DAMASCUS AIR RAID
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amage to the alp
matic and foreign residential area in Damascus is severe
as a, result of yesterday's raid. He estimates total civi-
lian.casualties in the cit to be about 150 plus more
than 200 wounded. has learned of no American
casualties. He describes the mood in Damascus as "ugly:"
The widespread rumor throughout the city is that American
pilots carried out the bombing.
COMMITMENTS BY OTHER ARAB STATES
23. Egyptian and Syrian military "successes," which
may have exceeded their own expectations, appear to be
galvanizing some Arab states into action that normally
would prefer to stay at arms length from hostilities. The
Iraqis have committed air units and ground forces, the
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Moroccans are sending their second contingent of ground
troops, and Tunisian troops are reported to have arrived
in Egypt. Also, the Algerians have dispatched some MIG
aircraft to Egypt, and now the Saudis, traditionally very
cautious, are preparing to move troops to Syria through
Jordan.
24. Whether King Faysal intends his units--whose
value is marginal--to see front-line duty is not clear.
In any event, it is apparent that the time is growing
short when King Husayn, who is calling up his reserves,
will have to make a similar decision. Quick and decisive
Israeli military action, particuarly in the Golan area,
perhaps within hours, may be the only way the King can
preserve his present military posture. Jordan's entry
into the hostilities would seriously affect Israeli
planning and strategy, and divert increasingly scarce
resources to a new front, even though Jordanian capabili-
ties are relatively limited.
25. Moscow appears to be mounting a resupply effort
to Syria and possibly to Egypt. At least 18 Soviet mili-
tary-related AN-12 transport aircraft landed or were en
route to Syria this morning. Most of the aircraft have
landed at Damascus, although some have landed at Aleppo
in northern Syria. This activity probably involves re-
supply of air defense equi ment--SAM missiles and conven-
tional antiaircraft guns.
26. The apparent resupply effort suggests that
Moscow has reassessed its earlier cautious response to
the Middle East conflict and decided to cast its lot more
fully on the side of the Arabs.
27. This decision may be the result of the relatively
good showing of the Arab forces as well as a Soviet desire
to protect its broader Middle East investment.
28. Moscow, however, has not stepped up its media
attention to the Middle East situation and has played in
low-key yesterday's bombing of its cultural center in
Damascus. A TASS dispatch issued today on the attack on
Damascus contained only brief reference to the bombing
of the cultural center and made no mention of casualties.
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