NEW SOVIET MISSILES BELIEVED SENT TO EGYPT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00380R000400010016-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 2, 2005
• Sequence Number: 16
• Content Type: NSPR

Missiles Believed Sent to Egypi
Stillaco-to-Surface `Scuds' Seen as Potentially Dangerous .Escal:.ati~)ai
By b'lichael Getler
Washington Post staff Writer
U.S. officials say it now
i appears certain that the
Russians have sent' Egypt
surface-to-surface missiles
capable of reaching some Is-
raeli cities.
It is estimated that the
Russian "Scud" mobile mis-
silos, which have. a range of
about 160 miles, are armed
with conventional, high-ex-
plosive warheads. There is
no evidence that nuclear
warheads have been shipped.
However, because t h e s e
weapons can be fitted with
either nuclear or conven-
tional warheads, many U.S.
officials --view ''their intro-
ductlon into the Middle East
as potentially very danger-
ous.
Administration sources in-
dicate that the Soviet action
already has, or soon will
have, provoked expressions
of deep concern from very
high levels of the U.S. gov-
ernment.
Details on the Soviet ship-
ment and the diplomatic
concern about it are said to
he matters of "extreme sen-
sitivity" at the moment,
with officials largely guess-
ing at the Soviet intentions.
The most benign explana-
tion is that the missiles re-
flect the momentum of ever-
more advanced anus deliv-
cries into the Middle East.
On the other hand, the
missile's dual capability for
both nuclear and conven-
tional warheads could be a
Soviet response to the wide-
spread belief that Israel has
some operational surface-to-
surface missiles of its own.
U.S. intelligence officials
say there is little doubt --
despite official Israeli deni-
als-that Israel has devel-
oped and produced at least
some "Jericho" missiles of
If the Soviets are in con-
trol, as seems likely , then
they may have sent the
weapons to ingratiate them-
selves further with the
Egyptians, without the in-
tent of letting the missiles
be used unless Cairo were
attacked, for example.
While the Soviets have
Poured billions of dollars
worth of tanks, antiaircraft
missiles and jet fighters into
the Arab countries, until
now they have provided
its own with a range of close very few long-range offen-
to 300 miles, enough to span sive weapons. ,
the Sinai and reach deep Soviet Mig and Sukhoi
into Egypt. fighters aid fighter-bombers
Israel is also widely he-- are generally credited with
lieved to have the makings 'short range when carrying
for a number of small atomic bombs, and probably have
warheads - though no tests very little chance of getting
have ever been reported. through Israeli interceptors.
On several occasions in
the past two years, the
United States has turned
clown Israeli requests to buy
U.S. Army Lance missiles.
These are short-range (70
miles) weapons- that can
carry either nuclear or con-
ventional explosive and
which are viewed as highly,
accurate.
The Israelis are expected
now to renew their request,
but officials say there ap-
pears to be no current inten-
tion for the administration
to comply.
Thus far, sources say, it is
not clear precisely how
many Soviet Scuds have -
been shipped, whether they
were shipped before the war,'
or whether Soviet or Egyp-
tian crews are 'manning
then.
. WASHINGTON POST
0
Q Kied or Release 2005/06/09: CIA-RDP75B0038OR000400010016-4
The Soviets have provided
some older 'T a-16 medium
bombers, but these, too, arc,
not likely to get through.is-,
raeli'defenses. , "
The Soviet Union, how-
ever, has also moved a
squadron of more modern
Tu-22 bombers into Iraq re-
cently.
Missiles, on the other'.
hand, even if equipped with
the equivalent of a 1,000- to
2,000-pound bomb in their
noses, can get through. Thus
missiles in the Middle East
clearly escalate theprospefit
for more damage. '
The Israelis, with U.S. F
fighter-bombers, " already
demonstrated in 1970 that
they can strike at area,
deep inside Egypt. But the
Egyptians, until now. have
not had such a capability. ; "
Noiv the Russians
Have a Word for It
MOSCOW, Nov. 1 (UPI)
- The Soviet press coined
a new Russian word today
- "impichmient -- and
told its readers for the
first time that it could
happen to President
Nixon.
Diplomatic observ-
ers saw the reference to
possible impeachment, in
the weekly New Times, as
one more sign of Soviet
displeasure with Mr.
Nixon, which erupted last
week when the President
alerted U.S. troops.
The New Times recalled k
the firing or :Watergate"
special prosecutor Archi-
bald Cox and the resigna-
tion of Attorney General
]?; Ili o I t Richardson and
said that Democrats in
Congress were considering
the possibility of "im-
pichmient." ? a ? word not
in any standard, Russian
dictionary.
The article avoided any
direct criticism of the
President.