NSC BRIEFING--MIDDLE EAST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R00890A000600040004-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 11, 2003
• Sequence Number: 4
• Content Type: BRIEF

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appear willing to maintain the ease-fine'" which ea ?has' l se d
during the past two weeks have now come- to an 'i nd, aid .bath r--tie';
The series of raids and counter-talds on the Egypt-Israel
the UN truce authorities to enforce ` along the Gaza strip. "the area
is thus likely to remain relatively calm
However, so long as basic border problems remain unsol`e Od,' ccasional
A. A new element in the situation was Egypt's unusually aggressive
flare-ups can be expected.
attitude--reflected both in threats of "terror"'by Egyptian radio
broadcasts and in audacious military operations.
l Although most Egyptian "commando" groups, wi were poised for
A p r ' $ or tePea e
 nott0gePONOe0 ew orders in
time--struck deep into Israeli, territory. "The Israeli retalia-
tion, the blowing-up of an Egyptian headquarters at Khan Yunis
in the Gaza strip, was the high point in the fortnight's series
of raids and reprisals.
B. It seems possible that Egypt's belligerent posture may have been
connected with that Government's internal problems. The Gaza
fighting certainly distracted the Egyptian public from other de-
velopments, including Egypt's diminishing influence in the Sudan
and the ousting of Major Salah Salim, Minister of National Guidance
(propaganda) and also Minister for Sudan Affairs.
Major Salim was one of the most influential members of the 11-man
Revolutionary Command Council, which has ruled Egypt since 1952.
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1' - m i rte X43 e _.o f s dismissa # after a stormy Council meeting
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on 26 August, was the charge of failure to win the Sudan to union with
Egypt. However, for the past year, Salim has been a general source of
trouble to Prime Minister Nasr.
A. He has led a faction opposing Nasr's plans to set up a new
Egyptian parliament next year.
n. He has been one of the most emotional spokesmen for an anti-west,
pro-neutral position within the Egyptian government.
C. Since Nasr's continued authority, in the last analysis, depends
upon the support of the Egyptian Army, a "tough" attitude towards
Israel may well have been the price Nasr felt he had to pay to
avoid Army opposition to Sali.n's ouster.
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III Although the depart rye o es ern alim from Government ranks
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should bring some improvement in U5-9gyptian relations. 'it is unlikely
r-` that the Nasr regime will abandon`the'potentially lucrative game of
playing off the pest against the Orbit. One example is Egypt's flirts
tion with the USSR over Soviet offers of economic and military aid
(reportedly including jet fighters and bombers, as well as tanks).
A. Other examples of this game have included Na.sr's 11 August accept-
a.nce of an invitation to visit the USSR next spring and the
22 August announcement of a. three-year trade agreement with Commu-
nist China. (to include, among other deals, an annual swap of
Chinese steel for Egyptian cotton valued at $15 million).
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 It% 4 m the Middle East has not
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L- to Kgypt alone.. Ve flaunt of Soviet or Satellite trade
with such ,Riddle &astern states as Afghanistan, Saudi
Arabia, and Syria. I hope to present a detailed report on this sub-
ject in the near future. FOr the present, in summary:
B. The USSR is pressuring Saudi Arabia to establish diplomatic rela-
tions, and coupling their pressure with an offer of Soviet arms
to King Saud.
C. Finally, we have intimations of Soviet approaches to Syria. with
offers of military equipment and diplomatic support.
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