MEETING WITH SENATOR PERCY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01495R000100170030-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 5, 2006
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: April 18, 1975
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2006/01/ -
SECPET
April 18, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Meeting with Senator Percy
OCI~
il
r
,
17 A r
1. On Thursday, p ator Percy s
OLC, and I met for about an our a
reques to discuss various aspects of the Middle East. Scott
Cohen of the Senator's staff joined us.
2. The Senator began by. noting he had recently talked
with a friend just returned from Egypt,who had remarked on
some "unusual?stirrings around." Percy had asked that this
information be passed to State and to us and offered to follow
up if we heard nothing further. As the Senator was using
this for openers in his question and answer session we never
did get a very clear picture of just what stirrings had been
noted, although apparently relocation of population in the
Delta was involved.
3. Senator Percy was particularly interested in the
eamilitary
question of how long Sadat'could waYtp before that some
action was required. I again
being very level-headed but we- i not wantttonbet gain made
military action if some progress on neg s was notas how
before mid-summer. We noted that part of the problem
each side perceived the threat with the inherent risk of a
pre-emptive strike.
E 2 T
CL B
25X1
25X1
Approved For Release 2006/01/17 : CIA-RDP80B01495R000100170030-3
 Approved For Releas 00EPRW?'
95R000170030-3
5. The Senator also was quite interested in the
economic picture for both'Egypt and Israel. We pointed out
that the reopening of the Suez Canal was not going to solve
Cairo's fiscal problems. The Senator said that the current
Israeli request for 2.5 billion in aid was not likely to be
accepted in whole by the Congress. He said he had pointed
this out to various Israeli leaders when he met with them in
December.
6. We discussed the bleak prospects for any success in
Geneva and commented on the problems everyone had with the PLO,
including the Russians. The Senator volunteered that he had
found this to be true in his talks with various Middle East
leaders, with the Shah particularly outspoken in. his anti-PLO
views.
7. We were asked if we Could confirm a recent meeting
between Soviet and Israeli representatives and if-we could
provide some idea of the financial impact reopening the Suez
could have on Egypt. We agreed to look into this and respond.
HKI
Distribution:
t1 D I
D/OCI
OLC
C/OCI/MEA
Chrono,
SECRET
Approved For Release 2006/01/17 : CIA-RDP80B01495R000100170030-3