MIDDLE EAST (SITUATION REPORT NUMBER 52 AS OF 1630 EDT)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: November 3, 2010
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: October 18, 1973
• Content Type: MEMO

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INTELLIGENCE MEMQR KDU 1?
CENTRAL` IN`l'JiLLIGENCE AGENCY
.1:8 0c tobor 1973
IDDLE EAST
(Situation Report Number 52;
(As of. -1630 ED'a')
THE MILITARY S1 TU AT 10
1. A' senior Deft3nso Ministry spokesiuan, claims that
Tel Aviv by ? m&d--af terhoon today had pla,:ced 150 tanks on
the we,,-it bank of the canal near Groat 13!ittea: Lake. The
Spokesman stated that the'. Israeli bridgehoad on the west
bank was about eight Iniler-i W-Id~ to - At and about
four miles wide to 'the: south .
2. The lsxaol.a, official said that four r .,yptian
brigades ?w :re? att6inpt1ng to envelope the bridgehead and
indicated that Tel 'Aviv had plans for rapid withdrawal
MORI/CDF per
C02826111.
of the force should this :become necossary. Large-scale
tank batt7.os also continued to rage in-the central.
sector. of the Sinai front this afternoon, but details
Oxt these battles are lacking s Tel Aviv claims to have
destroyed 110 Egyfptian -tanks today and':to have shot down
20 Egy}7tian ai*rcraft.. Tel Aviv acknowledges losing six
aircraft toe s i s m ?ni
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
 3, The Syrian ,f,-o,nt appears to have been the
quietest today, sino.e ? the war. began. There was little
aotivity either on t, ho ~gr'ound or in the. air . A. high-
level Israeli m .lii:ar 'o ce r ep.bi is that Damascus
is using the lull to? rd :-e-quip two of its- armored
divisions with , new :tanks dc: Livered by the Soviets to
the' Syrian ports og-' `Latakia and Tartus.
25X1-human ']'Iik ~ IAN FRONT, '
4. Cairo and 'Tol Av.ii, cone.Anue to ieport < xttremely
heavy Bighting in. the S.ina.,' but. neither' is providing
Many details. Israel. olaiins to have desi roy ed 110 t links
and 20 irc t-
today, -.7-
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5. An Ism ~el~ mu ftta '' pokesman. has reported that
the Israeli task force ,On 'the' west bank* iaras substantially
reinforced during the night. TIe claimed' that as of mid-
atternoon today sr,3el' laad; about' 150 tanks as well as
artillery on the' weo.t bank: and that the task 'force had
Overrun Egyptian art'
brill in ecuinne
Ac4ord.ing to i:hP Tsr_aQ~:?i,, it -r~ F.CtV17 zany
force or tour brigades Troftt the west bank and the Cairo
Aroa to attack the `Israeli, force. Cairo- also is report-
edly planning to launch a Large air attack on the force
aild the ponton ' bridge p,1a,c6c7.' by the Israbl:i a across the
canal. The Israeli spokesman said tho J gyptians have
severed some of their own bridges to prevent their use
by I raeli forces.
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
7.? TeX Aviv :11'a s `not; character) zed: the canal cross
ing as the beginning of a: major offensive, but has bccn
quick to exploit the sUCCea s of the small initial force
Tel Aviv, however,.. ..s ,not' likoiy tb sacrifice the tusk
once to heavy, Irgyptian attack and may faithdraw it and
subsequently launch ar othtar such assault elsewhere on
the canal.
i ? r4wyPr 4S avaitirig additional. manpower, . accord-
ng to an Iraqi news service. The service quotes an
announcement puha_.ishcrl? i Cairo today calling all 19--
year-olds to fld.1it . y ! bc11'vic u- The normal ron.sc:ripL?iof
age is 20. The move is apparently a, contingency for
pro1ongea warfare; the cqf cripts are zeportedly not
scheduled to be through %with rnedjcal ti5st, until the
,and. of the month.
THE SYRIAN FRONT'
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
12. 'Tel' Aviv remain's concerned . over the Soviet
resupply effort. : An x 7r1a. military spokesman stated
that two Syrian divisinns'--the 1s1 and :arc armored divi-
sions-are rn,*_, a ming vurith now -equipment from thUSSR.
HQ stated .t1 t n&; . tanl~s 'are being unloaded daily at
Tartus acid L taki?a arid t1jC:n transported to Damascus for
as s comb 1y ;
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
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SOVIET NAVAL ACTIVITY "'II'I THE MEDX`LG- RP,ANtAN
17. loo rSoviet r xgo' ships have gone through the.
IIOSporus southbound today;, and no additional cargo =hips
.are expected to ?e4ter :Syrian or. Egyptiarv ports. within
'the next 12 ? hour'!:;. Two Soviet cargo sh;ir s are still in
Latakia arid. seven- -a.n~luaing -a tarnker - are in Alexandria.
ISo The pcssition cf Soviet cwaba`tants remain
essentially unchanged. Two medium landing ships that:
have. been cast of ?CYy us have apparently left to return
.to * the Elark i4ea. Ian ;LST and the three anedium landing
ships that went through tho Bosporus ye`s terday -are nor t~h-
Cast of Cr'ete" probably h.eadianrc for thq northeast Cyprus
? area. Two addi.t.i(.,nai :).rSTs are clue to 1:eave the eastern
Mediterranean within the :next couple of days.
Independence s ou uh o . Cr ate .
SOVIET POLITICAL ACTIVITY
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
19. . Throe Soviet ships continue to trail .the USS
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o Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
. ?2. A broadcast today can Moscow's "unofficial"
..Radio Peace and Progress . took 'a :distinctly dovis2i tone
regarding Ithe war.' In the context of praise for Sac1at' :s
proposals Wednesday regard3,ng a. peace settle men,t, it
lamented the c tarter century of ..Arab-Israeli conflict
th, t has "depleted the resources, of. both countries. " The
broadcast went ` on .to note that 1history has demonstrated
that armed.c:onr1kct is unable to erradicate the .sources
Of the. Arab-Israeli conf l.tgt. Although Soviet comY-eintar-
.es throughout' the.: ounf lict have restated Moscow's inter_
stc-in a sottlemenb of the war", they generally, have not-
Stressed so. ;sharply the .futility of hosti1 i,tios .
..SAUDI ARABI& OIL. PRODUCTION CUT (SENSITIVE)
Tits oral producing sta,tos have promise to
mall sin oil. deliverieR to "friendly" countries that
give Arabs ; "efi:ective material help," but no major
industrial oouritry.presently. Sal.:ls into this category.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
Et. 'att. j~% ral~ ;:rar~~~ca~?i:g Ia ltd Cor 7.A-}a
bent. mtturathly ~c~duction and applied it uniformly to all
exporta, the -:impac : on 'the U17itad stater, Western Europe,
Canada, and ,Japan. wou;id be as shown i.n ? the tabulation.
'?? as ?.M__ Y_. _~__I_ T__..-..L
United States
West(crn Europe
Japan
Canada
Decline (bLd)
]..60 OUO
.,130, 000
230, 000.
' 15,000
tion in
of Consume-
the First Month
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~'IdlJ7~,l'EEN-LEJ3~.I$Or1:
27. Tixe Israeli". 'boarder with Lebdnan is becoming
moors active.. The: Israelis claairrt that: guerrilla hit--and-
run actions are on the. increase, and the Lebanose have
complained about: mo :Lar &r d arti3,1ery, :rounds from Israel'
falling on Le3ban'usa terr:itory. This Lebanese complaint
has been coriflrz i'ed ) X a UN observation post.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
that one is a US citi ze1~'.
29 The M bs "o seized the 13afxl Of America in
Beirut caz1G3 nua to h;ld up to 40peop19 as hcastages wh.i.Le
negotiations ? CQntl:riue With bank officia..s and Lebanese
09ficials. The tour --area demanding the. release ot: Pales-
tinian gue :.lill.as'.. from LebanesE jails,. tha ? payment of a
$4 million ransom., xt~d an airliner to g'iy ? th(3m to Algeria.
The attackers, who si*y they are members irk the Socialist
? Revolutionary MOvelit:r t,say t ho ransOLt, money is destined
to help the, Arab -war .eJfort. Bank of 'An Or.ica 1hecad carters
has given.' k~er"rais:;ion to ~.ts Beirut 'manager" to negotiate
a ransom payment, but fiaz refused another request from
the raidets for foreigne;r3 to be sexit In from outside to
use as- hostagc::s.' : Most. 6~1: t~h~; -hostages: being held -are
believed ' tti be Lehanp.se.' but the: US ? ErAPta.ssy has J earned
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7
KUMNIT.-JORDZ N
32. Kuwaiti rinanice'Kinister Atig4. has reported that
Kuwait is about to~ r cl.6ase ? to Jordan aprroximatel.Y $42
attatl,lion of. the tro~n Kuwaiti suhsi~;~yKuwait Is not,
yznents or any
&t.igi said, coritemplatirig retroactive P
period be ore I April AL973.
3 4. Laa7tii.n { t rc, arci to the pct ssibili?ty of an
ennergency UN General. ,ssdnbly se,sioaz necessitated by
stalemate 'in the 5 :curity Council, oitte O'?apanese Foreign
M1ini.stry offi?.,-ia1a bd1ieVe Japan should make, a statement
in support of. thc. A :ab c.a,use The US I-inibassy in Tokyo
cc.ltents that the. rest Of. the government also would be
likely to ?fe-ol tha.? a: sedura supply pf ; Ptr?olcum should
be tha -pri.ntary cotzcern o any Japan.cse?;vate in the UN
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/11/05: LOC-HAK-543-4-7-7