MIDDLE EAST SITUATION REPORT NUMBER 61 (AS OF 2230 EDT)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-544-5-13-8
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: January 4, 2013
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: October 20, 1973
• Content Type: MEMO

-INSA reviews completedi
DIA review(s) completed.I
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-13-8
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY I
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20 October 4973
? INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUMt ?
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MIDDLE EAST
Sltuation Report NU1nber.61
(As of 2230 EDT)
. ??
State Dept. review completed
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
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INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
THE MlitTARY SXTUATION
GENERAL
1. Israeli spokesmen expressed growing confi-
dence today as the Israeli force on the west bank of
the canal expanded its bridgehead. A sonior Egyptian
intelligence offider, however, denied Israeli claims
of successes and Su.gg-sted -th-a-t. the Egyptians were
preparing a major effort against the Israeli forces
on the west, bank. Late today the Israelis apparently
staged a raid against the Egyptian naval has at
Hurghada on the Red Sea about 200 miles south of the
Suez Canal. Egypt has denied that the raid took
place; There is no information concerning action
on the east bank of the canal.
2. The Syrian front was 'relatively quiet today.
The Isac1is lightly .expanded their salient in the
area between Sasa'and Tell Aantar. Thera are indica.
:Lions that additional Arab forces may be sent to .
southern Syria. aordan is preparing to send a second
? armored brigade to Syria and the Iraqis reportedly
.intend to on four divisions- (MO R D F CO32232291
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THE EGYPTIAN _FRONT
3. Israeli forces on the west bank of the canal
Continued to expand their bridgehead. Tel AViV showed
growing confidence during the day and spokesmen talked
of being on the way to "destroying the Egyptian Army."
According to a senior Israeli MilitarY
Israeli units have noWhypassed elements of the Egypt-
ian 4th Armored Division which was reportedly badly
Mauled earlier today. In the southern region of the
west bank, the Israelis claim to have surrounded a-
number of small Egyptian units', and Tel Aviv says that
Israeli tanks are firing across the canal at Egyptian
forces on the east bank. Tel Aviv reports that its
forcei on the west bank captured SO SAM sites today.
There is no information concerning developments on the
'east bank of ,the canal.
4. In contrast_to the optimistic Israeli report,
a senior 'Egyptian intelligence officer stated that he
toured the west bank today and was able to use roads
that the Isaelis.claim to have cut. He did, however,
admit that Israeli forces controlled Fayid, and that
?the Egyptians had lost 60 tanks in today's fighting.
The Official seemed to display little worry over the
.turn of events and stated that it is the Israelis who
should be concerned. His later remarks suggested that
the Egyptians plan to mount a major assault to cut'.
.off the Israelis fighting on the west bank, and ?he
promised to give full details "in three or four days."
S. On the basis of all available information,
we 46 not believe that the Egyptians have either
sufficient forces on the west bank or the throe or
four days necessary to prepare a major operation
against the Israeli force. The Israelis have the
.initiative at the moment and the Egyptians are res-
ponding to Israeli moves.'
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THE SYRIAN rKUNT.
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7. Action was comparatively light on the Syrian
front today as the Srrians and their Arab allies ap-
parently continued to put pressure on the Israeli.
salient, but did not mount a major .coordinated counter-
attack. The Israelis expanded the salient slightly ?
in the area between Sasa.and Tell Aantar. Israeli
Defense Minister Daran's statement today that the
majority of the Syrian Army had not been put out of
action indicates that significant forces--re-equipped
by the Soviet air and sea lift and reinforced by non-
Syrian units--still face the.Israe4s in the north.
8. Additional Arab 'forces may Soon join those
in southern 'Syria. .King Husayn is reluctantly pre--
paring to .send a: second armored brigade to Syria,
providing that the brigade and the one sent earlier
will operate under a Jordanian commander. The
Lebanese military attache in Baghdad said that the
Iraqis plan .eventually to commit four divisions to
the Syrian front and that the Baghdad-Damascus road
was packed with troops, tanks and trucks on 19
October. .
ISRAELI SHIPPING THREATnNED
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the Israelis have As
US naval A.ttaChe if there Were any US ships in the
' vicinity of the Hanna. Israeli naval action oh the
Egyptian coast may he intended :to prevent?Bgyptian
missile boats from intercepting the,Hanna:..
JORDAN:
11.
the Jordanian Air .Force is particularly anxious -co
obtain pitot tubes since three Hawker-Hunte
ul ment.
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0 ? ?? "" ? ?
One poasibilit is to.-transmort- xtrtmea
ment via Kuwait,
SOVIET .AIRLIFT
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EGYPT
' 13;
a "large number of palefaces in mufti" arrived in
Cairo on 14-15 October. The group, estimated be-
tween 200-300 men, moved into apartments, 'which until
July 1972, had been occupied by Soviet military
advisers.
ARAB OIL
? 14. Algiers radio announced late tonight that
Algeria has suspended all oil shipments to the US
.and is reducing its -oil production by 10 percent.
Algerian oil exports to the US have been running about.
150,000 barrels per day, or les than one percent of
daily US oil consumption. Saudi Arabia, Libya, Abu
Dhabi, and BAhrain have previously announced a total
embargo on US oil shipments and other Arab producers
are almost .cerLain to follow.
ARAB REACTIONS '
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- 15. Although the radio-9.?f the Arab states have
b-roadcast reports Of Secretary Kissinger's. trip to
Moscow, the only commentary yet received comes from
Libya. Radio Tripoli said .that it was surprised by
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the US-Soviet discussions, and suggested that. the aim
of the talks was "to make us. desist from liberating
our lands." Tripoli added that "the super powers
must not impose on us steps that are not in thp benefit
of our (Arab) nation."
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