MIDDLE EAST SITUATION REPORT NUMBER 35 (AS OF 1130 EDT)

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0
Release Decision: 
RIPLIM
Original Classification: 
T
Document Page Count: 
9
Document Creation Date: 
January 11, 2017
Document Release Date: 
January 4, 2013
Sequence Number: 
2
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
October 14, 1973
Content Type: 
MEMO
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0.pdf349.79 KB
Body: 
? No0 25X1 25X1 bjection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 DIA review completed.' CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY : IA 'October 1.73 'INTELLIGENCE 14EMORANDOM State review complete. MIDDLE EAST SitUation Report. Number 35 . As of .1130 EDT) ? MORI/CDF per C05480432 THE MILITARY SITUATION GENERAL . 1. The Egyptians are continuing their general offensive.in the Sinai, and units have,been reported in the Mitla Pass area. The Israelis claim to be holding in most 'areas. ' Little .Israeli progress has ..been reported.on the Syrian front, and the Arabs parently ara still able to launch counterattacks on Israeli positions:. The aordanian brigade has avoided any military action, and the Syrians are beginning to complain. :EGYPTIAN:FRONT 2. The Egyptian general Offensive which began at dawn this morning .continues,' wlth pressure being exerted along -the entire Suez Front., especially in the Mitla'Pass area; The Israelis may have turned back a ground attack'near the Mit.1 Pass, and at Bir Jifjafa the northern Sinai air control center ? *was out of action for three hours, due possibly to combat action. Israeli?pross summaries of the battle report heavy attrition of Egyptian armor, while thp . Egyptians report several Israpli.aircraft downed. No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 .25XL 25X1 25X1 25X1 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 We have received no official Israeli account of the fighting since 0030 ml Aviv time SYRIAN rioNii * 5. The ilsraeliS claim to have repulsed continued Arab -coUnterattackd on the SYrian front early on 14 October, and say they are making Cantinued progress ? over-difficult terrain Tel Aviv now claims to have taken 414 Arab .pri,soners in the action on both fronts.. .JORDANIAN INVOLVMMENT ? 6. .Early this morning President Asad of Syria complained to, Ring Husayn that.the_commander of the Jordanian 40th armored brigade, now in Syria, had refused to fol;bw,Syrian orders to;advance. The. .brigade was located-last night 12 kilometers inside No Obiection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 - 25X1 2 5X1 Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 ? syria. east Of DEL1r.ra1. The comminder evidontly ts fol- lowing. King Rusayn's'stridt order to take no actions on ?Syrian orders to adVancewithout?first. checking with jordanian amy headquarters. ; ? ? 7. .Thes Syrian air force 'is*now flying coordinated air defense patrols in. Jordanian airspace'. The flights are designed ? to &otect 3Ordanian air bases against . . possible air Attack by Israeli aircraft now that Jordan . has- sent a small force into SyrAa. No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 25X1 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 25X1 25X1 25X1 STATUS OF:SOVIET.FORCES 'SOVIET POtITICAL DEVELOPMENTS 15; Soviet broadcasts in English continue to cite foreign reports of US military efforts on be- half of Israel in an attempt to justify Moscow's airlift to the Arabs These broadcasts have referred to 'articles in two. US newspapers. (Los Angeles Times' and Portsmouth 'Herald) that descriBe a "massiv-6-717- liet to Israe17-rE1iding F-4 Phantom fighters and. both both sparrow and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. A .separate TASS broadcast on 13 October carries an Arab report that US pilots have taken' part in bombing raids on Damascus. Ilus? far the Soviets have made no comment ? of their own about alleged US involvement. 14. Mosdow. is continuing the processing of Soviet emigrants bound for Israel. The Dutch consul in Moscow . . reports that this i?rocessing has been normal as of 12 . 'October and that for the time being there are no indi- cations that the the war. Ct 1 The temporary suspension of commercial flights between Bucharest and Tel Aviv due to the hostilities had interrupted the flow of , No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 Jewish emigrants. through Romania, but apparently the resumption of El. Al flights has been accompanied by a resumption Of emigration as well. The US Em- bassy in Moscow believes., however,. that a continua-. tion :of hOstilities or a major Israeli victory would probably cause the Soviets to Suspend or curtail em- igration to Israel. ? A SHAZIJI LINE ? .16. A French Ev6assy source claims to have "Absolutely definite" information that the Egyptians are in the process of preparing a line of static 'fortifications somc distance to the east of the canal and behind the front. Egypt's strategy, according to the French and her sources, is to entrench them- selves unshakably and simply wait for Israel to grind Itself don against Egyptian ground and antiaircraft defenses. Other uses for Egyptian civil contractors on the east bank :might be the construction SAM sites of the SA.-2 variety, which refauire heavy concrete construction. . . AN. - SAUDI ARABIA ; ? ? ? No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04 :120C-HAK-544-5-2-0 25X1 25X1 25X1 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 ?? ? LEBANON-FEpAYEEN ? 18.: The Lebanese Army'reports a sharp decrease in the level of:fedayeen activity in southern Lebanon; only one incident of artillery rocket firing across the. border into.Israel was detected on the. night of 13 October. ? ' ? l9.. The efforts of the Saudi Arabian and Ku- O'aiti governments on behalf Of the Lebanese appear to be the major!faetor behind.the reduction of feda- yeen border action. At the request of the Kuwaitis, the Syrian Government reportedly ordered Saiga leader, Zohayr muhsin to stop action Along the Lebanese bor- der, Saudi AraBian diplomatic officials also appealed to Fatah leaders to move their forces to the Golan Beights.area?and to stop giving Israel a pretext for attacking Lebanon. ' 20. A.senior Lebanese army officer explained to US Embassy officials that much of the fedaycon posturing and. the ineffectual rocket.firings.into Israel were the result of a continuing' power struggle between Saicia and Fatah leaders, With each trying to outdo the other with- out actuallyLtaking any risks, ? ? ? ALGERIA 'KUWAIT ? , 22. Kuwait has decided to dispatch a number of ? armored units to' fight on the Syrian front according to the local press. ? ? ? BAHRAIN ' 23.: Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalifs,.. warned the US Charge yesterday that his government . ? - No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 25X1 , 25X1 ? No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 is considering ending the US Navy's stationing agreement because of the US Tmlitical stand on the Middle Es situation. He apologized throughout the conversation, reiterating Bahrain's friendship with the US, but said open US shipment of arms to Israel made it difficult for his government to al- low the US to maintain a Mideast presence. The em- bassy's assessment is that Bahrain does not intend to terminate the agreement at this time, but as the situation draws out the government will be under, increasing pressure from its neighbors. TUNISIA 23. the local press re:ports that arrangements for the reSumption of relations between Tunisia and Jordan.are.in 'progress'. . ? UGANDA 24, Fredident Amin has. arrived in Saudi Arabia for discuSeionS with King Faysal on the Mideast crisis. About half of the 2,000 Ugandans 'Ise1ected4 as vol- unteerS ,for the Mideast have assembled in Kampala. A humber of officers and men' have deserted or been arrested becaube they did not want to serve outside Uganda. LATE ITEMS 25. Th Israeli situation report released at 1530 hours loca1 time on 14 October reports that al- most the entire Egyptian army is noon the East.Bank of the canal participating in today's ?offensive. The Egyptian attack is general but concentrated on the southern sector. Thee Israelis claim to have limited the Egyptian advances to ten' kilometers Israel ad- mits to an Egyptian air attack.on their headquarters at Bir Jifjafa and calims that Mirage aircraft par- ticipated for the first time Some damage also was admitted from the attack. : ? -.7- No Obiection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 25X1 25X1 25X1 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 26.. On the Syrian front, the Israelis still claim 'Mlle near Sasta and in a position to shell Dama*curi. They report no significant advances, and it that Syrian and Iraqi forces continue to launch local counterattacks. Syrian air activity is reported to be nonexistent due to fatigue and attrition. ISMAEL: MIRAGE PROTEST 27. .Israel protested to France today against the Arabs alleged use of French-supplied Mirage fighter aircraft in attacks on Israeli positions along tho Suez Canal. The French charge d'affaires, according to a Reuters release, was summoned to the Israeli FOreign7WilinTry where A senior official made the protest. An Israeli military spokesman in Tel Aviv had earlier referred to "enemy Mirage aircraft" participating in Egyptian air strikes:and other offi- cials had described these aircraft as Some of the planes delivered by France to Libya. PAI STAN No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 14 ousa No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-5-2-0 25X1