MIDDLE EAST SITUATION REPORT NUMBER 72 (AS OF 1630 EDT)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-544-6-5-6
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: January 4, 2013
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: October 23, 1973
• Content Type: MEMO

CENTRAL ZNT'iMLIG;>CE AGENCY
23 October 1973
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-5-6
TNT,FI.LLSGh, WCkB MEMORANDUM
MIDDLE EA T
GENE1,L
1. 'fighting on the, Egyptian front is 'concentrated
in the southern: sector frain Ismailia to Suez as Israeli
forces attempt to anchor their enclave an the gulf.:
DIA review(s) completed. the ilOY: tl-4er ri sebt.or from Ismailia to Port Said appears _
quiet. 'Action: on the .Syrian front is l,ini t ed to the
Mount 1,.46
rmnon area: where 'Synch artillery is reported
to be s1.1all.i:ng positions-lost, to the Israelis -yesterday.
2. ;' -The most intense fighting on the Et
ypUan
front is- near _5-uez where n1yzsti.an forces are. -attempting.
to retain an aria north *of the city through which their
forces on th+e east bank can be supplied or evacuated.
Egyptian armor units also are reported to be attempting
NAVY review(s)
completed.
TIRE miLiv"Ri, SITUATION
EGYPTIAN 1; RUttT
to reopen the 'Cairo-Suez .road. . The Israeli objective
.is to reach' the Gulf of Suez '.in order to isolate the
Egypt?iai-t units :on, the east bank. .,Israeli air .activity
in-support of the-ground action ccuiti;suns at a high
level. : Egyptian fighters re6pondad near Suez, but no
SAM i;iri ncj:4 - have been detected in the area.
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situation -Report t unthcr 72
{As of 1630 .EDT)
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4. isra.svli 'forces - are atteanpatinq to anchor their
enclave by adira,ncing to the Gulf of Suez. Egyptian
forces are. attempting to repel, an Israci:L force attack-
noon. In an. unusual response,' Egyptian, fighters attacked
Ssrac. ij a,z ;rcraft in, the Sue area. This action under-
lines the :si.gi1i,fjcance of Si1cz to Cairo and the absence
of ]sgy'ptis 1 SAj defenses in-the area. Ecgy'ptian MZG-21s
also attacked; Israeli positions near Ismailia today,
lsr.aeli air, strikes still far outnunther Eq' ypti.a.n
sorties-r- however. AS marry 'ks ':30 Israe~l.i aircraft were
SoQf aCI.iV,o at on0- time, between Devi rscai r and Suoz this
ai'te~rnc~vn . 25X1
G:. ? Intensive Israeli p,ir attacks against Egyptian
forces in. t;lteI sauthexn sector were observed this after-
Ing sou? h .i:rom Slial.lufa toward Suez. J:,1gypti4n armored
units also- ar6 trying to reopen the Ca.i.ro-Suez road.
Tile Egyptian, objective. appears to be retention of at
least a, small: bridgehead not th of Suez through which
their araatoa7 and infantry units on the east bank can be
.SUL.Plied or 6iracuate'd.
5. This; morning Egyptian aircraft attacked the-
three bridges: in, the southern sector captured by the
Is>~acl.i ye;ste day. 'pivc" of - the. attacking aircraft
Were dowraccl,, but the status. of the bridges is unknown.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-5-6
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-5-6
t3 . 'The =Guez naval base was- undcar attack bv Israel
aircraft t;hrou t~caxxt the early fternoon:
SYRIAN IRciWi,'
' 9. Sparse reporting from; the Syrian aunt indi-
cates today's fI 1-iting.. i.s limited to. the Mount Hermon
area. The Sy:Yiaos began an ar3 L1i ry barrage on Israeli
l osi.tion s on =the; mountain this: .afternoon'
and Israeli air-
strikes vvc:r tl~.c area continue. -According to an Israeli
Military pokesmcn, the Israelis are attempting to
ne:utra l,i, a the $yri.an Arti 11ai 'r which he said caused
no losses?.
1.2. : An xsraalx military spokesman reports that a
second Saudi force consisting of a paraLroop battalion
and' an inf. ni ry, battalion is rao,ving toward Darr from
northern JOrdan : ; .
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 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-5-6
SOVIET. 1.?OLI'I`l;cAf
T, Ia} VJ LOPMEtJTS
14 '117e f;Lrst authorativo Soviet, statement on -the
cease--fire breakdown ,placed all the blame on Tel Aviv
for. vioiatin .the UN peace resolution and threatened
srael with "the gravest cansequrnces" if it continues
"agc ression..'~. The govern ont statemene employd
?mcn sing laliyyuaje but does not cuimnit Moscow to any
specific action. The statement- insisted that Israel
withdraw' 'its troops to the cc:~Lse--fire positions estab-
lished on 22 Oa;pgber; press r:eport's indicate that'Soviet
diplomats at. uhc: UN are working towards the same 'goal.
15. .. Libra;'s? President q.adhafi, also came under
fire 3,n th.e ?Sovjet media today. A TASS report accused
...Qadhaf'i ? of "sitting back in safety" while other Arab
nati'ons, with `S;oviet? support,*, carry on the war. The
Soviets : wer4 epecially inceiised over an interview
Qadhaf i gave La' Monde in ?whic:h ' the Libyan leader
ridiculed the cease-fire plan and labeled the Soviets
as the enemy oftho. Axah. people.
ISRAEL V ?
iC In a "speech to the :Knesset today, Prime
lair:istei VMeir. stressed the flexibility that Israel
enjoys as a te6ult of, its cuvrent military position and
emphasized the,;necessity for -'direct negotiations be-
tween Israel and the Arabs, adding that there would be
"no Israeli `wit:hdrawal until. ':a bindingr peace settlement."
She assured the Israelis that. Tel Aviv was closely
Watchincj the behavior of Egypt, and that ,Israeli. forces
on .the west: bank of the Suez Canal constitute a powerful
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base from r'rhichi to launch future operations if they
become- ncaassary She ,said- that the Israeli..prc cnce
across the :canal deprived Egypt of the possibility of
.launching a nevi war. and provided Israel with new
options, "both : Ue fc:nsa.ve and offensive. "
17. Moir, stressed, as Tel Aviv always has, the
importance, of. direct negotiation;s between Israel and
its A,xd:~ opponents; and the absence of any US plan to
impose' a settle merit., Implying that she was drawing .bn
her. talks with ?Sogketary Kissinger, she interpreted. .
the US.. position on the cease-fire?.resolution to mean
that di;r; eot talks :between the warring par lies must
accompany the cease-f ire. The case-fire, she said,
might therefore become an "hist.oridal turning point
in the region' hi';story.,-one that could lead - from blood-
shed tO pe,a.c e . "
18. One . i.gn' of a hardenizir, Israeli position
regarding ri terrtion of key .stz;at'ecic: aroas in the oc-
copied. A.ral- territories 'was they announcement in 'erusalem
on 23 October by?,Q-ie Warld Zionist organization's settle-
?:..ment departmenti that within one ;week it will complete a
.plah to double "Jewish ~settlernent" in the Golan Heights .
This would :1ie corner "by doubling t _,ha number of residents
in existing se tl,ement_s (there are 19 settlements ,and
about 1, 000 ? Israeli. settlers . there now) and by the.
establ.isalment of new ssttlements',
19. Goves.'nrrrent and 'party opuncils today continued
their almost norr.;34op discussions of the Sccurity
Council cease-fire: resolution ? "stn light: ,Of the~ contacts
held yestorday :with Egypt, with other Arab kings and.
presidents, and with the Soviet , ,tJriion, " acco ding to
a Damascus :}broa.dcaat.
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UNITED WQATION y
23.. The $ecur ity Counc~ l will. net this evening
to r eceives ' a second us-Soviet draft resolution. The
resolution
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-5-6
re4fzf .rms Monday's cease--tine call and-urges
baltii. slide:: to return t_o ? tie pvs itions they occupied
at the time the cease-fire became effective.
--- rec u.esffs the Secretary-G neral .dispatch.UN
ohhservcr s to tho rgy'pt~ian front.
 24. :?nri,&inal.ly called. by L?'gypt* to protest Israeli
violations, the meeting was postponed to
tations on this draft. Permit ccnsul_
the 'Although it does not address
problem of ddfining. a truce line on the Suez west
bank, it till,' he :the first Counrj'l action addressed to
policing the cease-fire. Observers Who have. remainod
on the yrian : front; through the war will Presumably
continue repo?ti,ng without additional inatr;uci.ions.
Ara,la states wh;aol- have-'not accepted Monday's cease-fire
resolui:7.ori may object to this?.d'raft. Assuming their
.o> posa.tioti .does nQt ?yo baysnd rheto"ric", prospects for
approval, are aooa
.
LB.BANON
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2013/01/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-5-6
25. Foretgn:.Mini.ater* Naffs today connnunicate rl to
the aliibass~,dors of the permanent Inemb
UN secur Ity C r stags of the
cruncl.l Lebanon's feelings on th-Mire
resolution Le> az~gn the cease -Mire
that th
directly .t.0 week's 1~esolu
Lion .33s, Tike-,. :2cz 0lutinn 242 of 1967, does not pertain
.to r.,eanon, as 'the lat'e'r was not. involved
in l~os,tila s` aria has no territorial disput:i with
Israel.. Accordingly, Lebanon ngither formally accents
rior orma,J.,l.y zejeats the resolu.tjon. '. Honeeheless,
Beirut expects; that future negotiat.10118 will ral e
problems :,},ich cfex directly or':indirectiy with Lebanon,
and ~I: ei eforo ''reserves its r1 is to act ,vely in the S' ud 54 parta.c~.patp
ativetns . y and L ~.he' settlement of those
Z G . The I: ab nese are
Resol..tion h i9 ~t parti cular1 , worried that.
e es, ion
refug u silent on-tie issue of Paleztinian
.300:' thousand of whom. are now in Lebanon.
Beirut insists 'tha`t the so-called refu co rolem is
really. a Pdlit.i cal.. and national prat3lern that must be
soxved bej e the ."j~x:~t and ?lastin
in 13esc~lutii~n 3.3Ei 'can be : 5 peace" envisaged
enures a.ttainai,. The Lebanese Gov
"most .particularly emph;.tp izes u the need to
? give -Priority to this problem iii, the course of any
.future negot.iati.0ns.
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x zsal---in ,Saudi oil
pzoduvtian. TI a :S~tuidi are also' taking practical
step;; to stop -the flow of Saudi .4 . to the: US frou all
e
3.1AoitLIC ru4Qtlons w~,th ;t:h.Q -Us. it has also
been-. learned ?,taja t the embargo of .Saudi oil shipments
to the US Ii.> : to 4onstitute an a.adi:tional r.ecluotion-...
above ~tho 10 I.ercen 1 ordered 1% p
px.o uat on and embargo
. c
ship,nlents to:?thc:~ US-'are only tho initial actions Which
the King: h