MIDDLE EAST HOSTILITIES DIA SITUATION REPORT #58

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-543-5-6-7
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: March 11, 2011
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: October 20, 1973
• Content Type: REPORT

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71,1111P SECIIET.UMBR,A IIP
DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
NSA review completed)
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,DIA SITUATION REPORT
458 .
Wiz 20 October 1971
Dub M600 EDT
NBLICT: MIDDLE EAST ilOSTILITIES
REFEUNCE DIA AnalysiS
lo GENERAL
DIA, NAVY
reviews
completed.
a. (S/NFD) Israeli forces continue to concentrate on the
Egyptian front while maintaining a defense posture in Syria.
Egyptian efforts to contain the Israeli units operating west
of the Canal have been at least temporarily successful. Egyp-
tian reserves -- almost the last available -- and an armored
division previously employed on the East Bank were used to
blunt the Israeli thrusts. Major battles will probably occur
today as the Egyptians counterattack and the Israelis attempt
to regain freedom of movement for their columns. The Inraeli
and Egyptian air forces were both active over the front.
. b. (s/NFD) Action on the Syrian front centered on attacks
by combined Arab forces against the Israeli salient. some
limited gains were apparently. made by the Uerdanians and
Iraqis, but the Israelis claim to have destroyed a number of
Arab tanks during yesterday's fighting.
C. (TSU/NFD) The quality of suPPort rendered bv Arnh
allies continues to be erratic.
cording to the IN', Lebanon has now opened
guerrilla cress-border activity. Pakistan
icy 0)! positive support while the Algerian
deliberately dawdling en route. Iraq has
additional units
while, ac-
its borders to
continues its pol-
force may be
committed some
China has reportedly commenced :send-
Ing aid to the Arabs, but the mercurial Ugandan President.
Xi Amin may be reconsidering his promise to. send volunteers
to the front. ,
P2EPARED
.01-.5D,.57040
IQ MUM ABROAD
CONTROLLE.Z.NSEM
RELEASit
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COLONEL, USA
Assistant Deputy Director
Middle East ITF
Qrron rt,ry, It Er Ir.
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APP SECRET UMBRA 111P
EGYPTIAN FRONT
a. (S/NFD) The Egyptians as of 1921002 have had some
success in containing Israeli armored column driving toward
Suez city and Jebel Jafra. The Egyptian 4th Armored Division
Was withdrawn from the East Bank on the 19th and used, prob-
ably along with elements of the 6th Mechanized Division, to
stop the Israeli drive toward Suez city. This drive is com-
manded by MAJ GEN Abraham Adan, the chief of the Israeli
Armor Corps, which may be an indicator of the importance the
Israelis place on their. West Bank operations. The Israeli
drive toward the Jebel Jafra area has been held up by the
Egyptian 3d Mechanized Infantry Division and the 35th Inde-
pendent Armored Brigade. The 35th Brigade is a newly raised
or reserve formation, and its ability to sustain continuous
combat operations against the Israelis is questionable. The
3d Israeli column, consisting of paratroopers and infantry,
was last reported driving to-the west in the .agricultural
area south of the Ismailia Canal. They have penetrated at
least as far as the Abu Suweir area, which places them 20
kilometers (12 nm.) west of the Suez Canal. The Egyptian
23d Mechanized Infantry Division may be in action against
the Israelis in this area. There are unconfirmed reports
that the Egyptians are using artillery emplaced in the East
Bank bridgehead to harass Israeli units operating on the West
Bank, The Israeli drive toward Suez city would be most af-
Zected by this tactic.
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d. (S/NFD) By all indications, the West.Bank fighting
on the 20th will be of major significance. If the Egyptians
can contain or reduce-,the Israeli bridgehead, the fighting
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will.be prolonged at least until the IDF can bring new units
across the canal to reinforce the division-sized unit cur-
rently operating in the West Bank area. If, on the other
hand, the.Israelis can defeat Egyptian counterattacks and get
their columns moving again, Egypt will have to face the de-
cision of removing units from the East Bank or risk allowing
.the Israelis to overrun the entire west bank area. 'tgyptian
withdrawal of uhits from the East Bank will make the troops
remaining there increasingly vulnerable to a. general Israeli
offensive, which has not yet been opened but. could begin at ?
any time.
e. (1.1) Israel claims to have ciestroyed'70 Egyptian tanks
on the 19th.
g. (6/NFD/NDA/CD) The Eyptian Air Forod reportedly con-
.aucted three attacks on the Israeli columns west of the Canal.
During these attacks, the Israelis claim that a total of 25
? Egyptian fighters were downed, and there-were some tentative
indications that partially trained pilots were used by Egypt.
No IAF losses were reported.
IS/NED/NDA/CD). The Egyptians have apparently moved
at least some of their SA-6/CAINFUL units across the Ismailia
Canal, where Israeli ground forces cannot reach them. Egyp-
tian commandos, reinforced by tanks, are being sent to S.AM
sites on the West Bank to improve their defensive capabili-
ties. t-
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3. SYRIAN FRONT
a. (S/NFO(NDA/CD) Arab forces continued to attack the
Israeli salient on the Syrian front yesterday. The Jordanian
.40th Armored 'Brigade was involved in these attacks, reportedly
advancing out oE El HeArra toward and
.The Jordanians.were assisted 'in this
ottort by the Iraqis and apparently made some progress in the
direction of Jaba, while the Iraqis took Tal Aantar by 191445Z.
The Jordanians reported that Israeli resistance was light.
" b.. (U) .An Israeli military spokesman-indicated at 191815Z
that a combined Syrian-Jordanian axmored force attacked Is-
raeli units in the southern sector of the irot. The battle
xeportedly ended at 191530Z with 30 Arab tanks destroyed.
Israel also Claimed two Syrian aircraft were dos4ned on the
19th.
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. OTHER ARAB ACTIVITY
b..74.UDI ARABIA
.(IC/NFD) The 10 Saudi LIGHTNING aircraft that deployed
to Taif on 11 October were under the command of a retired
British RAE wing commander who is currently employed by the
Saudi Government. Excluding the cc:mu:milder, the mean age of
the Saudi pilots is 22 and their proficiency is rated by com-
petent US observers as about 25 percent below the inherent
capabilities of their aircraft.
c. 12D4VYEEN
($/NFD) Jordan remains under pressure from other Arab
leaders to permit cross-border guerrilla operations to be
launched from its territory. However, Ring Hussein has stead-
gastly refused to 'countenance these demands. On the other
hand, the IOF believes that Lebanon has opened its borders
for nightly crossings by hundreds of fedayeen to facilitate
attacks on ScAf-f1r,mrin4-- n northern Israel.
plans to. retaliate g inst Lebanon
wauu tneir military situation permits
d. ALGERIA
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5. OTBER ACTIVITY
WEST GERMANY EGYPT
MY A ,West 'German news agency reported on 19 October
that a west German firm was contacted by Egypt concerning
the possible salvaging of the 16 ships stranded in .the Suez
. .
Canal sinde the 1967 war,
ISRAELI MANPOWER
1) (S/NM/NM/CD) According to Israeli authorities,
the Israeli general mobilization figure as of 19 October has
not exceeded 60 percent,. while the air force has mobilized
only about 10 percent'of its reserves. Thi S latter figure,
if correct, may be a reflection of the fact that the TAP.
actually had more pilots on active duty than it had aircraft
available to fly.
2) (U) An Israeli radio broadcast of 19 October re-
ported that some 900 wounded Israeli troops had recovered
sufficiently to return to duty. No indication of the tech-
nical specialties of the personnel involved was given.
d. PAKISTAN
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e. PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CIN-EGYPT'
(S/IWI)) The PRC is reportedly giving $300 million and
100 tons of food to Egypt.
Z. SOVIET
2) NAVY
(S.) There have been no major changes in the status
of the Soviet Mediterranean Squadron. A POLNOCNY-class medium
landing ship previously reported as being east of Crete was
.sighted off the southwestern coast of that island. A second
1'OLN0CNY may also be in the same area The millesweeper pre-
viously located south of Cyprus has transited to a position .
about 150 nautical .miles west of Cyprus.
Sighting
repor,:., in icate, owever, t at t e s decz. cargo
is trucks and other;-type vehicles, and the SMENA's deck cargo
Oxidizer tanks -- possibly for use with .SA-2/GUIDELINE
missiles.
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-DISTRIBUTIORI
See Def
Dep See Def
See Army
See Navy
See Air Farce
Chairman, JCS (4 eye)
Asst see Dee, Intel
Asst see Defs ISA
Asst See Dee', PA
Dirs. ?Joint Staff'
Dirt -1
Dix!, J-3 (2 ey)
Dire .1..4
Dire 47-5 (2 cy 3.ey BO Christensen) Ret
Dire J-6
Aset Sec Def (LA-Rm. 3E822)
SSO Reek islated
?
JRC (NMCC Rep)
CSA
CNO
CSAP/CV/CVA (3 cy)
CMC
ACSI (ISD)
CO (NOP-009 ?IP),
AP/IN (Alert Officer) (Tube)
JCS (AcsAN) Room 1D929
tibite House Sit Room (I.DX)
State (LOX)
CIA (Nee Rep)
, NSA (MCC Rep)
2E964 DDO (10IdC Rep)
DNA (via SSO courier) ?
DS MSN SSO New INA
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