MIDDLE EAST (SITUATION REPORT NUMBER 24 AS OF 1630 EDT)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-542-18-12-7
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: February 28, 2011
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: October 11, 1973
• Content Type: MEMO

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CZNTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUI,$
MIDDLE EAST
(Situationtet-.Ilae_=_2_
THE MILITARY SITUATION
State Dept review
completed ?
1. Israeli grouaid forces.drove .seven miles into
Syria this afternoon under heavy air cover. The
Israeli salient, about eight miles wide, is between
Mount iferman and.Qunaytirah in the northern - Golan
F eir+hte. The -Israeli planes are continuing to en-
countee heavy fire from Syrian surface-to-air
missiles, but only intermittent attacks from Syrian
fighters. ,The Israelis continue to hold the Egypti an'
along the canal front;-no additional information, is
available on the armor battle reported south of Suez
City. earlier today, but. Israeli fighters were noted
in the area during, the -late aftisrnoon.. ? As c,f ete
today an Egyptian force of some 40,000 troops and
700 to 800 tanks are estimated to be on the east
bank of the canal, according to the IDF. Not all
of the tanks, however , are operational.
THE SYRIAN FRONT
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In an earlier press report,
25X1 , Dpfensa Minister Dayan stated that Israeli forces
"are moving on the road leading from Qunaytirah
to Damascus." A U1q observation post reported
Syrian artillery fire in the area of the break-.
through had ceased.
3'. Despite the Israel claims, :Damascus has
acknowledged nothing and states only that its forces
are I'looked ? in fierce tank battles and artillery
.duels with the enemy."
4, Israeli aircraft were still reported con-
ducting sorties over Syria .in support of the ground
? fighting?-during the afternoon: Israeli planes
attacked Syrian tanks-in the' vicini ty of Harf a as
a part , of this strike. Hiarfa is in the gior there
sector of the Heights in 'the path' of the reported
Israeli breakthrough o*
S. fir. aeli ' aircraf 4: again attacked Damascus
International Airport today, as well as seven other
Syrian -airfields nearby. Five Isra~l;i planes were
lost as a -result of ground .f.ira--believed to be
SA- 6 missiles. The sraelis believe- the new SAM
barrage may reflect Soviet deliveries made to.
Damascus on 10 October. Tel Aviv claims?to have
downed 11 more Syrian planes today.
6.. An Israeli broadcast reports that Syrian
soldiers who remained in the Golan Heights ' after
their forces retreated across the cease-fire line
are surrendering to sraeli units. According to
the report, most of these troops are asking for
food and water, suggesting a? breakdown in Syrian
supply services to the front.
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7'. Several Soviet-built T-62 tanks have been.
captured as a result of the Israeli advances in the
Golan area. A press report from Tel. Aviv reports
these are the first of their kind, to fall into
'-Israeli hands. The muzzle velocity on T-62 cannon
provides longer range and.better penetrations than
the' anti-tank shells on th& previous Tp55 models.
mon
8'. Information on the ground war is limited
to reporting from Israeli military sources who claim
that the Egyptians have not broken through their
forces or made significant advances into the Sinai o
The Israeli strategy of containment continues to
depend on heavy air support all along the front.
Over 100 sorties were flown by, late afternoon
Tel. Av
Sai .
10. . The Israelis claimed today that their
.commandos -made successful.' harassing raids on the
West bank of the canal and the Bgyptia4'Su6z Gulf,
coast. They say all of the commandos returned
safely.
3
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11, The Israelis believe that Egyptian tank
movement across- the canal is -abating.. - They, estimate
that some 40,000 Egyptian troops from five infantry
divisions and approviinately 700 to 800 tanks are
now on the east bank. Some of the tanks, ho;aev
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12., The Israelis struck one Egyptian airfield
south of Port Said today, but made no claims Of:
having destroyer any Egyptian aircraft.
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SAUDI ARABIA
16. A Saudi brigade is 'reported moving into
Jordan from Tabuk in northern Saudi Arabia tonight,
augmenting the brigade already stationed in south-
ern Jordan. The move will be felt as additional
pressure - for a Jordanian contribution to the war.
Morocco
18. -Icing Hassan announced last night that a
second contingent of Moroccan. troops is on its way
.to the war zone; this time to the Egyptian front.
The 'US Defense Attache in Rabat has a report that
over 1,000 Moroccan traps have already left for
Egypt and another 2,000-3,000 are scheduled to
depart soon.
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19.' At the outbreak of hostilities, Morocco
had between 2,000 and 3,000 troops, about 60
mediun tanks, and some armored personnel carriers
and support equipment. stationed in Syria near the
Golan Heights. A Moroccan Foreign Ministry
official stated that Moroccan. casualties.in the
Golan ' Heigh is have been very heavy, but he dec1jned
to give specific numbers.
FEDAYEE!
Some guerre. a
units could be operating with Syrian forces in the
Golan Heights and.small commando groups are reported
to have staged minor hit-and-run attacks from
Lebanon across the Israeli border. The* US Embassy
in Beirut also cites some evidence to support its
speculation that a guerrilla-fired Soviet ground-
to-air missile may have downed an Israeli Phantom
fighter attacking ?fedayeen positions in southern
Lebanon. Figures in Western press reports~-
apparently -based on guerrilla press 'r'eleases--to
the effect that as many as 15-26,000 guerrillas; arse
involved in the fighting appear vastly inflated.
21. Fedayeen press statements carried by
western news agencies have particularly highlighted
.ostensible guerrilla raids and operations inside
Israel, claiming that approximately 500 guerrillas
are operating behind Israeli lines rocketing and 25X1
.. shelling military and civilian targets.
the US Cone
su ate in erusaiem reports tnat as of today it
was unaware of any guerrilla activity on the West-
Bank.
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U1I M NATIONS
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Security 'Council' is teftatively
h
e
T
scheduled, to meef~ late this afternoon in a session
which should hear from Abba Fbaa .and Secretary-
General Waloheim a Eban is' expected to reply to
Soviet aiu Arab' charge of Israeli bombing civilian-
targets. Waldheim intends to appeal for an ' end to
the-fighting and express concern that continuation
of the-war will lead to broader international con-
flict. Waldhe.m is concerned that the Security
council appears to being doing nothing,, but he
feels that he -cannot issue a cease--fare' call with-
.out appearing to-favor one side or the other,
suit;titions among Council members are still dead-
locked over where a cease-fire line should be drawn..
Although the British and Jordanians are exploring
the possibility of a,. cease-fire in place, these
effe ;ts at connpromise have found little. support.
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USSR
2'. Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko met with
- -_ -1 _-,...Uaee.4 &V~AV~
? .or env support. Gromyko said Moscow will ""exert
all efforts"" on behalf of a middle- Eastern peace
that safeguards the security of all countries in
the region.
26, The Iraqi Foreign. Minister made a sudden
trip 'to the Soviet Union on 9. Octobex and returned
home yesterday. The Iraqis said he xttade the trip
in accordance with the provision, of tha,Iraqi-Soviet
treaty calling for consultations on "important jo .nt.
matters." He. met with Soviet President' Podgorny,
who told him that the USSt is "firmly"' on the Arab*
side. The Iraqis said they and the Soviets were
t"COmpletc ly In agreement on all' questions discussed."
27. Although there is no direct indication in
.'the statement of the subjects d-iscussed, it is ?a
good bet that the Iraqis told the Soviets of their
intention-made public yesterday -to join in the
s~
cussed questions related .o*Sov iet logistical
q
c
six ax: t of the Iraqis.
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CHINA
28. Chou fn-lai met with the.Sy'rian and Egypt.
,.i.an envoys in Peking today to give his personal
blessing to * their' -fight. and to ask. them to forward
messages of. support to their Presidents. The mes-
sages did not commit the Chinese to anything more
.than political backing of the Arabs..*.-,
SoylE"MJ SH 'MIGR'.TION
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AFRICAN MACT1011
29. `the reaction so' far of the black African
states to the outbreak o.f war in the Middle East has
been one of general sympathy with and diplomatic
support of ,the Arab cause. The Africans have neither
the desire' nor the means to give significant assistance,
to the Arabs, however ,$ Rwanda and.Dahomey broke
relations with Tel Aviv after hostilities began, but
most of the politically significant sub-Saharan
-countries still maintain diplomatic relations with
.~9~aelo ,
30. Diplomatic support is likely-to be Africa's
only contribution to the Arab cause at. present--n .t
withstanding the offers of Uganda, Burundi, and
Somalia to give.materiel and troops, Nigeria, Ghanae
Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Ethiopia a iiberia, Tanzania
and Zambia still' have diplomatic relations with Israel.
Most seem to be sitting on the fence.
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32. Many of the Jewish emigrants who e
...week probably. obtained exit documentation prior to
the outbreak of hostilities. They were not stopped
at the border, but the US Embassy? noting that the,
Soviets are caught between Arab and Us opinion on
;.this. issued doubts Moscow will permit the flow of
emigrants to continue at the recent high letal if
the-war does not taper off soon,
LATE ITEMS ?
33. According to the US 'Attache in Tel Aviv,
the Egyptian force attemptin? to drive south along
the Sinai coast today was successfully repelle$ by
Israeli units. This is the second Egyptian
along this line in two days. . .
? ,0
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.2 J A _L I
3.6. The a1aips could also be used to carry
Personnel or equipment. Each Alligator class=ship
can carry up to 26, armored vehicles, nine trucks,
and some 500 naval infantry troops . The Pa1noc- ay-
class *ships can each lift about five tanks and
associated -troops.
r
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