MIDDLE EAST SITUATION REPORT NUMBER 83 (AS OF 1130 EDT)

Document Type:

CREST [1]

Collection:

Library of Congress [2]

Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):

LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7

Release Decision:

RIPLIM

Original Classification:

Document Page Count:

Document Creation Date:

January 11, 2017

Document Release Date:

May 4, 2010

Sequence Number:

Case Number:

Publication Date:

October 26, 1973

Content Type:

MEMO

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LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7.pdf [3]	316.33 KB

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Aft No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.- . 26 October 1973 INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM NSA and DIA Reviews Completed MIDDLE EAST Situation Report Number 83 las of 1130 EDT).. THE MILITARY SITUATION MORI/CDF CO2826144 ' GENERAL (All times cited in military paragraphs. are Cairo/Tel Aviv time, unless otherwise specified.) Fighting continued through the morning in the vicinity of Suez City. The remainder of the Egyptian front and all of the Syrian ?front appear to be -quiet. ? 2. Tel Aviv claimed that Egyptian forces on the east bank launched an attack north of Suez City this morning and attempted to bridge the canal ii. ? and claims that the-raeria-vidlated the cease-rire to improve their position. No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 25X1 . 25X1 25X1 25X1 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 4. No significant activity involving Soviet 11. forces has been noted. The naval group that had con- centrated off the Egyptian coast has dispersed. pGYPTIAN FRONT, 5. Ground and heavy air action continued through the morning immediately north of Suez City. There are no reports of fighting elsewhere on the Egyptian front. Radio Tel Aviv reported that Egyp- tian tank and artillery units launched an attack and attempted to construct a bridge across the canal north of Suez City this morning. 6. Press reports of the fighting from Cairo and Tel Aviv are contradictory. Tel Aviv claims , the Egylitian Third Army :launched the "attack in order to return to the West bank while CairociaiMed there was "no.Offensive action by Egyptian troops. 7. US attaches. received a tour of parts of the east bank southerrvsector:by helicopter this morOnl.. According to the attachesf.in the areas: they observed, the situation appeared to have been accuratelyreflected in previous Israeli briefings They .reported that Egyptian Third. Army positions extend as faras-nine miles east of the canal in the southern .sector, but narrow to about three and No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 ?25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 ? V Al?I. -Teo ? I I No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 _ I I 1 1 one=lhaTfl milem roinv ithm elphi=#ml osititami of tho peat Bitter Lake. A senior Israeli milLtdry O1s. ficer reported that Egyptian forces siso Control a four and one-half mile stretch of the east gulf coast south from Suez City. 8. According to the attaches, the Egyptian units are well dug in under camouflage, but opposing Israeli .forces have not dug in and appear to be mobile and flexible. Smoke columns seen at the southwest bank of the Great Bitter Lake were. caused by. Egyptian shelling of Kabrit airfield, according ? to an Idraeli military officer. The attaches con- firmed that the Israelis were resupplying their west bank force today. SYRIAN FRONT ? 9.. The Syrian front was quiet this morning and both sides appeared to be observing the cease- fire. Israeli aircraft flew what appeared to be defensive patrols over Israeli-occupied territory And into southern Lebanon during the morning; as of early afternoon as many as 50 more aerial tracks were being reported over the area. 11. The Lebanese army today reported that there was relatively little fedayeen cross-border activity on the nights of 24 and 25 October-. This follows pledges by leaders of the major fedayeen groups to Lebanon that they would respect the cease-fire, at least for the present. In a reflection of the gov- ernment's confidence that the border area may stay quiet, the Lebanese army is now patrolling in ,south- em n Lebanon. No Objection to Declassification in Part 2019/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 25X1 ? 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 25X1 41. es - No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 ? ? MEM-I:MEV 1).Eli:CEI :.21.. Soviet party chief Brozhnev admitted today .that. the USSR has sent: representatives to the. Middle East to observe the implementation of the cease-fire. ? No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 25X1 25X1 25X1 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 to . 25X1 Speaking before-the World Peace Congress in Moscow, Etr4ihrIev said he hoped the.US would also send Observers. Brezhnev noted the UN Security Council's decisien to create a UN emergency force to police ? the military regions, but he did not mention, in . the text so'far.available, that permanent members of the Security Council would not contribute to this force. He labeled the decision a "useful one" and hoped it would help. normalize the situation. Aceord- ing to pne wire service, Srezhnev devoted 40 minutes .of his speech to the Middle East. The US is not .ciiticized directly in the early portions received, but China is acCused of blackening the reputation of the Soviet Union with the Arab countries. COMMENTARY PROM *SOVIET DIPLOMATS ? 22, A Soviet told a US diplomat in lieirut a4$L. riAgnt.. tnat an early Israeli withdrawal from Egyptian territory seized after the 22 (*ober cease-fire waa of vital importance to Sadatts position and also to the future of Soviet relations in .the Arab world. He 'also calimed that fedayeen leader Arafat has informed the Soviets that he intends to abide by the cease-fire and thaL the Iraqi leaders ?are expected to scittpedal their opposi- tion to the truce. 23.: A SOViAt rlielomat in New Delhi informed a Soviet troops may be sent to inA-aale East because the UN could not act with ufficient speed .to enforce the cease-fire. He ' admitted that the arrival of Soviet troops in the Middle East as inconsistent with detente, but pointed out that the US had sent troops to Lebanon in 1958 and settled the problem'. ISRAEL-UN ? ? 24. The Israeli government has so far remained silent on the UN Security Council decision to send an -6 ? I Nn Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 25X1 : 25X1 25X1 I` - No 0 bjection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 25X1 international peacekeeping force to'poliee the Cease.- . fire4 According to press' reports:from Tel Aviv:, the meet later today to discuss the resoltr- tiOn . . ? 'PEDAYEE&-SYAIA ? !25i. Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasir Arafat today arrived in Damascus for talks with Syrian officials, according to Middle East press reports.. Arafat. was last in Damascus on 23 October when he " 'unsuccessfully tried to persuade President Asad not to accept the cease-fire. His current trip is undoubt- edly.designed to minimize the damage to fedayeen-Syrian relations that has resulted from fedayeen criticism of ' the cease-fire and to plead for continued Syrian sup? - port'for the fedayeen. , LATE ITEMS: 'ISRAELITADR:ER , 27; An Egyptianmlitary spokesman said that the ?tanker bound for Israel which had been damaged today at the 'entrance to the Gulf of Suez had Struck A mine. ?Tel Aviv had claimed that thc tanker had hppn attacked bv.nenemv ferees.":hef. - 25X1 25x1 25X1 ?MI ? No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04 : LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 25X1 11. ? No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 ? ,, CAPTURID SA-6 Bk2TBRIES -28. According to the Reuters wire service, reliable Israeli, sources claim to have captured S2.-6 batteries intact,. including her radar and control systems. The Israeli. attache in Washington had previously informed US officers that a dud SA-6 missile had been captured. Reuters also reported that yesterday foreign corres- pondents had been shown SA-3 missile batteries which also had :ben captured intact. ' e'r ? No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 25X1 ? 25X1 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 25X1 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 25X1 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 25X1 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/05/04: LOC-HAK-544-6-13-7 25X1