MIDDLE EAST SITUATION REPORT NUMBER 42 (AS OF 0630 EDT)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-543-2-19-6
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: August 12, 2010
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: October 16, 1973
• Content Type: MEMO

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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/12: LOC-HAK-543-2-19-6
CENT'1ALe INITELLIGENCE AGENCY
16 October" 1973
INTPLI,IGENCE 14EMOR1NDOM
1 TZ>DLE EAST
situation Report Number 42
'(.As of 0630 EDT).
THS, MJ.LTT.ARY SITUATION
GENERAL
1. ? Tho 'act.idn. stepped up-this morning after.
a relatively quiet evening wit a jittle significant
aet.ivity : 'Ground action .reswnec on the Syrian front
with attacks by Syrian and Iraqi; forces against Is-
ra.al i ~af~it?S on near Al Harrah. ` The israelis had ?
been puishinr' in this area on the. flank o.f. their
thrust toward pamscus in attempts to defeat Syrian
as well as the "allied" Iratqi farce.. The Jor-
danian armored ' brigade ' in Sys: is . Waw last reported
to bo moving ? toward Al Harrah.
2, Artillery- o.cahaanges tank duels were
under way on the Egyptian front over the evening
and contin ing . into the morning ;opposite Ismailia
In oth x action,. both sides launched naval raids p
attacking 5hora? targets in enemy, te,:ritory. The
Israelis report-. naval bombardments of coastal tar-
gets east, and. west. of Alexandria! and the Egyptians
report a raid in the vicinity of- Rummzafah behind
Israeli lines an the Mediterranean coast. The
Egyptians al o claim to have bombarded Israeli
riositions near..Sharm Ash Shaykh at the southern
tip of the Sinai peninsula. .
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/12: LOC-HAK-543-2-19-6
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/12: LOC-HAK-543-2-19-6
SYRIATNT FRONT
3. After a.. very quiet evening, ground' acrtioal
in the Golan Heights resumed this morning with at-m
4. Yosterday, a Jordanian armored brigade was
r6ported, to be' on the move toward the Al Harrah
area, and: if it arrives it may :possibly participate
in any further action in that area. An advance
Saudi force has reportedly :reached Dara in southern
..Syria near t M! Jordanian border If the Jordanians
and Saudis link iii with the Syrian and Iraqi forces,
the Arabs-will havo partially fiuifilieci Lheir ob-
jective of an: e,e'fective international Arab legion."
5, An early morning ls.r.ac ii domrunique ackno #1-.
edged that Syri,aai and Iraqi forces had attacked Is-
rAeli positions, :but claimed that the 'attack was
being repulsed with the aid of :tactical air sui oor'E_
25X1 ' 'C . shows that Damascus/
Internat o na 1, Damascus Ntezzah,, and Marj l uhayyii air--
fields were rendered unuseable as the result of Is-
t
raeli air s
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/12: LOC-HAK-543-2-19-6
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/12: LOC-HAK-543-2-19-6
IG"YP IANi r-RON '
9. The Xgypt ian front was relatively quiet
over the evening following a day of' little signifi-
cant. activity'. Ground action during the ?evening
hours -apparently was limited to a ?t.:illery ?6xchanges
and tank duels as ' both sides exchanged fire over ?
? ?pcas itions established in the heavy fighting Sunday.
The Israelis reported that the firing was continuing
.into the mor nine; in ? ,he c_'entra l sector of the front a
opposito Tsma 'lic-C The, Israelis apparently are. cpn-.
tinuing loca.l~ probing attacks against the Egyptian'
lines and the, Egyptians claim to have successfully
.repulsed one such: attack in the central sector this
morning.
10. During the 'ovoning 1~oth sides conducted
naval raids against shore positions. The I raelis
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/12: LOC-HAK-543-2-19-6
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/12: LOC-HAK-543-2-19-6
report bomhardinents on coastal targets, such as' radar
sites .east; and west: o ILle andr. is . All boats rem
portedly' returned:.afely. The Egyptians cla.iin to
have intere:epthd one raid and to have sunk four Is--
raeli .boats . 't'he - Israeli air force evidently sup..
ported there naval operations with air strikes one
the northern coaatc l targets..
11 The %gypti.ans report - naval bombardment
of Israeli, positions near Rummanah. This .is in the
vicinity of an* Egyptian amphibious raid yesterday.
The Egyptians also claim to have. attacked Shar?ra
ash Shaykh during , the evening aftd to have bombarded
TsraeIi po itions,
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M ;.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/12: LOC-HAK-543-2-19-6
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/12: LOC-HAK-543-2-19-6
KING 'HUSAXN F?RSEES FURTHER ESCALATION OLD THE
11AR -
25X1 14: I reports that
King %iusayn is. concerned over the consequences by
the continued US-Soviet aims airlifts and the esca-a
latiah of hostilities on the S ian front.
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The
King ' ~rcafesses that the. entire Arab side on' the
Syrian front still appears to be totally uncoojdiw.
nested; which h'e' feels will result in a mass Arab
sl?aug4ter 0' The. Xing has heard that it is possible
...that ?a 4,000-man Yemeni contingent might be going
to. Syr a.a .
1.5 .
Vie only. way to minimize
the damage to ;{:lie `? United States : prestige and influ_
once, :t,he King . feels , is for the US. to find the.way
to an immediate :easefire and subsequent negotiations
for a final so`t;tiem'ente. a The King bolievos that Is-
rael cannot'?aifOrd this war any ;more than the Arabs 0
The .King. Bars, th4t in desperation the Israelis might
resort to niacloar ?weapons-which he things they have--
in they i inal stages- of what; he Calls "0thoir holocaust."
11' AN;* PRO-AFtA.s
.16. Irani s t-ormer indiffea:ence to the war is
giving ..way: to overwhelming support for the Arab cause
as the war in the :Midst escalates, accor'ding to they
US.Defensr_ Attache in Tehran. This support was i,ni-
tial.l.y',evidont, only among the lower classes of Iranians,
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/12: LOC-HAK-543-2-19-6
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/12: LOC-HAK-543-2-19-6
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but the longer: the conelict continues the higher the
au )port climbs' up, the social -ladder. University
students. are not Only voicing support for the Arabs,
but are now raisipg anti-- ,merican discussions.
The attache says that possible interiia.l disorders
could ? resin t a..n sbverea anti-American reaction.
17. ? Yes tcrdhy . the Shah was sharply criticized .. ?
by- religious leaders for not providing mil.i,tary. sup--
port for the 'Arabs,
FEDA?FEN
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3.9. The 'Syrian government on 15 October in-
structed tedayeen elements to lick. up an undeter-
mined number .of SA/7 G lL miss-Iles at the Aleppo
Airport, The Syrians..
advised a ;Len to nring automobiles to
cagy. the missileo which are part of: the recent
USSR airlift. .Sovie?t experts a,ro? arriving with the
airlift t6 instruct the fodayeen can the use of ? thq
SA/7s . -
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/12: LOC-HAK-543-2-19-6