MIDDLE EAST (SITUATION REPORT NUMBER 17 AS OF 2230 EDT)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-544-4-12-0
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: January 4, 2013
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: October 9, 1973
• Content Type: MEMO

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DIA review
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State Dept review
completed
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
9 October 1973
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
MIDDLE EhST
(Situation Report Number 17
As of 2230 EDT)
MORI/CDF per
C05480393
THE MILITARY SITUATION
GENERAL
1. Fighting has tapered off during the evening
hours after a day of heavy engagement., Neither side
has achieved a decisive breakthrough.
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? 2. The optimism expressed in yesterday's offi-
cial Israeli military communiqu6s and press reports
has been replaced by a more restrained mood. Al-
though still confident, the Israelis acknowledge
that they aro involved in a war very different than
the six-day conflict of 1967. According to the US
defense attaCh6 in Tel Aviv, the Israelis are becom-
ing increasingly concerned over tank and artillery
ammunition shortages, and steadily mounting casual-
ties and equipment attrition. In addition, they are
expressing frustration at the Arabs seemingly limit-
less stocks.
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THE SYRIAN FRONT
3$ RalatLvo calm prevailed in the Golan Heights
late this evening after a day of hard, but apparently
indecisive, fighting. The Israeli state radio re-
ported that sOMe fighting between Syrian and Israeli
tank units continued as late as 2200 hours local
time. The Israelis flew 80 sorties over Lebanon,
Northern Israel, Jordan, and the Golan Heights during
the evening.
4. According to press sources, the Israelis
were counterattacking early this evening near
Cnulaytirah. Syrian forces, supported by air power,
apparently recaptured the town earlier today. An Is-
raeli situation report estimates that the Syrian Air
Force flew some 85 ground support sorties during the
day. A UN Truce Supervisory source indicated that
Syrian forces were still in Qunaytirah at 1830 hours
local time, but the Israelis had taken major terrain
features about three kilometers West of the town.
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fighting began.
6. The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
said that the Israeli forces along the border had
been strengthened during the past 48 hours. Rein-
forcements include tank units and airborne units.
King Husayn has been reported to be visiting Jordanian
Army units deployed along the border with Israel.
THE EGYPTIAN FRONT
7. The situation along the Egyptian front re-
mains confused, with neither side claiming major
breakthroughs. An Egyptian armed forces communique
claims the capture of the second largest town in the
Sinai, Kanter Eastern, as well as large quantities
of arms and ammunition, including an unspecified
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number of Israeli tanks. About 30 prisoners were
oleo tahan. The earlier Egyptian claim that the
Israeli 390th tank brigade had bean captured by
Veyptian forces was confirmed when the brigade's com-
mander, Colonel Assaf Yagouri, was shown to newsmen
in Cairo. In other ground action, the Israelis ad-
mitted that they have given up most of their positions
along the Bar Lev line, but said that these forces
have set up new lines some three to five kilometers
from the canal. The Egyptians, however, claim to
have penetrated about 20 kilometers into the Sinai.
The Israelis also admitted that Israeli ground and
air forces thus far have been unable to stop the re-
inforcement of Egyptian units on the east bank Of
the Suez Canal.
8. Israeli aircraft have also been active
around Port Said. Egyptian diplomatic sources claimed
these airstrikes destroyed civilian buildings and
homes, and inflicted a number of civilian casualties.
According to Israeli sources, the main Egyptian air
activity has been in support of ground action.
9. In naval action, the Israelis claim to have
sunk three Tlyptiez as a -classemiesile ,pateol boats
an engagement midway between Port Said and Alexandria,
without loss of any of their own patrol boats.
UN OBSERVATION POSTS.
10, UN sources in Jerusalem reported that *ebout
noon 9 October, UN observation posts Silver and Orange--
located at the north and south ends of the Great Bit-
ter take--had been overrun by Egyptian forces who
were enlarging their bridgeheads in the Sinai. All
UN observation posts in the Suez sector apparently
are now closed.
THE ISHAELI?SCENE-
that eeen %Jh
suffered by the IDF are revealed, Israeli bitterness
will be intensified and public pressure for ground
strikes into Egypt and Syria will likely mount. The
government is being increasingly criticized--albeit
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quietly--by some elements of the public for its fail-
ure to launch a pre-emptive military strike or for
not at least having mobilized earlier.
12. Israeli Finance Minister Sapir told a gov-
ernment economic committee on Tuesday that thus far
the war has cost Israel nearly one billion dollars.
The government imposed a compulsory tax loan of $238
million today to help finance the conflict. Israelis
will contribute to the loan by automatic deductions
from their income. Individuals will be assessed 7
to 12 percent of their income and business firms will
pay 9 percent of their profits to the loan. The
loan is to be repaid over 15 years with interest.
Israelis already subscribe to a compulsory defense
loan from previous Arab-Israeli wars.
13. In East Jerusalem( the mood of the Mab
population remains outwardly calm( but the US consul
has detected a sense of both elation and unease over
the successes of the Arab armies. Many Arab shops
in the city as well as the occupied West Bank remain
closed and most Arab workers have not returned to
-thair jobs in -the Jewish sevtor-of 'Jerusalem. Ten-
sions reportedly have flared in a few spots on the
West Bank, primarily as a result of accidents caused
by Israeli tanks and other equipment rushing to the
Syrian front.
411
EGYPT
14. Senior Egyptian officials briefing foreign
ambassadors in Cairo continue to insist that Cairo's
military operations across the Suez Canal into Israeli-
occupied Sinai are counterattacks in response to Is-
raeli attacks on the Gulf of Suez on 6 October.
15. A senior Egyptian official
ambassador on 7 October that Cairo h.Lt Decome convincea
over recent weeks that Tel Aviv was seriously planning
a new round of hostilities, most likely to occur before
the Israeli elections later this month. He professed
to see evidence of this in the 13 September air battle
with Syria, alleged Israeli troop concentrations ?par-
ticularly on the borders with Syria and Lebanon, and
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in belligerent and threatening statements by senior
Israeli officials. He also cited recent setbacks for
Israel on the international scene, such as Zaire's
decision to break diplomatic relations and Austria's
mOve to cloze the Schoenau transit facility, as in-
creasing the psychological pressure on Tel Aviv to go
on the offensive again. Thus, according to the Egyp-
tian official, President Sadat ordered the counter-
attack across the Suez Canal when Israeli air and sea-
borne forcee allegedly struck on two points on the
Gulf of Suez.
16. the .
Egyptians xrany acKnow.Leagea tuax. %,?L.L.Lia wwLIAAA never-
theless have a difficult time convincing world public
opinion that Israel had touched off hostilities. One '
official remarked, however, that it didn't really
"matter a damn" what the world chose to believe; Egypt
was only trying to take back its own territory.
SOVIET NAVAL ACTIVITY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
17. Another large landing craft has joined the
seven Soviet naval ships that were at the Kithera
-anchorage. The ships are 'VW -trailing a six-ship US
force that is in a holding area south of Crete. Late
information indicates that a guided missile destroyer
is still in Alexandria and will probably remain there
along with the.eight remaining auxiliary ships. The
Soviets also have a fleet minesweeper west of Latakia,
but this ship is well removed from any fighting. The
group of submarines that were recently relieved of
duty have left the Mediterranean and are now off the
Portuguese coast. The relief submarines are proceeding
eastward in the Mediterranean and are now north of
Tunisia.
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? SOVIET -POLITICAL ACTIVITY
? 18. The Soviets continue to be active diplomat-
ically in many Arab capitals. In Cairo, Ambassador
Vinogradov had his fourth meeting with President Sadat
in as many days. Ambassador Azimov spent 90 minutes
with Palestinian leader Arafat in Beirut. According
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to fedayeen radio, Azimov carried an "important mes-
sage" to Arafat from Soviet leaders. In Saila, the
Soviet ambassador met with President lryani to reit-
erate MO2oow's support for the Arab cause.
19. In Moscow today, however, there was consid-
erably.less public play given Middle East developments.
News of the fighting was put on the inside pages of
the major newspapers, and Premier Kosygin referred to
the crisis only briefly in his speech at the luncheon
for visiting Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka.
EASTERN EUROPE
20. Reaction from Eastern Europe has followed
predictable lines. Moscow's allies have generally
followed the Sbviet lead and issued relatively mild
condemnation,, of Israeli "aaeression."
The Romanian press has offered even-handed
treatment of the hostilities that is consistent with
Bucharestts past positions. President:Tito, according
to'press reports, has sent a personal message of sup-
-P9Xt tO.Pre?dentSadat aj14-11aaid that hp willsaak
to rally the nonaligned states against Israel'.
.rktJDI ARABIA
22. All Saudi Army and National Guard members
on leave were directed today to rejoin their units
"to fulfill their sacred duty." At Dhahran in east-
ern Saudi Arabia, ten Saudi Air Force Lightnings
equipped with air-to-air missiles are standing by,
are deployed,
Tabuk near the Saudi-Jordanian border.
If the Lightnings
they may head for
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JORDAN
23. According to a sensitive state department
cable, Jordan rs King Husayn last night repeated his
plea to the Uff ambassador that the US work within
the UN Security Council for a simple, unconditional
cease-fire. Husayn judges that only a cease-fire
can end the intense pressure on him to involve
Jordan in the fighting. Husayn is especially fear-
ful that continued hostilities will prompt Saudi
Arabia to enter the fray, worsen Saudi-Jordanian
relations, and lead King Faysal to end his criti-
cally important financial and diplomatic support for
Jordan.
24. King Husayn told the US ambassador tonight
that he underatands that Iraq is sending or has sent
an entire armored division to the Golan Heights
area.
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ARAB STATES '
? 25. Morocco is
..opronti,ttedtge,s4asilag,,A.,continge.nt.,..of...24:5,00---troPlas to
Egypt. This force is equipped and ready to be
transported tonight. Moroccan and Algerian air-
craft will be used. Tunisia and Algeria have been
asked to allow overflights and provide. refueling -
facilities.
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26.
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26. Tunisia's President Bourguiba.tonight
made a farewell speech to troops "proceeding to the
battlefield in the Middle East," and pledged*that
Tunisia will participate "with the resources it
possesses."
that Bourguiba expects that the
war will not last long, and that Tunisian troops ?
will in reality not have to leave Tunisia. Present
plans are for the detachment to move slowly from
northern Tuninia toward the south by land with the
intention of crossing Libya into Egypt.
UNITED NATIONS
27. News from the UN has focused on the
mutual recriminations resulting from Israeli air
attacks on the Damascus and Cairo areas. Israel
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apologized for causing civilian casualties, but
Soviet Permanent Representative Malik, who was
incensed by apparently erroneous Western press
accounts of Soviet casualties, blasted the Israelis
and then walked out in the midst of Ambassador
Tekoah'o attempt to apologize.
28. Information frm the British Embassy in
Damascus confirms that it was the Soviet cultural
center--and not the embassy--that was hit. More-
over, the latest press reports from Damascus quote
official Syrian sources as denying that any Rus-
sians were killed. According to the Syrians, only
the center's Syrian director and several Syrians ?
who were studying Russian were wounded.
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