HASANAYN, MAGDI

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-02771R000400310010-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 6, 2000
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: November 13, 1957
• Content Type: BIO

This document consists
Approved For Release 2000/05/23 sW ' DP78-02771 R00040P3 logo) number L.
o -[- copies, Series
DEPARTMENT CF STATE
Division of Biographic Information
HASANAYN. Magdi EGYPT
Magdi Hasanayn, former Governor of Liberation Province and presently
a member of the National Assembly, is an ardent Egyptian nationalist
with alleged Ccmrnunist sympathies, according to the U.S. Military Attache
in Cairo in October 1956. Another report describes him as a Communist.
In 1956 Hasanayn led an Egyptian study group to the German Democratic
Republic and in August 1956 he visited Moscow. There is no avai11e
information concerning his attitude toward the United States.
Biographic information on Hasanayn is sparse. He served in the
Western Desert in 1941-42,, and at that time joined Anwar Sadat and one
other Egyptian officer to form a committee for preservation of enemy
property left in the desert. In 191+8 Hasanayn volunteered to fight
in Palestine but was given instead the task of training volunteers
and of collecting weapons. A member of the Free Officers group,
Hasanayn from 1952 to about 1954 (possibly 1953) served either as
Director or Deputy Director of Muhazmnad Nagib's personal cabinet. He
also directed certain relief projects. In July 1954 it was reported
that he had been retired from the army in order to devote full time to
his position as Director of the Liberation Province project. The so-
called model province, the Liberation Province, has been under fire
almost from its inception a- a wasteful scheme, and for some time
has been described by critics as a "failure." Whether Hasanayn was
"dismissed" for certain irregularities in his management of the
province as the press reported (he was cleared of this charge by the
National Assembly) is not clear at this point. In a report of October
1957, Nasir allegedly told Hasanayn he must choose between his posi-
tion as Governor and membership in the National Assembly.
IRC:BI:VlklacLean:mh November 13, 1957
SECRET
State Dept. declassification instructions on file
Approved For Release 2000/05/23 : CIA-RDP78-02771 R000400310010-0