SOVIET TROOPS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-548-11-5-6
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: November 7, 1973
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/30 : LOC-HAK-548-11-5-6
******* T ~' S E C R E T ~- CpDE ~D#******S CgPY
FM THE SITUATIgN RpCIM TgHAK 29
Tp USINT CAIRf1
T g P S E C R E T/RUFF WH~723b
Tpr DICK CAMPBELI. FpR SECRETARY KISSINGER TpHAK Z9
NpVEMBER 6s 1973
FpR SECRETARY WENRY A. KISSINGER
FRC1M BRENT SC~WCRaFT
REFERENCE: SECTd 10
FpI:LpWING IS DIA ASSESSMENT C1F PASSIBILITY DF SgVIET TRgl7P5 IN
IRAQI I?GYPT AND SYRIA.
SOVIET TRggPS IN THE MIDDLE EAST IS)
1. (S/NFD) AT THE QUTBREAK ClF HpSTILITIES IN THE MIDDLE EASTs TME'
SpVIETS WAD APPRtJXIMATELY B0 MILITARY AOVISpRS'IN EGYPT ABl7UT 14x0 IN
SYRIA AND AN ESTIMATED X50 IN IRAQ. IN ADDITIpN THERE WERE AN UNKNpWN
NUMBER pF SpVIET CIVILIAN TECHNICIANS IN EGYPT SYRIA AND IRAQ..
~. (T~U/BACKGRpUND USE gNLY) SINCE THE gUTt3REAK pF HgSTILITIESs
IA AND. IRAQ
INDICATIpNS pF CWANGES IN SCIVIET pERSi]NNEL IN EGYPTa SYIt
HAVE BEEN NQTED AS FpLLgWS;
A. IRAQ - WE MAVE Nq EVIDENCE THAT THE SIZE QF THE SgVIET AD-'
WISDRY'GROUP Tp IRAQ HAS BEEN INCREASED.
B. EGYPT - WE CAN CpNFIRM THAT SgME 70 T(] 80 SOWIETS INC~,UDING
20 INTERPRETERS ARRIVED IN CAIRO AS qF pCTpBER 25TW. AN UNCgNFIRMED
REPpRT INDICATED TMAT SOME 300 SpVIETS IN CIVILIAN CLCITH~S ARRIVED
IN CAIRp pN THE 2bTH AND AN ADDITIpNAL 700 ARRIVED IN THE CITY DN
*. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *WHSR CgMMENT * * * * * * * *, # * * * * .*. #
5CpWCRpFTsWpWE
PSNc031590 PAGE OI, TOR:311/A1:531 DTG:070113~ NQV y3
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ON-FILE NSC RELEASE INSTRUCTIONS NGA Review
DIA review completed Completed
NSA review completed
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/30 : LOC-HAK-548-11-5-6
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/30 : LOC-HAK-548-11-5-6
*~**** T~ S E C R E T - CODE ~D*******S'COPY
THE EVENING C3F 27/2$..flCTflBFR. ALTWnUGM SOVIET TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT
"``
ARRIVED IN CAIR? flN THD N MA
T SUPP RT THIS REpflRT..
THI5 REPDRT CClULO HAVE REFERRED TO THE INTRCiDUCTIflN
OE SCUP MISSILES INTO THE CC7UNTRY. SCUD UNITS NpRMALLY ARE nRGANIZED
AS BRIGADE5. SCUDS WERE SEEN iN SATELLITE PWDTQG~tAPHY AT GAiRCi
A ITV ANp THE.
WHETHER
THIS SYSTEM IS BEING QPERATED BY SDV E P RSD E NDT KNt~WNs.
HpWEWER AN EGYPTIAN PDW SrtATED THAT EGYPTIAN PER$DNNEL WIRE BEING
TRAINED QN A SURFACE-TD-SURFACE MISSILE WAVING A RANGE CDMPARABI:E TC]
F THE SCUD.
25X1
IF FDXBAI`S AR[/ OPERATING FROM ;EGYP s ABO T ldd 5 VI T flN
WQULD BF INV?LVED IN GRDUNp SUPPpRTs MAINTENANCEs FLIGHT CRI=W
AND PHOTO PRCICESSING LIPERATIQNS.
C. SYRIA-THERE HAVF BEEN NUMBEROUS REPORTS flF SDWIET C]PERATIflNAL
UNITS IN SYRIA.
(1) SIR DEFENSE-AN SOME C1pERATIflNAL 25X1
SOVIET MILITARY UNITS WE N01iEM8ER,
THESE UNITS WERE ALLEGEDLY TD BE USED PRIMARILY tw0t~ AIR DEFENSE
PURPOSES IN THE LATH I AR A TC1 PROTECT SDVI~T SWIPpING LANE5""TO
THAT PORT FACILITY, INDICA~'ED IN 25X1
LATE OCTOBER THAT 50ME 2dA-304 SOV , AIR DEFENSE
ROLE WITH P05SIl3LY THE SA-6/GAINFUL SYSTEMs WERE IN TWE LATAKIA
AREA.
l2) GROUND FORCES
SOWI>~T ARMOR UNITS flF UNKNOWN SIZE ARRIVED N Y A DN
AP RpXI'MATELY' Zb OCTCIBER AN0 WERE BIVDUACEfl IN A COMOU~LAGf=C1
SITE EAST OF pAMASCUS. IT IS KNOWN THAT"Sf~ME 84p TANKS WITHQUT
SUPPORT EQUIPMENT PASSED THRCiUGH THE PART FACILITIES DF NIKCII.AYEV
SINCE THE OUTBREAK flF HOSTILITIES AND IT I5 BELIEVED TiiAt SOME flF
THEM HAVE ARRIVED IN SYRIA. A TOTAL OF $ AMPHIBIOUS SNIPS ARE
ESTIMATED Tfl HAVE CALLED AT LATAKIA~ HOWEVER THE AMDUN'! OF
EQUIPMENT UNLOADED I$ Nt]T kNCIWN. THE GIANT REACH. SR-"~1 MISS`ION
tIF 4 NOVEMBER DID MOT REVEAL THE PRESENCE fl~ SOVIET UNITS TC}'~HE
EAST OF DAMASCUS. BUY CLOUn COVER OF THE AREA PRf~CLUDED A FULL
REAQpUT. AN UNCONFIRMED CIA REPDRT INDICATES THAT AN ADVANCE
PARTY FpR A SOVIET AIRBORNE CONTINGENT IS pRESEN'I IN DAMASCUS,
HpWEVER, WE WAVE NO pTHER EVIDENCE TD SUPPORT THIS.
4. tTS) IN SUMMARY THE SOVIETS HAVE HAD AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO
SEND MILITARY PERSONNEL TO THE MIDDLE EAST ON THE MANY AIRCRAFT
AND SHIPS (INCLUDING AMPHIF3IOUS SNIPS DF THE SOVIET NAVY3 WHICH
PSNsd3159d PAGE d2 TDR:311IO1s53Z DTG:Q7d113Z NDV 7~.
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/30 : LOC-HAK-548-11-5-6
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/08/30 : LOC-HAK-548-11-5-6
***~~~* T~ S E C R E T ~ CQpE ~p*~**~**S CCIPY
HAVE ARRIVED IN THE AREA SINCE THE WAR BEGAN. ,BUY WE MAYE NOT
ILITARY FL3RCES
AS~CIPERATIgNALQUNITS,T1aR DFTTHEUINCLQEMENTAQYtNTRCIpUCTIQN DE 5gVIET
TR[lt~PS"Tt] BUILD UNITS IN PLACE. IF SUCH FORCESs HAVEs ~N FAGt,
BEEN SENT TO "CHE MIDDLE EASTs THEY Mt]ST 1_IKELY ARE THERE 1N ND
MARE THAN SMALL NUMBERS. WE BE(.IEYE THAT ALI, DF TWE S(IVIET ADVISDRS
PRESENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST AT THE DUTBREpK pF HCISTILITIES ARE:S"CILi.
THEREs AND THAT St3ME ADDITIf~NAL ApVISDRS ANp TECWNICIANS-yPERHAPS
AS MANY AS A FEW HUNDREp--HAVE ARRIVEp SINCE Th1E CEASEFIRE,
9pp
PSN.Cf3159A PAGE 03 DF 03 TC1R:311/O1s53Z DTG:p70113Z NDV 73.
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 20.10/08/30 _ LOC-HAK-548-11-5-6