NEAR-EAST AND THE 'MATCH'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70-00058R000100030045-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 10, 1998
• Sequence Number: 45
• Publication Date: November 14, 1955
• Content Type: NSPR

SPRINGFt ~&PgU , Pproved For Release"CIA- 00058R00 30145-8
Circ.: m 16,522
Front Edit j' 0thee
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Near-East And The "Match"
War Clouds ian; low and dark and threaten1w"
over the Middle 'East. The 'powder keg" be-
tween Egypt and Israel could explode at any
time. Russia and hTT". atellites, smiling and con-
fident, seem to be holding the match.
The word trickles down through diplomatic
channels that the government. of a satellite
nation has told Israel that Egypt will scrap her
pact with the United Kingdom and bar Britain
from the SUCS if war ,u rts. There %A as no indica-
tion that the communists informants were bluff-
ing. A United States spokesman confirmed that
such a report had been heard, even before Israel
made it known.
The report that Egypt might renege on her
1954 pact with Great P,ritainis not to be taken
lightly. The effect of this would be to deny Bri-
tain the use of her Suez Canal base, a central
supply point in the area. Such a development
would upset the balance of power in the Middle
East. In shutting out Britain, it could leave
Russia with the trump card if a "small war"
should break out.
So it is no wonder that Foreign Minister
Molotov is behaving like a jolly Volga boatman
on a Saturday night as he patronizes the bar dt
the Geneva conference. Ile can smile and joke
and try to charm the Western diplomats as much
as he pleases. But. the Weslern world rapidly is
getting wise to Russia and her so-called "new
attitude.-
Sen. who has just returned from a 1
two months' visit to Russia, said in a speech in
Winder the other day that Russia hasn't chan?ed i
one bit-that only the facial expression is differ-
ent. Allen. W. Dulles chief .qi the United States'
Central -
7nEekligcnce Agency recently slid virtu-.
ally the, same thing-that no lasting security is
possible as long as tthe "present Soviet "system
remains. These men speak with authority. They,
have had access to the latest and best informa=
tion on Russia. Theirs is no soapbox opinion,
Sen. George, certainly one of the best informed
men on international affairs, clings to the hope
that firm action at Geneva can prevent a war ig
the Middle East. But he admits that the problem.
grows more critical daily, and that it will bs
I difficult to confine this acute situation to a local
dispute. Secretary of State Dulles has warnef
Molotov at Geneva that continued bargain sales
of arms to the Egyptian government may toucl
doff the explosion. A great deal depends on hoe
well the Western diplomats can convince Russia
that she should blow out the match.
CPYRGHT
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP70-00058R000100030045-8