EGYPT'S NEW ARMY FOUND TO BE STRONG; WITH MORALE HIGH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030050-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 25
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 8, 2013
• Sequence Number: 50
• Publication Date: January 29, 1956
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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As requested, the Hanson Baldwiii columns
on the Middle East, plus the only Other one
which has appeared since his return.
STANLEY J. GROGAN
5 jr61116 19"
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STAT
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1A/1 Z' 1ab
Egypt's New Army
Found to Be Strong;
? With Morale High
By HANSON W.BALDWDI
Medal i* The New Tot rum
CAIRO, Oct. 18?Egypt, storm
center of the Middle test and
kingpin of the 4.rab states, hu
created stronger and more up-
-to-date armed forces than at
any Urn. An her recent history.
The.despondency of King Fa-
rank's. day, when Egypt'and the
other Arab countries suffered
defeat and frustration La th
war against Israel, has gone.
It Ut no longer true that the
Egyptian, Officers %sank Can be
measured by his girth. Physical
fitness 14 Stressed. Morals in the
iarmed services appears to be
.good. Pruident Gamal Abdel
Nasser's revolution has fostered
In the armed forces a rebirth
cf nationalist patriotism and
energy.
The Eeyptian Army, Navy
end Air Force are still suffering
from technical indigestion in
their attempts to assimilate
quickly the large amounts of
Soviet equipment sent to 'Egypt
in the last fourteen months un-
der terms of last year's?Egypt-
ian-Csectioalovak arms tleal?,
The emmtry*, taint force tits
expanded by 100 per cent. The
Soviet-contributed elements of
the Egyptian Navy are alone
stronger than the entire fleet
,was a year ago. This Air Force
for the first time has, some rel-
atively modern jet fighters and
bombers.
Many Problems Created
ConseqUil:itly, the Egyptians
are faeine; huge problems in
training, supply, maintenance,
communications and command,
and their armed forces are not
yet Capable' of handling their
new weapons at high effective-
ness.
These are the principal con-
clusions drawn by this corre-
spondent after what was prob-
ably the most extensive series
of visits to Egyptian armed
forces and installations permit-
ted to any foreigner since Soviet
arms started to be delivered to
Egypt. Egyptian Army and Na-
tional Guard mints in the Gaza
Strip and in the vicinity of
'Rehab. El Arish, Abu Awidgila
and Quseirna in the Sinai region
were inspected.
The correspondent was also
permitted to land at Fayid Air-
field and to witness Egyptian
pilots flying MIG-15 jet fighters
at Abu Suweir Airfield near Is-
viola. The Egyptian Military
Academy Armored School also
was observed.
Photographs including pictures
of Soviet equipment were per-
mitted to be taken during the
Visits and were developed and
censored by the Egyptian armed
forces. The photographic censor-
ship was fairly stringent, par--
ticuiraly of the Sinai pictures.
But it must be remembered that
Egypt still considers herself in a
.state of armed truce with Israel
and her maximum strength has
been mobilized and on the alert
,since the Sues Canal crisis be-
?IPut
Intensive Training Sees
The visits revealed a hard and
intensive training program by
all elements of the Egyptian
armed forces, particularly the
Army, which is by far Egypt's
most important service. They,
revealed elaborate defensive
preparations and sizable concen-
trations opposite the Israeli bor-
der in Sinai.
The Egyptian forces are under
the unified command of 3m-year-
old' Maj. Gem Abdel Hakim
Amer, a close associate of Pres?
ident Nasser, who is both Min-
ister of Defense and Commander
In Chief of all armed forces.
?
In normal times Egypt spends
less than 30 per cent of her an-
nual budget for the armed
forces. Genera. Amer said last
week in an interview, but since
the mobilization incident to the
Suez crisis much more is being
spent. Ho declined to disclose
the exact strength of the armed
forces, but put the grand total
of the Egyptian Arum_ hjavy,
Air Force and thErNaUmal
Guard and the so-calletl,Libera-
tion Army at 500,000. ?
The part-time arid!
trained men of the . N
?Guard and the LiheraUdn Army
represent by far the largest
proportion of the 500.000. The
regular forces, including all re-
serve units and Naticaal Guard
iinits uow serving on active duty,
probably number between 120,000
and 150.000, but their size is in-
creasing.
The estimated value at bar-
gain rates of the arms furnished;
to Egypt by the Soviet bloc has
now reached $250,000,000 to
$300,000.000.
Reds' Ships Delves) Areas
About fifteen ships flying the
flogs of Communist countries
discharged cargoes',' including
arms in Egyptian ports in ,Sep
-
(ember. Some reports which
the Egyptians deny, indicate
these ships also brought per-
sonnel, possibly Communist tech-
meians and advisers.
The first shipments received
by Egypt were chiefly of wasp-
(Ins and combat equipment, in-
cluding jet aircraft, tanks and
guns. But the Egyptian forces,,
once quite deficient in transpor-
tation and supply items and
communications equipment, also
have had large rf?mbers of
Soviet trucks, 'armored personnel
carriers, radios and other items
for some months.
By nearly any yardstick, the
original estimates of the dimen-
sions of the arms deal appear to
have been exceeded, and arms
and equipment from Communist
countries are still being deliv-
ered
A a matter of fact, arms are
both entering and leaving Egypt
The country is acting as a mid-
dleman or clearance house in
arms traffic between the Com-
munist countries and some Arab
and African states. A. shipment
of Egyptian arms arrived in
the Sudan about ? week ago, It
apparently included some old ar-
mored vehicles, which have been
replaced in Egypt by ?Soviet me-
dium tanks and other equipment.
Other countries receiving arms
from Egypt include Syria, Jor-
dan, Saudi Arabia, possibly Ye-
men, and almost? certainly the
Arab nationalists who are fight-
ing the French in Algeria.
.. ?
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16, vivw
EGYPTIAN FORCES
!TAXED BY GROWTH
i Weapons' Diversity and Lack
of Qualified Leaders Found
Army's. Main Problem
By HANSON W. BALDWIN
SDOC11,1 to The New York Times.
CAIRO, OCT 28?The Egyp-
tian Army is by far the largest
!and most important of the field artillery; . United tltates
i
icountry's armed services. jeeps and trncka; Soviet trucks,
there are no. official figures and Pritish.ad Soviet personnel
raiders.
, on its exact strength. It has a
The diffictAltLat of ammunition
Ismail but enthusiastic force of supply
. , in and repair for so many
parachute treopers organized
diverse calibers and types of
? companies and battalions. Ex- arms and equipment are obvious.
cent for the armored division, In tact, one of the weak points
which uses the United Statesiaf the Egyptian Army is its tech-
combat command system of or- "teal services, particularly com-
munications and transport. Com-
ganization. the Army's tactical '
mand seems to be somewhat rig-
organization generally follows i
------ ifilv over-centralized at the top
British lines. ' and the Army does not yet ap-
The problems of this new and pear to have the command and
expanding army are many. staff experience and technical
Since the infantry of the Egyp? and supply services adequate to
!enable it to fight a mobile war
tam Army In the past has been
' for other than a very brief pe-
deficient, Maj. Gen. Abdel Hakim Hod
Amer, Commander in Chief Of ? . . r
Jet Planes Unfamiliar
the armed services, has empha-
sized infantry training. . The Egyptians do not appear
N
It has been and still Is deft- I'VLe1,-;-
et to have full new jet ymastered
fighters and
cult for Egypt to produce enough bombers.-
officers and noncommissioned of- An unknown number of MIG-
ficers to command the new army. 17 jet lighters apparently have
The duration of the course at the been sold to Egypt by the Soviet
tgyptian Military Academy has Union or its satellites.
been 'educed from three years to These planes are considerably
eighteen months. Even so, there faster and more maneuverable
is a scarcity of well - trained than the earlier MIG-15, which
junior officers. has been in Egypt in some quan-
Conscription for three years in titles during the last year.
the regular forces, followed bY There have been several re-
about seven years in that re- ports that MIG-17's were in-
serves, is theoretically universal eluded in last year's Egyptian-
but actually highly select-Pie. ? Czechoslovak arms agreement.
Illiteracy Rate High but no official confirmation has
ii ?';,ijvi.:ii" 1:?(esrs:',1s. sanderaislizmarile
been possible. During his maps; . "
Disease is so rampant and the tions of Egyptian military instal i'',01,-:ts of army equipinent in-
illiteracy rate so high in ES:194 lations, this correspondent heal ??iude i in a long list of weapons,
that it is difficult to obtain several references to the MIG-17.
in i equipment still being fur-
enough recruits who are p_hva- including one outright assertioi '11:-In ,1 to Egypt by the
. ? ,I
ically an fit
d psychologically .
--- by a competent source ate of considerable col-
Even selective recruiting cannot le ti importance in the bal-
gypt had received some of ''''.
0
eliminate illiteracy. The illiter- these ilew jeta. However, the of power in the Middle
i e- I. '.---
acy rate was about 70 per cent ports were impossible to verif
among enlisted men in one divi- and only 111G-15's were 0.-,J of the naval vessls, the most
? !
s c,Tral submarines. The
ion observed by this correspond- served. 1nportant are two destroyers
: ' 't
ent during an extensive series Of rd
visits to Egyptian armed forces ' Israelis Getting 1-86's f Sit( vers are modern ships of
and installations. The MIG-17 has five degrers1 ' : e formidable Soviet Skory
Diversity of equipment and more wing sweepoack than ti?e,i i ,. They steamed into Alex-
arms is another major problon, MIG-15, and. is 'plobably m11,.ri' -4 '.,t harbor several months
particularly from the =Jaen- superior to the Israelis' Frei) hi U) f' vi rig th. Polish flag, but
ance point of view. This corres-`Mysters fighter. It is probat,1: i's? now manned ty Egyptian
pondent saw or was told about maneuverable at high aititudy.
the following varieties: , though less effective at low .-.1-? -.'!1, N.1 \ v has had a rebirth
Italian automatic pistols; Bel- titudes than the Canadian ve!- ... :.', T''.e,.ident (lama' Abdul
glan submachine guns and rock- sin ot the United States F-56 --:,' ,e:... revolutionary move-
et' launchers; Belgian Soviet and Sabre jet that the Israelis are .? ,t Like the Air Force, it
'..:-!, i
Egyptian 7.92-mm. rifles; Soviet now procuring. .1- vAstly of volonteers. It
self-propelled 100-mm. guns; Despite its new jet planes, thr ,1 ss 1e, .. Bri!.ish Zambesi-class
British self-propelled 17-pound- Egyptian Air Force does wit. !r?11.,,y, v.; as we:I as the Soviet
ers; Soviet, British, French and teem to be in as good shape PC.Str`1, 1 t. Relr. Admiral Soliman
United States tanks; Soviet an- .the Army. Its radar is none tor. F.7.: r '. Navy Chief of Staff,
ti-tank guns; Swiss anti-aircraft good and it faces great diffi- woWd 1.1-? I' a small land-based
N,
gvaft.a3panisa light 'machine .culties in training techniciaaqa.val A Force and a small
guns;..Soviet, British and French and pilots. marine fence, . .
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IND v. II I lajci
CYPRUS- DESCRIBES
RAIDING IN EGYPT
3rit1sh Canberra Jet Pilotl
Tells of the Attack
By HANSON W. BALDWIN ,
Special vi The Nee, Ymk Than.
NICOSIA, Cyprus, Oct. 31--
After a day of ominous silence;
in Cyprus, the first communiquiA
,it what a hehdquarters spokes-
man called "a war" was made
'public at 630, loci time, tonight.
(11:30 A. M., Wednesday, -New
York time).
"An offensive by bomber air-
craft under Allied Command is
at this moment being launched
against military targets in
Egypt." if used, the planes were
British .Camberra jet medium
bombera based on Cyprus.
The "Allied Command" re-
ferred to is a. special British-
French Command established in
Cyprus to direct the Egyptian
operations it is not to be con-
fused with the British Middl
East land and air command
that have their headquarters i
Cyprus.
Gen, Sit. Charles Keightley
Br tish Ain*, Commander i
Chief, Middle East, and Air Mar-
shal H. L. Patch is Commander
in Chief, Middle East, air force.
After the brief communiqu?ad
.beon oi!esnonder.?.: hen,
who are now uniicr wait,m,'
restrictions. weie taiien ti an
airfield in wher e they
watched Cannerras landin:; ar't,
Vking off. The fast jet mertr..mi'
bombers with their. 1,rews 0:-
three made the flig h t front '
Cyprus to the nearest Egvptiau.
points in about thirty n.inut,,
Newsmen were permitted to in-,
terview, under the careful ro-i
strictions of security officers. .
one cretv that had just retuinedl
from bombing an Egypian air-
field.
Flight Lieut. John Slater. A .
31-year-old World War II vet-
eran from Lincolnshire, the
acted as cnokesinan. Ile
hsi ship was over his target, ?
Egyptian *afield east of the
Nile Delta, at 6:05:30 P. m ?
when it was fully dark.
His plane was first to bomh.
this target. The lights of Cairo
and other towns near by were
on, he said, as his plane made
Its approach. but "they tuaned
'them off quick" after the bombs
started to fall.
Lieutenant Slater said he en-.
Countered oni:t -light flak- th.it
he defined as anti-aircraft fire
effective to an altitude of about
8,000 feet.
Ground tire 'Off
Lieutenant Slater was not
permitted to state the aititieic,?
of his born") run, but one of his:
remarks indicated he v a not,
flying above the range of the
Egyptians' anli-aircraft elms.
However, the ground fire was
"wild in direction: it wa.,wa
off," he said.
LiewIenant Slater h-
dropped his bombs on the an -
field assigned as his targm.
"gtxxi." results. Egyptian' a r-
craft *ere parked on the *fiei,l.i
he stated, but he yes not per-T
milted to tell .the whetia.nr
these;had been destrovA, Lie(;-!
tettant.Slater said. He had been,
Instructed' toavoid bombing in-
habited areas..
When reporters left the aid
? Bele; after 9 P. M. Canberras'
were still landing and taking t
off, an indication that the au.
offen.sive was continum;
Targets for such an offensive
presumably would be Egyptian
airfields where jet aircraft were
stationed There are only about
six or eight of these.
?
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PriSw IiJUV 2 1958
ALLIED PILOTSMI
SUEZ AIR CONTROL
Second British-French Aim,
International Canal Rule,
Is Still in Doubt
I
By HANSON RALIMIN , ?_, .
Swisl ta Tat New York Tiro.. i DM the secomi i,b.,e,
. NICOSIA, Cyprus. Nov. 1 .torring, lite Eg. pilaus 1,,
'' to temporary Intel na, Iona i . on ?
Today's ? communiques by the trol of the canal, is still uncei-.
Allied (British-French) Sorer,. ' lain. An Egyptian attelliot to
and, a statement by the Allied ;block the canal and the reactions,
.Commander in Chief indicated int President Carnal Abdel Nas-
ser. as monitored here, Indicate,
that the purposes of the air itt- i continued determination to re-:
tacks on Egypt were twofold. isist.
, Cu purpose Will milltarv?I The Lake Timsah blockshipl
complete elimination of ' the.was? an old LST that had beenk
Egyptian Air Force. The second 'teady for this purpose for some;
was political: to force the Egyp- ' t ims. It ? w aa anchored off lx-;
Aisne to agree, in the words Pt?mailta outside the buoyed canal.
'Gen. Sir Charles Keightley, cha nnel. which runs through ,
Allied chief, to "temporary in- lake. Timaah. .
ternational control of the canal Naval airmen reported it Was
area." Ibelna towed into a position to
The day's results indicated block the channel. After two at-
that the first objective was rl5kS it was sunk. A communi-
being rapidly achieved. If the qui stated: "It is believed clear ?
Egyptian Air Force was ever of the channel outside the direr-
-a serious military factor prior
to last night's attacks, its rem-
nants were certainly of little
importance by. sundown tonight.
. Medium-level night attacks by
:Canberra bombers based on Cy-
prus were followed today by low-
level attacks by French and
Lionel buoys."
Other Blockshipx Ready
The Egyptians are believed to.
have other blockshipe leady at'
the Suez and Port Said ends of.
the canal. Moreover, they could
blow up the railroad bridge
'British planes ba.sed on carriers across the canal at Qantara. If
.off the Egyptian coast. they did this, however, they;
No Allied l'ianes Lost would isolate their forces fight-
Today's raids were by carrier- .
Ing the Israelis in the Sinai Pen-.
?
based aircraft: Canberra.s joined mauls..
in again in daylight attacks. Al-
General Reightley today ex-'
4
plained his mission briefly to
maze and InchasS airfields near
Cairo and Abu &weir newspaper correspondents, but
. and
permitted no questions that hei
Kabrit in the canal sone, which
felt "would attacked last night, wereelt "would he inappropriate at
this early stage of the Opera-1
borribed again today ht follow-up
raids and five other fields Were Lona "
He declared that "my task as
attacked.
When Allied communiqu NO. Commander in Chief is, as Sir
e has
4 was issued s.t 4:30 P. M. not a Anthony Eden stated in?
single Allied aircraft had been Parliament. to secure compliance
.
lost. Some ineffective intercep-
with the demands of the Allied
tion attempts by Egyptian jet.
,
Governments for the safety of
the Suez Canal." The general
fighters were ? made and last.:
night there was some "desul-
added that his aim was "to
tory" anti-aircraft
fire from achieve my military object with
the minimum casualties to civil-
The raids were directed against light guns. tan life and property and indeed
'airfields, not against cities, an'the minimum casualties to the
Allied spokesman emphasized. Egyptian nation, both civilian
The Egyptian reports that Cairo and military."
.was bombed last night were de-
"We have of course at our
nied here. Almaza, one of the
disposal strength to deal very
w
fields bombed, is on the outskirts severe blows, hut I hope it ill
of Cairo, near Heliopolis. Part of not be necessary," he continued
Its periphery is bounded by a "It also seems to me that it must
,
built-up area that includes uv-
be _ to Egypt's
of war removed as Egypt's interest to have
erat 'Government buildings and threat
military structures.
?quickly as possible so that ship-
Spokesmen insist .that only the tng stopped by the Egyptian-
airfields were targets. The re-
raeli war can be started again."
The
sults were said to be good in "at-
Commander in Chief in'
fectiveness and accuracy." Thus.
troduced Admiral Pierre Barjot,'
deputy commander of the newly
it seems clear that the first ob-
formed Allied forces, General
jective of the' Allied forces in
Keightley said Admiral Barjot
what so Ur has been a one-sided
"arrived yesterday from his corn-
that virtual air floihination has
Toulon."
been. v;con. ?
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IV- fa VT 1 aftesa- .111,1Flin 11.4 .
Convoys Lift Cyprus Sunday lilting line the beaches: behindl
theewm Li.:eirinodiserii Port Said, with,
Pc-rt Said Is Quiet Under Truce. Thti convoys, which consisted, n
and apartment!
of :many kinds of ships hastily
buildings, and In the rear the
British-Frenchi
.Buld-UpGoes On ,
,nssetr bled?British troopships,
By HANSON W. BALDWIN
speee :rep NI01 York Them
PORT SAID. Egypt, Nov. 8 .
I 'Cepters Evacuate Wounded
Thar crossroads city. battered!
. British-French LST' s (Land-
ettd scarred from its two days of log Ships. Tank i and troopshipe'-
? war, was quiet today as all mai- were moored to buoys in the';
tary operations mat ked Ume outer harbor or were nosed ep
The unofficial but tacit truce to jetties. The British carrier
that started at 2 A M. gesterdey Theseus and French hospital
was continuing, broken only by ship Merseillaise were also
intermittent sniper fire, clean-u moored in the outer harbor.Helicopters, which ferried
opciatione in Port Said, detona- Royal Marine commandos from
tions from planing ammunition ship 10 shore Tuesday, were
stores and one brief patrol clash landing yesterday just behind
on the Suez Canal road. the statue of Ferdirand de Ises-
.. The British-French troop seps, builder of the Suez Canal.
to evacuate the wounded .
build-up in Port Said went on. But de Lessep's outstretched
But the spearhead on the canal hand pointed no longer to the
road was still halted at Kilo- clear cleft between the contin-
meter 38. a point about twenty- ents but to a harbor cluttered
four miles south of here. This with at least five scuttled ships.
point is three miles mirth of These are the dredger Polo-se.
. the Paul Solent', said to be the!,
Qantara and about twenty miles, largest dredger in the world, iin j
north of Ismailia. 1 old LST, a tug bottom up and I
j NO attempt was being made another wreck. ,1
to pneh southward, even though The cork was firmly in tri.'
a small Egyptian build-up in the Mediterranean end of the Se. ,
Bund area north of Qantara had botUe, and there were other!
been reported. wrecks at Suez, at the southern!
end, and near Ismailia., in the(
The parachute regiment is on center. There were no offe .al
the canal road north of Qantara. estimates of the length of time
Israeli forces have been reported required to clear the eanal -
on the east bank of the canal.
official judgments nere vani sa
but French troops assigned to fr? mon111ths two weeks to many'
.
the , parachute command are ex. The 'Casino Palace Hotel, long I
pected to cover this flank, a jwaterfront la wininrk of Ja.?.*
Egyptian forces opposite the Said and architecturally a struc I
pat achute command on the 100- ttire straight old of '..he Victornot .
yard front are estimated at age, was being used as advancer;
I
surgical center.
about one company in strength, Thera were shell holes in 0..1
supported by few aanks, roof and walls, and its famous!
Meanwhile, British-French pa- veranda' where many genera-'
trots here with. -tanks prow tions of British officers have
through rabble, some of It ten tipped their Pink gins, was lit'
tered with glass, debris, broke!,
.to fifteen feet high in the old palm pronds. ?
. !part of town, The British-French operatioe .
against Egypt. which stated fcr :
this corresponds it at Limessed. :
Cyprus, early Sunday, involeat .
convoys from Cyprus. Malta a:. 1
older Arab part of town. I
eoastal vessels, Lars and liners
Egyptian resistance to many
left Cyprus Sunday night.
observers seemed surprisingly!
Fach ship was crammed with
heavy, although the battle for
!leaps
Empire i Port Said was in no way a major '
nv.t British troopship
battle except in the size of allied
Ken, to which (hie writer was
forces used. There was a rel.
assigned, had about 1200, troori,i
a, tively small Egyptian Army con-
aboard She normally carries
maximum of about 990.
obi had mortars, lighfatastrd Knee ante
tingent here, but? same of them
The whole operation was
machine guns. a.Sey used them'
V iOUSly closely influenced by but not too effectively. I
political eonsIderations '-In fact, Regular Egyptian Army units;
early Sunday. morning Antony were strengthened by the triage
Head, British Minister of De- ular forces of the Egyptian Na-.
tense flew out. from London to tional Liberation Army, manse,
Cyprus for a last-minute con- of them without uniforms. Street ,
ferenre with Getieralasikeightley. fighting t!raittifte brisk Tues-
The original plettetvitielt felled day morning. It was continutne
for simultaneous airborne and in late afternoon as the Empia.
sea borne landings in the Port Ken moved in from her anther-.
Said-Port Fund area about dawn age offshore, where he hed .
Tuesdey, was altered. Airborne dropped anchor Tuesday morn-
assault units were sent in a day lag with other ships in the colt-'
ahead of schedule, at dawn Mon- voy.
day. ? Troopships and landing ships;
Two French battalions were moved in to harbor as far are
dropped, one Monday morning, possible before they were
e o er n e ernoon. 0 stopped by blockships, which had
detz;ac.benodrgms just off the United
se
eacntr,classantiheall Basin
'been 3unk
States Consulate.
The Empire Ken moored to
Menzala. These bridges control buoys off the de Lessens jetty
all -railroad and read traffic near the Casino Palace Hotel. .
As the sun went down some
south out of Port Said.
Tee French drop also was in- British units were still having!
tough little localized battles. At
tended to seize the water filtra-
tion plant just south of the, thundering burst of mortar fire.
I
.... - p !
bridges and to tevent blockage; guns, the occasional crack of anittent chatter from Bren
'if the water supply for Portisniper's rifle,
Said's 100.000 inhabitants. the deeper voice
The British Third Parachute : of field or tank guns plus the
!
, aRegiumnetnoti, eqstaulteellenbtstitan usiozen toeflienlatatteteu. of tank tracks blended!
Rocket Attack Asked
ophony of war.
i
1
about 750 men, dropped on the' Just before sunset, British 1
Port Said airfield at. dawn afore- troops called for a rocked strike1
day. Except for air support andJjagainaa a
target near Nave 1
air drops, th m
ese troops, coin-
i .,Howie on the eanal. Fleet air
mended by Lieut. Col. Paul E.!
dawn Monday tti, dattn 7ruextiity, 1! arm fighters loosed their rockets
Crook, were on heir own froarroj
vitie aewhaosasing roar and fol-'
!owed up with strafing. ,
task forces started to come ?
of the,
when seaborne elerhents '
ashoi e. As the sun set through a pall
Thus, against a first-rate army rifaditiewefri.erindgyindgu.
of smoke, Port Said looked as.
riTnhgertehuetasnisgphot-.i
have been taking a grave chance. But yesterday, except for brief
the British and French would
to it They put up a brisk fight by the town was quiet.
possibly caused in part.
Bur the Egyptians wsre not iipaatluatr$reiwesas!
but the British-French parachute the tacit cease-fire, which;
seemed to be unofficial but
troops were never imperiled.
Convoys Merged at Sea on an 'if-you-don't-fire-at-use
we-won't-fire-at-you" basis. i
States flag flying over the Unit-
Tuesday was troopship Empire Ken pulled into;
'andpare and Malta merged at se.a , One of the first sights this
Meanwhile, convoys from Cy-, correspondent saw when the
!
eat tit fifty transports and land:
Unit-
ing craft moved into shoal witterkth n re
the U
it I
off the northern end of the Suez H
ed States Consulate on Soltan
Canal. They anchored eyell outlHueeein Street on the water-
as assault troop wee ferried front. Consul Anthony Cuomo
and his staff of four, plus the
The French were responsible seven or eight other Americans
for the Port Fund side of the Arlo had sought shelter in the
operation, the British for Port Consulate, were all uninjured.
Said Tough Royal Marine corn- !. The Consul acted as a trans-
maneos with their green berets! mitting agency for administra-
were ferried. ashore in heletota j tie's: messages dealing with water
; innval in with gunfire , support and the like between the Egyp-
tens and in landing craft. They tians and British Tuesday and
. from navel vessels .and air su)-a YefiterdaY'
!port Isom planes. A total of fifteen or sixteen
l Many of them landed on gent- 'ships' including the loaded So-
Many of oil tanker Poti, have been
ly shoaling Port Said beaches
' trapped in the Suez Canal since
used as a emitter resort by
many Egyptians. Rows of some-ii o5 31. when the Egyptians
whattilapidated beach Nausea nell'est.tnrarstedanitloi,sictirit,etle. msi,h(lipsip. at both
With both Port Said and Port
Fuad, on the east bank of Via
canal, firmly under British-
French control yesterday, shop- direct from England.
keeper opened again. and Arabs The number of troops has Ty'. I:
in their-robe-like gaiabias again been officially announced, b.'!
roamed the streets, ground forces alone probae il
number between 78,000 and lott I
No complete count of casual- 000 British and French.
ties was available. But, it was' All forces are under the joint I
'thought, there were perhaps i British-French commend headed
1,000 Egyptian military and bY Gen. Sir Charles Keightles 1
civilian 'casualties, with fifteenThe task force for land, sea aria;
I, air are headed he British ?Meer ? '
British dead and eighty-five with French dePuttes.
wounded. The princit al naval units tie
Buildings along the water- elude the French battleship Jest
front and in the old Arab quer- Bert and cruiser Georges lee ?
Port a were Pocked gues, the and,
carriecs Ocean
'
, l and Theseus and many destros-
lwith shell, mortar or rocket fire, ers, mineeweepers and landing
and the wreckage of some,struc- craft.
iture.s was being slowly con- Land units include the French'
Tenth Parachute Division the!
British Sixteenth Independert
Parachute Brigade, the Royal
Marine Commando Brigade and
Third Division.
tsumed yesterday by flames. A
!thick pall of smoke from burn-
' ing oil tanks hung over the city,
!and debrk and shattered glass
littered sereets.'
asheie.
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Battered Port Said as the 3ri I, iteoecupied?It
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? )114 v la
l'OlIT SAID FACING
VARIED PROBLEMS
DrinkinirNater, Electricity
4nd Municipal Labor. Are -
the City's Chief Needs work in broken Niuer and tele-,
Nen,. line.:. hie so ?far not all.
the inunicipal employes have re-
1y HANSON W. BALDWIN toned to their jobs. .
i, peel al t a The 'New 'ori Timm. This slowness may be due
' PORT BAD). Egypt, Nov. 12 rattly to fear. Egyptian under-
-g Water, electricity and a labor ioind and terroristic methods
were used against Egyptians,
force were Port.Safd's principal-y.1-10 worked with or cooperated
problems today a week after theiwith. the British during the later
Brtish assault ? ' years of the British occupation
The level of the Sweet Water of the Canal Zone. These meth-
Cenal, which branches off theieds may have been revived.
. Nile at Cairo and supplies the The British believe under-
' whole Suez Canal zone with itsIgtound cells were left behind
only source of fresh water, hai,when Port' Said was conquered.
dropped at the Port Said end,They said they expected an el-
since British and French pare-, fort would be made to inti.ni- , ?
troopers landed from the skiesi.i date Egyptian workers. One
Col. George Evans. Britisiu Egyptian who had returned to,
civil a/fairs officer for Port Said, work was murdered two nights!
said yesterday it.was "quite pee.' ago, though it is impossible to i
eible the Egyptians may be bay whether the murder was the!
blocking it." ? result of political terrorism or:
On the other hind, he said,. r personal vendetta.
there might be a number of other i Other cases of threats have
reasons for the fall in the waterrbeen reported and in some In.
level Egyptian fellaheen. (peas-i stances these may have been
.antal may have taken a van- sufficient to cause Egyptians to ,
tage of the confusion of war to leave their inlet. The Cairo radio
draw off more water than nor- is abetting this campaign with
mat to Irrigate their fields. War threats end inflammatory state-
damage may have partly blocked1 mcnts.
the canal. Neverthelees, the Majority of
Canal Bank Caved In Egyptians appear to be eager
to get back to week. The old ?
This correspondent has seen a iUniversal Suez Canal Company
partly caved-in bank, of the has re-established its headquare
-.Sweet Water Canal between here tera here in the canal company
and El Cap, the forward British building, which also is occupied
position on the 'Ismailia road, by the Britieh II Ceres and Al-
and has noted various obatruc- lied Force Headquarters. Somei
"one In the "nal' Broken ineine Egyptians were reported to bet
may also account In part for the working for the old canal corn-.
reduction of water pressure. pany; others were returning to
In any case. Port Said still has work around the docks as sitcve- -
water rationing Th. water Is dom.
turned off completely for many
hours during. ii, day? This is City Not Typical of Nation ,
done .partly to avoid overloading Port Said always has been!
the city's damaged sewage sc. More of an international port!
tern. Water rationing May than a typical Egyptian city;
come more severe if the levet of it differs markedly from the
the Sweet Water Canal eon- Nile delta villages. Therefore
tinues to fall, the attitudes here may not re-
But even if the source of fresh fleet the attitudes of other.
water should dry up altogether, Egyptians.
the British and French are pre- However, it already is clear:
pared to supply fresh water? Mitt there is likely to be a:
perhaps two gallons daily?to all strong undercurrent of hostility
troops and inhabitants of the and resistance beneath the sur-
Port Said-Port Fuad area from face docility. The mud villages
maritime water tanxers standing along the canal between here
by off the harbor. end the British forward post-
The civilian population of the' tion near El Cap are almost!
two cities prior to the Allied s.s-1 completely deserted.
seta was 250,000. How manyi An interesting fact is 'the .
-have fled is unknown, but thei attitude of eighty- three Egyp-i
:.population is smaller today per- ?ban military prisoners of war.
haps by 5,000 to 20,000.. 1..w to are held here by the Brit-1
Fleetricity Is Beare? ' ish. They are "not talking'.
I . -
In addition to the water piob- The pnsonr?s, who include a
lem, electricity Is still trouble- brigadier and two colonels, ere'-
some. Much of the city, includ- abiding rigidly by the Geneval
ing the principal Egyptian hos- Convention. In reply to ques-i-
paid, is still without light and a tions they have given the Brit-
curfew still Is in effect. Yester- ish only their namee, ranks and,
day Egyptian laboress began serial numbers. . I
'
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??
e-
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411" ? V I %Ai
Cockpit of History
A Report Recalling Paths of Conquest
That tross Area U.N. Force Will Patrol
By HANSON W. BALDWLN
Special to The Pier Tart Times
PORT SAID, Egypt, Nov. 15
?The vanguard of a United
Nations police force flew today
into an area which has known
little peace for 8,000 years.
A small contingent of Danish
and Norwegian soldiers wearing
United Nations armbancls were
flown from Naples to Egypt.
They were bound for Abu Su.
weir, a field built by the British
years *en and bombed by them
during die assao....t on gippt.
Not fat away, at Tel el Kebir,
lie the bodies of Britons killed Streagth Held Inadequate
In a half-forgotten Utile oi The strength figures of the
another century.
The United Natoli police
:orce is moving into this cockpit
of history, a crossroads of
empire where cashing Civiliza-
tions for centuries past have
Canal? And?the key question=
who will operate it once it is
cleared?
The answers to these questions
should determine the size,
strength and composition of the.
international force. But the fear1
here is that the force will be!
given responsibility withoLt
power, that this region will have
the form of United Nations.
supervision but not the sub-
stance.
force that have been publicly
discussed-2,500 to 5,000 men?
are viewed here as ridiculous if
real military control of the
canal and of the Egyptian-Israeli
frontier is the objective. A
? In tie last few days wire
struggled for dominance. The force of such a size would be
protagonists are different. but;oiitnumbered by the Egyptian swceps have dragged the canal
the scene la much the same and 'Army alone by perhips twenty 1bottom to a point about twenty-
two miles south of the Port Said
the struggleof.rnan &Whet man, w one. entrance.
, idea against idea, natio' against. When the British occupied the
, nation, continues, entire canal zone, they Were These sweeping Meridian!
!s
This is the first cod reality' forced to maintain here an art" have revealedmall wrecks sunk
the United Nations must face. about 80,000 strong yet they well below the surface at fairly
The events of the last two vveks were faced not with actual war. frequent intervals. " 'The num-
have solved none of the basic po- as is the case today, but only. ber of blockships and obstruc-
'Utica' problems of the Middletwt? th terrorist, underground and' lions sunk at Suez is not an.
East. A battle has been halted? sabotage activities. curateiy known, but many addl.'
arrested in inid-course--but noth- .
1 A minimum of four regimen- t tonal ones not revealed_ _by aerial
tal combat teams?about 20,000 photographs are probably there.
. ing has been fundamentally' to 25,000 men?in the canal zone If the canal is to be cleared
'changed, only hatreds have been . and strong mobile forces .n for shipping as quickly as pos-
?exacerbated. The United Nations, Sinai would be essential to pro- xible, salvage and clearance work
police force moves into an Krell 'vide real security for this area. should start from both ends and
; seething with struggle. . If the United Nation! force ;from the middle?not just from
1 Tremendous Task Seen -
As seen from Port Said, where limits its activities to Ismailia the Port Said end' Thera la a
limited amount of the special
;
the Union Jack of Britain and
;the Tricolor of France fly over
labout a third of the Sues Canal.
the force faces a tremendous
Stock-
1=11' iiiieluttsr. SiC?hiluill task force
commander here, has received
about the objectives, composition
virtue/1y no official information
or intentions of the United I Na-
tons force.
The field receiving the first
.
?contingents is on the Ismailia-
?Cairo road about twenty-eight
!airline miles southwest df British
advanced position near El Cap. Placed, but more and more sup- fIund and Nile Delta silt, are
Thus the United Nations force Port units?engineers, quarter- scuttled. No dredging has been
is entirely behind Egyptian linesLmastirs and so on?are coming ?done, and none can be done until
so far, not' between allied and ashore and allied forces are set- ,
and expects the British and
French to move out of the Port
Said area, there will be all sorts
of complications
For the British believe actual
heavy lifting equipment, ; pon-
toons and salvage vesseh need-
ed for clearance work. Some of
it should be starting around the
Cape of Good Hope now if the
military supervision on the spotit
'trans.' is to be cleared for heavy
will be necessary not only to,
-;;ships in six *months to a year.
pro' ide security for the more ,
than 100 miles of the Suez Cana0 More,ver, the longer the clear-
but also to prevent reprisals by:ance is delayed and the present
Egypt against foreigners once; situation continues, the longer
1,to sink more ships MitilZhe
En opportunity for 111 ns
the British troops move out i
Certainly there is no indica-;
tints today that the allied task greater the degree of silting.
Most Sues Canal dredgers,
force is preparing to evacuate. which most work constantly
Assault troops are being re- iito k th channel clear of
Egyptian force*. There are
United Nations liaison officers
here at General Stockwell's
headquarters, but virtually no
communications and few direc-
tives.
The first question that con-
cerns the allies is the objectives
of the United Nations force. Is
it to provide an international
ard for the entre Suez Canal?
tling down for a lengthy stay. 8
'era provided.
Difficult Negotiations Finally, there is the unsettled
. Thus long and difficult nego- question of who *ill operate the
teams are still ahead before canal. if the Egyptians are
any United Nations police force 'barred from doing so, any inter'
can be expected to be effective. national canal ;authority may
The longer the negotiations. have to import labor to replace
last, ths longer It will take to Egyptians who may refuse to
clear the canal. The clearance;
T work. for a foreign carts' au-
opera ons, it s now g ne a i 1 thnritY'
rslit also to patrol the Sinai Pen., conceded, will be a task owes- The Egyptians?apparently ex-
insula and the Egyptian-Israeli ured in months. !pect to continue operating the
frontier? Will it actually take' No one, probably not even the coedit. Even since the British-
lover control of Port Said from Egyptians, knows exactly how liFrench assault on Port Said
beem foreign canal pilots have
ne
I
ithe British and French troops ma so
ny obstructions block the ! paid even though they are
!now here:. Who will be respon- canal. But there sre twenty., idle
isible for Clearance of the Suez wrecks here in Pc.it Sou' alone. ----
?
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ssiaiwv, -- IIUlif
CLEARING SUEZ CANAL
e:-.11 if: a pontoon
. south has hien;
thci are various I
,f slatted dredges or
Is A FORMIDABLE TASKci unpo taut one iSs ueazo. Tohlde
landing ship, tank) loaded.
?c,th concrete. She lies across
the -anal channel just south of
It May Take Six Months to a Year 1"ke Tirasahi Passage around
After Political Terms Are Settled
My HANSON W. BALDWIN
sewed *The New 'Task Times.
PORT SAID, Egypt, Nov. 17 ?.he believes the clearance task
Skin divers were busy In. Pert will require nix months to a year.
Said barbor this week and 1'117 depending upon the tune re-
vage fleets Were approaching thelquired for a solution to political
Suez Canal from both north
south as the immense task of
clearint ono of the World's moat
important waterways started.
But the task ok clearance,
which may require a minimum
of six montha, perhaps one year,
had scarcely started. And it
could not begin with' full vigor
until: .
(1) The political-military sit-
uation heti been clarified and
free access for the length of
canal was possible;
(1) A decision had been made
$s to just what nation or organi-
zation would supervise the work.
? The present situation here is
almost unprecedented. The Brit-.
ish Union Jack and French Tri-
color fly over the northern,
twenty-four miles of the Suez
Canal, The Egyptians control
the rest.
The British-French military
position is one of the strangest..
All their great effort from Brit-
ain, France, North Africa, Malta
and Cyprus focusses to a platoon
front 300 to 400 yards wide at
Kilometer 38, a few miler south
of the Suez Canal station at El
Kap. There, 9n the only firm
ground in the region, the Royal
West Kents face 500 to 600
yards away the positicn of about
one battalion of Egyptians.
Stopped Tight .
The big ditch is stopped up
tight, with scuttled ships, ,cranes,
barge', dredges, pontoons and
miscellaneous craft at both ends
and along much of its length.
Cairo ordered the scuttling of
the ships in the canal after the
British-French bombing of
Egypt started, at least at .the
Port Said end, Oct. 31.
Clearance officials have said
the blockage job was not very
skillfully done, but it is clear
the Egyptians did far more ex-
tensive scuttling than had bean
expected, and the officials' can-
tious estimates of the time re-
quired to clear the wrecks have
been described as Oily as a
"longish time" or in "months."
From what this correspondent
has seen at the Port Said end.
'BLOCKING TRAFFIC'
.6,41
"Nut
the LST by light small craft may
he poxsible, but from aerial pho-
ti graphs examined by this cor-
respondent she apparently blocks
completely all larger craft. In
any ease, the IST will hay.: to
be blown up bit by chit.
Not, too much is known here
shout the Suez end: a positive
cunt indicates three vessels?
'inc old Egyptian frigate, apdpoto
merchanterien ? stalled there.
But there may be many more
iinder water.
In addition to the hugs physi-
cal task of raising or removing
all these hulks, there Ls a major
Job of rehabilitation, repair,
dredring and maintenance. The
Egyptians' wrath seems to have
been vented largely against the
old Suez Canal Company, which
President Genial Abdel Nasser
told this correspondent a few
weeks ago was -."a state within
a state." Nearly all ships sunk
In the canal were the property
of the Suez Canal Company,
which President Nasser nation-
alized and called the Egyptian
Suez danal Administration.
,. The company had twelve
.dredgers. Some of them were
?iionsta.ntly worifing while others
underwent maintenance. Be-
tween them they scooped up
3,000,000 cubic meters of silt
each year to keep the Suez Canal
open and the channel at a con-
stant depth.
Lid4I (Li The IChmesi-vta Tra.use
problems, the forces used and
other now unknown factors.
A big barrier of about twenty,
blockships sunk in an area of!
about one and a half miles from'
the Central Mole to Abba4 Hiiml
Basin?thirteen visible above the
surface and seven completely
submerged ? completely b'ocksI
the canal and two-thirds G the ff
Port Said Harbor to ships abeve,
seventeen-foot draft. A seven.
teen-foot to 100-foot-u 1de nan.i
nel around the wrecks Into ?het
inner harbor has been charted,'
buoyed and 1ST-type vessels
have negotiated this somewhat
tortuous passage,
Clear' Pas..age
From Port Said to the B, itih
poiltion at Kilometet 38 there
are no major otr.,fructiom. Tocii?
e been report-, wnich cnuld
n t be officially verifiid, that.
:tintr small craft had been sunk
Li rils stretch and would loive
t be removed to perm,t sate
7 ? le of deep-Willi *sill. I
b . there is certainly n,, a sr
action.
Sabotaged Equipment,
The silting problem, particu-
larly on the Mediterranean end,
where the Nile deposits great
quantities of sand and mud, is
a major one, and it becomes
worse during the sandstorm sea-
son starting in February. Hence
the maintenance problem is
great. Yet all twelve dredgers
have been scuttled; three pri-
vately owned ones here, still in
good shape, had been used by
private .contractors to improve
the canal. They are idle now
and their crews have been evac-
uated.
Moreover, the canal company
shops at Port Fuad, essential to
maintenance of much of the
canal equipment, were sabotaged;
'he machines will require spare
parts and rebuilding.
Despite these gloomy facts, all
salvage officers here say they
are "optimistic" that the canal
Is not hopelessly blocked -and
that clearance is not a "ghastly"
undertaking. Five British sal-
vage vessels are in Port Said
now. th.
buoyed, surveyed and ixamined
&IIed,,. water: a small sunken
floating crsne ht., been twisted
away from the channel bank and
part.ally lifted, and other pre;
liminary work done.
A fleet of twenty-five to thirty I
British or British-chartered ves-
sels, including two 1,200-ton lift-
big craft and salvage pontoons,,
it, on rout* here from bases at
Malta.
The Salvage Naa
rs i
c
1 The organization for the sal-
'rage and clearance is also uncer-
tain. The actual work here ie,
Port Said is being directed by'.
;naval force commander.
I However, there is another sal.:
vage and clearance organization!
that so far has been inoperative,!
except for general planning and'
1
Isom. surveys. This organization,'
i which is supposed to be responsi?
ibis for clearing the whole canal.
? is under French, Rear Admire!
,Jean Champion, who baa a /3sit.-
, !
'isli navg.1 captain as his deputy.
?Both organizations utilize the of-,
ficLais, books and records of the
ifcold Suez Canal Company to aid ,
them..
? There is a possibility that the.
[United Nations may assume di-
rection of the entire salvage ef-r
fort. Apparently Dutch and 0th-!
Cr concerns have been ap-
proached tantatively through the
United Nations, but nothing pox-,
thee is known here. If thel
United Nations assumes thel
task, possibly some of the shipa.
now under the British Admir-
alty might be absorbed in thel-
new organization.
It is clear that many of the
world's apecialisasel salvage and
lifting vessels will be required
for the Suez job, eegardless of i
nationalities. It is also clear,
that the speed with which the;
!work is done will depend pri-
marily upon e solution Of the,
' present political and military,
situation, and the efficiency and I
effectiveness of the final clear-
ance organization, At the mo-
ment, as seen from here, both
seem to depend upon the United
Nations
Tle railroad bridge at Fl Fir-
e- beer, hion-n up liesi
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k.r ? .7 ju
PORT SAID FACING
MILITARY CONTROL
normalcy has been an Egyptian,
military regulation. issued a fewl
weeks prior to the British-Frenchl
invasion, warning that no one
must have any dealing with the!
British or French. The British!
believe a proclahiation provid-
Allies Drafting a Modified ing punishment for intimidat.on
would encourage shopkeepers to
Form to Enable Stores reopen and laborers to return toL
their jobs.
to Reopen Safely Meanwhile. Port Said held
Christian church services in
many places today Water was
By HANSON V. BALDWIN
Special to The New York nue&
PORT SAID, Egypt, Nov. 18?
;A proclamation that woad pro-
vide a "modified form of mili-
tary control" for the Port
Said-Port Pus.d area was being
I formulated today by British and
French authoritier.
Cot George .Evans, Bretish
civil affairs officer here, de-
scribed the pending measure as
only that amount of military
.control of the town's govern-
ment required to insure security
of the armed forces."'
? He said Lieut. Gen, Sir Hugh
'Stockwell, allied commander
here, had asked the allied com-
mander in chief in Cyprus for
further powers than he now
possessed. This, he said, was a
iresult of greater difficulties in
obtaining Egyptian cooperation
than had been expected.
He said si campaign of intim-
pdation continued and the few
shops In the area had reopened.
IHe added, however, that he had
bren unable to obtain any con;
, Urination of reports of murders
or physical assaults; threats to
Nhipkeepers by undetermined in-
dividuals had apparently sufficed.
Another obstacle in restoring
Post Said to some semblance of
? ?
more strictly rationed than yes-
terday, but this was not because
of any serious drop in the level
of the Sweetwater Canal.
Small Break In Canal
The break in the canal bank
made by the Egyptians south of
El Cap was minor and the level
of the canal that is the sole fresh
water supply to this area
dropped only slightly. The filtra-
tion beds and tanks, however.
have been unable to keep up
with the full demand of Port
Said since the assault because
of broken water mains and other
damage. The rationing will give
the supply a chance to catch up
with the demand. It is expected
that by Wednesday the storage
tanks will be full again. In the
meantime the water situation is
not seripus.
11.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030050-5
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030050-5
_ I J%.1
TERRORISTS SPUR
CYPRUS CAMPAIGN
November Murder Toll Hits
Peak?No End of Fight Seen
Despite British Claims
, By IIANSON W.RALDIN'IN
spf?1,9 to Tim Sr,. u.CTIrNi.
NICOSIA, Cyprus, Nov. 22?
i, The fighting in Egypt has been
'stilled by a cease-fire, but on
Ithis embattled island bombs
were still being deactivated.
;guns were still being fired and
Dien were still stalking other
'men.
One town, Limassol, was
gripped in a partial general
strike in protest against the
' trict curfew and the imposition
; by the .firitish of a collective
fine of 135,000 ($72,800).
British security guards and
patrols were vigilant at all ma-
jor military and civil installa-
tions. Military vehicles moved
through the streets, with soldiers
' with rifles or Sten guns at the
ready, and with truck tailboards
lowered so that any tossed bomb
i could he kicked out. ?
, November has produced the
avorst compilation of fatal ate-
: riAtics since the National Orga-
nization of Cypriote Fighters,
otherwise known as E. 0. K. A.,
began its campaign of murder
intimidation on April 1,
195.5. So far twenty-two Britons,
military and civilian, have been
murdered this month and four-
teen Gleek civilians and one
Turk have died violently.
Since April 1 1955 to last
Tuesday morning, 202 !arsons
have been del:berately kill..,1 and
441 wounded in the struggle be-
tween the Cypriote underground
d the British.
? Twelve other persons have
been killed and sixty-six woun,iod
accidentally when exploding
bombs or mines or wildly fired
shots, took toll of innocent by-
'tande
No End in Sight
The ?British have suffered far
more casualties in the battle of
Cyprus than in the battle tot
Port Said and no quick end of
terrorism appears to be in sight.
Yet both the Govetnor, Field!
Marshal Sir John Harding, who!
has universal respect even f ?
his underground enemies, and his
Chief of Staff in the War Realest
E. 0. K. A., Brig. George Baker,'
profess optimism. They say that
the strength of E. 0. K. A.'s!
"hard core" is gradually being!
worn down and that the flow of;
information to the British is con-
tinuing despite a recent Increase'
in murders.
Terrorism has increased in di-
versity, in ruthlessness and in'
technical ingenuity, vet these,
very facts are interpreted by the
British leaders as signs of des-
peration on the part of E. O. K. A.
Murder is no longer so selec;
live, the British say. The terror-,
Isis now appear to be killing any!
Briton it can merely because he
Is British and Greek Cypriotes
are assassinated whether or not
they have been British informers
out solely because promiscuous
murder spreads fear. .
' There are believed to be two,
ind possibly three, major ma-
,'
.=.ons for the recent increase in
Iterrorist activities. The first was
'British pieoccupation with the
Egyptian operations. ?
The second reason for the re-
nt increase in incidents is
clearly the imminence of debate
on the. Cyrus issue In the United
Nations General Assembly in
Ncw York.
The E. 0. K. A. leadership
pays close attention to political
'considerations and it has ob-
viously stepped up the terepo of
its underground canipaigii at this
time to impress, t.napenerill As-
sembly.
Shift Seen in Leadership ?
A third reason for Increase in
murders and less selectivity in
the choice of victipis may be
some shift of i phwitt in
E. 0. K. A.'s leadership. -Col.
George Grivas, known as Dighe-
nis or "the leader," has headed
E. 0. K. A. since its inception.
lie has exercised strong, central-
ized control and stern discipline
in the past and it Is alleged that
he, personally,, has selected
E. 0. K. A's murder Victims.
There have been recent unveri-
fiable reports .that Colonel Gri-
vas. who is 58 years old and has
had several narrow escapes from
British patrols, has been ill.
Some rumors even suggest that
he is dead. These are not ac-
cepted by the British authorities.
Nevertheless, there is?a belief
that Grivas either. no longer is
,able to control E. 0. K. A. with
;the same authority as in the
!past or that his.mantle of lead-
ership is now shared by others.
Oils of these who may now be
exercising greater authority than
in the past is Gregoris Afxen-
tiou, Another, who is believed
to aappV many of the technical
brains and who is an expert on
explosiVes, is Georghiou Karade-
'matt, a Greek Tuitional and for-
'mer Greek army offwer.
Recent assassination -patterns
seem to indicate a far more in-
discriminate approach. A Brit-
ish doctor, who had devoted the
better part of his life to Cypri-
otes and was completely divorced
from the politital picture here,
wag one 9f the November -vie-
tima slain in his hospital.
A young British newspaper
Matt was killett in the old walled
town of Nicosia. A Greek tax:-
cab driver., who had been to the
police station four times to see
about his license, was apparent-
ly rreardged 9n suspicion.
Tfle methods of killing have
been at once familiar and new.
An electrically detonated mine in
a tree overhanging a road was
exploded while an army vehicle
was passing underneath. It. killed
one man. An army sergeant was
shot in the back, the favorite
method of the assasains, while
Walking down a Limassol street
Bombs, 'mines, ambushes and
shotgun blasts claimed other
lives, some of them innocent
Greek Cypriote civilians.
The British are answering
theme attacks with more and
more stern measures. British
troops:, in search parties and pa-
trols, have demonstrated on
the whole and with some few
exceptions remarkable restraint
and discipline in the face of
great provocation.
??
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030050-5
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030050-5
_ I J%.1
TERRORISTS SPUR
CYPRUS CAMPAIGN
November Murder Toll Hits
Peak?No End of Fight Seen
Despite British Claims
, By IIANSON W.RALDIN'IN
spf?1,9 to Tim Sr,. u.CTIrNi.
NICOSIA, Cyprus, Nov. 22?
i, The fighting in Egypt has been
'stilled by a cease-fire, but on
Ithis embattled island bombs
were still being deactivated.
;guns were still being fired and
Dien were still stalking other
'men.
One town, Limassol, was
gripped in a partial general
strike in protest against the
' trict curfew and the imposition
; by the .firitish of a collective
fine of 135,000 ($72,800).
British security guards and
patrols were vigilant at all ma-
jor military and civil installa-
tions. Military vehicles moved
through the streets, with soldiers
' with rifles or Sten guns at the
ready, and with truck tailboards
lowered so that any tossed bomb
i could he kicked out. ?
, November has produced the
avorst compilation of fatal ate-
: riAtics since the National Orga-
nization of Cypriote Fighters,
otherwise known as E. 0. K. A.,
began its campaign of murder
intimidation on April 1,
195.5. So far twenty-two Britons,
military and civilian, have been
murdered this month and four-
teen Gleek civilians and one
Turk have died violently.
Since April 1 1955 to last
Tuesday morning, 202 !arsons
have been del:berately kill..,1 and
441 wounded in the struggle be-
tween the Cypriote underground
d the British.
? Twelve other persons have
been killed and sixty-six woun,iod
accidentally when exploding
bombs or mines or wildly fired
shots, took toll of innocent by-
'tande
No End in Sight
The ?British have suffered far
more casualties in the battle of
Cyprus than in the battle tot
Port Said and no quick end of
terrorism appears to be in sight.
Yet both the Govetnor, Field!
Marshal Sir John Harding, who!
has universal respect even f ?
his underground enemies, and his
Chief of Staff in the War Realest
E. 0. K. A., Brig. George Baker,'
profess optimism. They say that
the strength of E. 0. K. A.'s!
"hard core" is gradually being!
worn down and that the flow of;
information to the British is con-
tinuing despite a recent Increase'
in murders.
Terrorism has increased in di-
versity, in ruthlessness and in'
technical ingenuity, vet these,
very facts are interpreted by the
British leaders as signs of des-
peration on the part of E. O. K. A.
Murder is no longer so selec;
live, the British say. The terror-,
Isis now appear to be killing any!
Briton it can merely because he
Is British and Greek Cypriotes
are assassinated whether or not
they have been British informers
out solely because promiscuous
murder spreads fear. .
' There are believed to be two,
ind possibly three, major ma-
,'
.=.ons for the recent increase in
Iterrorist activities. The first was
'British pieoccupation with the
Egyptian operations. ?
The second reason for the re-
nt increase in incidents is
clearly the imminence of debate
on the. Cyrus issue In the United
Nations General Assembly in
Ncw York.
The E. 0. K. A. leadership
pays close attention to political
'considerations and it has ob-
viously stepped up the terepo of
its underground canipaigii at this
time to impress, t.napenerill As-
sembly.
Shift Seen in Leadership ?
A third reason for Increase in
murders and less selectivity in
the choice of victipis may be
some shift of i phwitt in
E. 0. K. A.'s leadership. -Col.
George Grivas, known as Dighe-
nis or "the leader," has headed
E. 0. K. A. since its inception.
lie has exercised strong, central-
ized control and stern discipline
in the past and it Is alleged that
he, personally,, has selected
E. 0. K. A's murder Victims.
There have been recent unveri-
fiable reports .that Colonel Gri-
vas. who is 58 years old and has
had several narrow escapes from
British patrols, has been ill.
Some rumors even suggest that
he is dead. These are not ac-
cepted by the British authorities.
Nevertheless, there is?a belief
that Grivas either. no longer is
,able to control E. 0. K. A. with
;the same authority as in the
!past or that his.mantle of lead-
ership is now shared by others.
Oils of these who may now be
exercising greater authority than
in the past is Gregoris Afxen-
tiou, Another, who is believed
to aappV many of the technical
brains and who is an expert on
explosiVes, is Georghiou Karade-
'matt, a Greek Tuitional and for-
'mer Greek army offwer.
Recent assassination -patterns
seem to indicate a far more in-
discriminate approach. A Brit-
ish doctor, who had devoted the
better part of his life to Cypri-
otes and was completely divorced
from the politital picture here,
wag one 9f the November -vie-
tima slain in his hospital.
A young British newspaper
Matt was killett in the old walled
town of Nicosia. A Greek tax:-
cab driver., who had been to the
police station four times to see
about his license, was apparent-
ly rreardged 9n suspicion.
Tfle methods of killing have
been at once familiar and new.
An electrically detonated mine in
a tree overhanging a road was
exploded while an army vehicle
was passing underneath. It. killed
one man. An army sergeant was
shot in the back, the favorite
method of the assasains, while
Walking down a Limassol street
Bombs, 'mines, ambushes and
shotgun blasts claimed other
lives, some of them innocent
Greek Cypriote civilians.
The British are answering
theme attacks with more and
more stern measures. British
troops:, in search parties and pa-
trols, have demonstrated on
the whole and with some few
exceptions remarkable restraint
and discipline in the face of
great provocation.
??
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030050-5
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030050-5
- - - - ?
Lw JAJsasa. .asavasso
PHASE LOOMS for discussion of the constitu- repressive measures in the last
the Seychelles Island to Lsndoe'i-riste underground with hamar'
tion. :week. These Measures, taken in
There is no likelihood that sum, ar so sweeping that Cyprus
Archlbishop Makarios, religious is living undr what appears to
and political leader of the Greek be just short or martial law.
Cypriotes, will be brought bars' The curfew from dusk to d,awn;
in the first phase of the di' us affe...ts nearly all the people in
sions. It is more likely that very major town in the island.
fairly long negotiations will take' Sudden searches of persons and
place and that the Archbish,r1homes are commonplace. Sec:
may be called in some months tions of towns are cordoned off
hence. by barbed wire; every person in
It may be difficult for tlie? the closed-off area is questioned
By HANSON W. BALDWIN British to deal with the man,and searched and not allowed to
Soeclal to The New 'nit nem.leave until he has been stamped
they arrested and exiled and ac-.
NICOSIA, Cyprus, Nov.' 26? cused of complicity with the 'on the hand with an identifying
i he visit this week to London by Cypriote right-wing terrorist or- mark. New police permits for
s'ield Marshal Sir John Harding, ganization,. 0. K. A. But the:private cars are necessary.
? Governor of Cyprus, may por- British may have no choice, for Governer Harding extended
:Lend a new chapter in the is- Archbishop Makarios in exile is the mandatory death -penalty
!iand's bloody history, probably more influential tedeY; last week for a variety of a-
! Governor Harding is expected than when he was physiCallyTfenses, including manufacturing
to discuss a new constitution here. Moreover, there is seem.ia.nd carrying of arms or explo-
1 that would give the Cypriotes ingly no one here who will stepsives and.. In some circum
,
limited self-determination. Con- forward to take his place. stances, for consorting with
ferences in London probably will If Governor nardino visitarmed persons. New restrictions
lietermine future British tactics should be I turning point, it willion the freedom of the press alao
in presentation of the projected be a development long hoped for have been imposed in recent
constitution to the Cyriotes. ' here. This bland is turning more days.
There are several ways in and more into an armed camp! Last week a British lieutenant
which the constitutiori might be and many persons have becomeicolonel arbitrarily refused to
?sponsored. Governor Harding s.r with abnormal living. lallow Cypriote and British re-
might bring it back' with A: considerable group of re-Porter* to photograph Cypriotes
r
'and offer it, to e Cyriotei with- sponsible Cypriots probably being searched by British sol-
him
th
out preliminary negotiatkme. ould' accept the British offer diers. This new press regulations
This is unlikely. Most observers of limited freedom to determinelalready have elicited a. protest
'acre believe that if he did so -it their political future if they to the Colonial Office in London.
would be rejected or that no were free to express themselves. 1 .Thus Governor Hardines rale.
positive response will be forth- But they are inhibited by fear?sion to London has come at a,
coming. A more likely course is and by absence of th traditional:; crucial time. The feeling hare is
y
a period oft quiet British-Greek learder, Archbishop Makarios. :that any new chapter it ma
i
and British-Turkish negotiation. Hence there has been a dead-
cipen could hardly be worse thaii
A way for this may already be lock with only two signs of u-1 the present one.
n preparation. provement. One is the weariness
The crown colony's population of so much sudden death in thel Harding Reach.. London
is about four-fffths Greek in di- small-scale war. The other is an, special to The Ifni leek Tines.
;gin and one-fifth Turkish. The unacknowledged butatacit change LONDON. Nov. 26-0
overnor
Imajority' resolutely opposes the in emphasis, by E. 0. K. A. and e
!majority's demand for union by Greece. from their former! Harcil? ??feed, toda by plane
e,
with Greece. demands for union with Greeceto discuss with th Colonial; -
Secretary and other ministers
to full self-determination for'
Makarios' Approval Needed proposals for a new constitution
Syprus. for Cyprus. In an interview he
Observers here believe a new Meanwhile, the last few days said the terrotists were losing
?sonstitution stands little chance show some slight improvement groend.
If final acceptance unless two in the campaign of terrorism
:onditions are fulfilled: A period that has made November the
if careful preparatory negotla- worst montr since E. I). K. A Priest Ordered Detained
tions and explanations with started it. campaign of murder NICOSIA, Nov. 26 (Reuters)
Greece, Turkey and the Cyriotes and intimidation twenty months ?A priest and five other in.
must precede its presentation to ago. habitants of a village in Cyprus
Ithe public; Archbishop Makarios The Government has answered have been ordered detained
..must be brought from exile? in Novembers offensive by the Cy- British security forces.
CYPRUS HISTORY
Governor Harding's Visit to
London May Resplt. in
Change in Basic Laws.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030050-5
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release d 50-Yr 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030050-5
vex:Air. - ? I si
A Confused Invasion
An Assessment of Mistakes of the Britishl
and French in Their Campaign in Egypt'
By HANSON W. BALDWIN
softie to The New Toes Tines.
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 9?The
British-French campaign against
Egypt Is likely to become a
famous case study in the world's
military staff Colleges.
In the six and a half days of
actual ? hostilities, . most of the
rules in the book were broken.
The vital military principle of
targets. This would be followed!
by an air campaign to interdict
the ground battlefield at Port'
Said and to destroy as much as
possible of the Egyptian armored
end mobile ground forces.
Both of these phases were to
be conducted without bombing
civilians or cities. The second
hese was to be accompanied
the objective became obscured. y a psychological warfare cam-
At least two intelligence ap-
praisals proved erroneous.
And at the very time when,
despite these mistakes, the op-
eration was on the verge qf lim-
ited success, it was halted in
mid-course by factors that had
been insufficiently weighted: po-
litical pressure and world public
opinion.
Planning for the Egyptian op-
eration started soon after the
'Universal Suez Canal Company
was nationalized by President
Gamel Abdel Nasser of Egypt
IThe physical objective should
have been seizure and domina-
tion of the Suez Canal area by
!means that woirid have mini-
Imized canal damage and block-
age. But what might have been
a clear-cut military objective
was immediatdly obscured by a
broader objective, the British-
overthrown by the bombing
French determinatioz? to get rid,
of President Nasser. ' alone.
The unhappy compromise of
the final plan was based in part
There was a long delay after on two misconceptions. The
Egypt seized control of the Suez strength of President Nasser and
Canal, because neither the Brit- his hold on Egypt were under-
ish nor the French were pre- estimated. The strength of the
pared for military action in the Egyptian Air Force was over-
Middle East And as weeks estimated.
passed and preparations were The magio word MIG's seem
completed, one overriding re- to have influenced British
quirement was imposed on the French thinking. Eygptians had
military commanders: Egypti. n Soviet-built MIG-15 swept-wing
and Britiish and French casual- jet fighters and IL-28 jet
ties must be minimized. bombers. No airborne operations
During the first part of the or amphibious landings were
planning a ten - day bombing possible without prohibitive
ampaign against Egypt was casualties if the enemy had jet
considered as a means of achiev- aircraft, it was thought. So rela-
' !mg the elimination of President Lively long preparatory bombing
'asser. The theory was that the was thought necessary.
Egyptians could not stand bomb-
ing and that an attack from the
In the meantime, the objective
air alone would spark a revolt
!against the Egyptian President had, become "fuzzed up." The oh-
But immediately restrictions 3ective of overthrowing Presi-
!
were placed on bombing, as oh-dent Nasser, if possible by selec-
viously they would have hadto tive bombing and psychological
be. No cities or civilians could warfare, with minimal casual-
ties, clashed with the purely mil-
' be deliberately bombed; bombing
must be selective even in the case itarY objective of seizing the
'
Suez Canal, with as little dam-
of military targets. Eventually
? the ten-day bombing pian was
4ge as possible.
discArded and the plan that was Then Prime Minister Eden
?added still a third objective?an
actually used, a compromise, wise
evolved, ostensible one, at least- -to sepa-
rate the Israeli and Egyptian
forces and push them back ten
miles on either side of the canal
uetil both had accepted a cease.
aircraft would be the primary fire The multiple political. p ,v-
chological and military objec-
ified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release
Declass
P
Cairo's Voice of the Arabs
was bombed and tor a time
broadcasts to Egypt and the
Arab world were reduced, while
the British intensified theirs
'Broadcasts from Cyprus and,
dropped leaflets to the Egyptians;
saying that President Nasser,
not the Egyptians, was the
enemy. Originally this phase
was to continue for three and a
half days more; actually, the
parachute troops' landing was
advanced a day and the second
phase ? lasted two and a half
days.
The third phase was to be the
actual landing at Port Said if
necessary. The British and
French were all prepared for
the landing but hoped strongly
that President Nasser would be
An Overriding Requirement
Objectise 'Fuzzed Up'
The plan was 'supposed to have
? three phases. There would be a
. two-day bombing campaign in
which Egyptian airfields and
tires became inext.ricibly con-'
fused; the result was no clear''
rit purpose or at least no ob-
jective that military force could
achieve, given the limitations; inb-
? posed on it. ?
The plan actually carried out
ji could have led to seizure of the
canal. But a long f r-and-a-
half-day preparatory bombing
before the first landing gave the
Egyptians plenty of time to
block the Suez Canal. whiek is
Britain's economic lifeline.
@ 50-Yr 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030050-5
Declassified in Part - Sanitized -C-opy Approved for Relena?sea 50-Yr'ri?2013/11/08 : CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030050-5
ARMED YOUTH ADD
TO SYRIAN PUZZLE
Thousands Now Own Small
? Weapons After Heavy Dose
:of Leftist Indoctrination
By HANSON W. BALDWIN .
eared to Tn. New Tort Titles.
DAMASCUS, Syria, Dec. 7?,
Groups of young student.s ? in'
khaki overalls, armed with short'
barreled Czechoalovak subma-I
chineguna may hold the future.
of Syria in their hands. ?
About 3,000 of them paraded
In Damascus yesterday and were weapons Theoretically, these I
addressed by President Shukri weapons will terried in when.
el-Kuwatly. They are an index' and if the present emergency in,
of the new-found Importance of Syria, which started with the
,
quasimilitary national liberationisraeli attack on Egypt is de-
movements to Arab politics and eared at an end.
military fortunes. ? Syria is not now a gren t
Potentially one of the moat
arsenal and base for Soviet mill-
'
t,
dangerous trends in the complexary power. Foreign authorities
do no be there are any large ?
and completel)c fluid Syrian sit-
nj
uation is the arming of large number of Soviet bloc militar.
,
numbers of hastily trained per-
technicians or advisers heir
sons. The heavy of Soviet
Syrian officials say there ale,
Arms
types that have been delivered none now, but concede there
have been in the past no more
to Syria by CzechosloValria. are than nine at any time.
not yet disproportionate in num- But the fluidity and potentill,
her to the wise of the Syrian danger of the Syrian situation is
Army. But many thousands of not primarily due to the sequin-
rifles, submachlneguris and gre- tion of Soviet-type mitts)
mules have been delivered far In equipment, There has been soon-
excess of the Armrs require- penetration by CoinnviniAs at:
ments. all levels.
Syrians say?and some expert-
Beds' Embassies Enlar;e4
enced observers artee?that al-
most 100,000 persons are now' Soviet and Soviet bloc einh:?-
enrolled in the new version of sies and legations here ha?c
the popular resistance organiss. creased noticeably in size in ire.
tion: which corresponds roughly Past SIX months. There are
Bs-
to Egypt's National Liberation garian, Czechoslovak: Chin.se
Army. These "week-end war. Communist and other vommer-.
riors" receive fifteen days of cial economic or other groups,
training, a rifle or submachine. here. In one month?September,
gun and fifty rounds of ammu- ?one airline brought thirty per-
nition, which they will keep for sons from Communist bloc coun-,
the duration of the present emer- tries to Damascus.
gency.
Soviet motion pictures are.
The Popular Resistance or. shown here in increasing num-'
berg. Free scholarships are of-
afterganization was started here soon
fered to Syrian youths for stiti
Egypt formed her part-
in the Soviet Union. Architee
time National Liberation Army.
Aural students have been inyii .
It proved at first to be an un-
few Jo East Germany for study.
popular organization. Very
. Of the twenty-seven
Syrians joined it.
newspapers in Damascus, a (-Tv
Move Started in ammeter of 400,000, nine are strongly pi,.
Last summer a new quasirnin- Soviet , while others are syng:t-
tary organization called ."The :bete to communism.
Young Vallants" was started. ' It was increasingly elifficti.,.
About 5,000 persons took three for Right-wing and modern
weeks of military training with Papers to operate prior to t'l
a heavy dose of Left-Wing ideo- start Of the present emergeY ?
logical indoctrination. But mot; in late October. Since then rv, d
until the British-French atrial censorship and slanted
on Egypt began did the military have reduced the mention
organisation ef the Syrians be- Hungary to a minimum,
come of largeareale importance. have convinced the Syrians tr ?
Than appeal for part-time the Israelis did not defeat -
service was addressed primarily Egyptians in the Sinai Pen.
to the youth, especially to stu- sula that the casualties of. t!
dents, who desponded enibusias- British at Port Said were ver
Melly. Each volunteer gets four large and that the French hii.
hours of intensive training each timid') Jean Hart was s'?? A
day fer two weeks In marching. there by a Syrian filet
marksmanship the use of gre-? About SP to 90 per cent of
mules and tactics until, in street public credit for stoppinq in
fighting. When they finish their Egyptian fighting has gone t ?
course a few who have shown the Soviet Union, and the ,e
particular aptitude are eneonr- to the United States, thee?.71
? aged to join the Syrian Army private feelings are a iittl,? .1,
Commandos, the crack unit of favorable to the United .stat,
Syria.Brciadcasts over the radio folio,
Most go back to full-time )r.i.moet entirely the Egyptian line
studies or work but retain their and praise the Soviet Union.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @
Economic Posithai In Peril
Ti these facts should be added
I potentially unfavorable evi-
ler-11c situation. Syria has been
mil-supporting in the past, ap-
esrently she has paid for part of
her Czechoslovak arms pur-
? hates with money transferred
o , her by the Iraq Petroleum
7ompany for pipeline rentals and
royalties in the last year.
Mit Syria's military budget for
1,e18 represents about 60 per
fent of her total budget and may
go to a much higher percentage
?n len7.
xnnual oil revenues of $18.-
'Oil (100 for the pipeline transit
ichts have ceased since the
pl.rnoing stations of the Iraq
petroleum Company were de-
,r, osed. Much at the wheat and
le of the cotton crop, usually
ii.ported chiefly to France, still
Ia uasold.
Nest development projects, exi
cept for the 14itakia harbor, have
been stopped. And Khalil Kalldo.
Economics Meister. one of the
two extreme Left Wing mem-
ber* of the Cabinet of Premier
Babri el-Assali, controls all ex-
port and import licenses and he
is working closely with the army
in giving priority to military
needs.
On top of all Ode is superim-
posed what is best described as a
completely fluid political situa-
tion. The conservative parties
are split and have played into
1.the hands of the Left Wingers
!Effective power in Syria has
been in the hands of the mih-
tary since 1949 and is more than
ever so now with martial law in
effect.
Seven Deputies Now In Jail
Democratic processes erre a
facade. Seeen deputies of the
Pyrian Parliament are in jail.
two are i.lugees in Lepanon and
la in hiding.
Principal power appears to be
wielded by a group of young/
Intensely nationalistic army of-,
firers. These officers do not ap-
pear to be so much prz-fiovitt,
as anti-Israel and. pro-Egypt. I
They are led by Lieut. Cop
Abdul Hammid Serra,. 31 years
old. Colonel Serral is head of
the Syrian Army Daurderne
Bureau of Intelligence section
and as such he probably holds
I he balance of power. Colonel
Serra' appears to 'exercise his
authority by veto.
It would be wrong to classify
him as a dictator with supreme
power. He leads the intensely
nationalistic, intensely anti-Israel
ayrgofficer faction. He also is
ense admirer of Carnal Ab-
del Nasser. President of Egypt.
Soviet Belo Basins Indirect
Khalld Dekdash. Communist
leader here, apparently exercises
his influence It streel. levels.
Just how the Soviet Iftion ex-
erts its influence is not known,
publicly. it probably is done in-;
directly. For the moment
Egyp-
tian and Soviet short-term o
jective in Syria appear to be
the same and the Soviet Union
may be content to let Egypt.
take it in pressing them. dr41,
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030050-5
NEW Irtiltlk siwit ULU J ino
IRAQI INSISTENT
ISRAEL MUST GO
Foreign Minister Says State
Would Be Lasting Danger
to Mideast Stability
By HANSON W. BALDWIN
solo,' la Thr Nor Tort Timm
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 12?
The mere presence of Israel &-
V' a y5 will be a danger to stabil-
ity in the Middle East Burhaddin
Bashayam, Iraq's Foreign Minis.
ter, said yesterday.
The Foreign Minister dis-
cussed problems of area in in
interview. He said he thought
Israel no longer should be a
state.
"The Jewe should go to the
countries they care from and all
Areb refugees should return to
their own lands" he said.
"A new Arab state should be
created in Palestine with no
expansionist tendencies."
Mr. Bashayam declared that
until some montha ago.--ever
after the Bandung conference of
African and Asian nations?Iraq
and other Arab states had felt
the United Nations 1947 resole-
tIons represented an acceptable
framework for a solution of the
Israeli problem, But since LS-
rael's attack on Egypt such a
solution would not be _acceptable
to Arabs he thought.
He said the Jews had shown
they were a "'nesse* to the
peace of the Middle East." Israel
was created by the United Na.
tions, "this mistake must be
remedied by the United Nations,
"this mistake must be remedied
by the United Natioes," he re-
marked.
Attitude of U. S. Praised
Mr. Bashayam said prestige of
Gainal Abdel Niukner, President
of Egypt, had increased as a re-
sult of the British-Vrench attack.
In Egypt and British and French
Influence in the area had dimin-
ished greatly. But the Unitqd
States has a special position dir
a result of its policy, he added.
It should join the Baghdad Paid
as soon as possible and strengtb.
en the pact and Arab Wirers,
psychologically, militarily and
economically, he said.
He added that both the pace
and volume of United States
military aid to Iraq should be in-
creased. Present members of the
Baghdad Pact in addition to Iraq
are Britain, Turkey, Iran and
?
Pakistan.
Maj. Gen. Rhezi al Daghistani,
deputy chief of staff of the liaq.1
Army, emphasized the impor-
tance of this rearmament in an
Interview. General IDaghistani ,
said the present Iraqi Army of
three divisions and an armored
group totalling 50.000 to 60,000!
men should be expanded to at
least Axe infantry divisions and
one armored division, with the'
necessary ar support, of 110,000,
men.
This correspondent saw some
activities of the Iraqi Army near
Baghdad yesterday. It has somi
clear cut advantages compared
to other Arab armies. Its arms
and equipment are far less di-
versified than those of other
Middle Eastern armies; .it usee
chiefly British and United States
equipment, some of it purchased
with United States funds. It ap-
pears to be far less immersed in
politics than most Arab armies.
Iraq Protests to Egypt
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 12
(Reuters)?Burhanuddin Samba-
yan, Iraqi Foreign Minister, sent
a note to Egypt today protesting '
against recent Egyptian criti-
cism of Iraq.
The note said a statement!
made by Wing Commander All,
Sabri, chief political adviser to
President Nasser, charging thati
Iraq had permitted British
planes to refuel in Iraq and to,
carry British troops injured dur-;
frig the fighting in Egypt to'
Iraqi hospitals, was "completely
untrue and unfounded.'
"Iraq's attitude toward Egypt
was one of full support," the
note said
.0'
?
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waroNV V MILWAAW .aaavai33 1.) L 0 10 %YU ?
SOVIET IS INTENSIFYING
ITS MIDDLE EAST the
L. Eatensive Military Aid
Military aid, extensively given
at marked-down prices to Egypt
and Syria, is another method of
infiltration. Soviet military aid
program'; serve a quadruple pur-
pose. They tend to create ten-
svin in the area and worry
Israel; they strenzthrn, Arab
aationalism; they tend to make
ti Arab economy more depend-
ont upon Soviet Russia and they
ripen the way for follow;up
(ration by Cominunrst techni-
cians, military advisers. Pilots
anri engineers.
In addition to these glOSSOZ116,
boviet Batista uses the farniliar
thocLe of political organization
end indoctrination.- Cornniunist
parties as such are outlawed in
A rab countries' but there are a
nember of avowed Communist
leaders?like Khalid Bagdash of
Syria, wno was trained in Mos-
i-ow--who maintain the closest
possible liaison with both Mos-
cow and Communist China.
These men organize where pos-
sible at the grass-roots and they
are often aided, if unknowingly,
by crypto-Commulists, by par-
ties like the Arab Socialist Res-
urrectionist party and by left-
wing Cabinet members.
All of these methods of infil-
tration are being developed in.
the Middle East. They have met
much success in two countries?
Egypt and Syria?and these
countries, in turn, are strongly
infleencing Jordan in particular,
aid to a lesser extent Iraq,
Saudi Arabia and 'Leben. '
1 w,th print-
r diroct subsidies
e Ainomic policies sup-I
Soviet political objec-
All Ways Known to Communists Are
Used to Win Arab Nationalists
?
By HANSON. W. BAUM LN
The liquidation of the Port In Egypt, Syria, Jordan and
Said operation last week, couiileda Iraq they are moving away from
with the gradual withdrawal of'yestern domination.
Israeli forces from Sinai and in- Since the Sinai campaign and
tensification of the Middle East's the Anglo-French attack upon,
war of words, presaged new Rus- Port Said the revul3ton against;
sian attempts to fill the vacuum British and French influence has
of power in the area, been pronounced and sometimes
Moscow's objectives in the violent. Except in Iraq and In
Middle East are essentially the the sheikdoms of the Pendell
same as those of imperial Rus- Gulf, British and French influ-1
sia, with additions. The tradi- ewe hss been almost eliminated.'
tional drive toward the warm- Yet the principal focus of thei
water ports of the Persian Gulf two dominant- emotions of the
a motivating factor in Russia's area?hate and fear?is Israel,
foreign policy in the days of the which has been equated since tbet
Czars, is now expressed in two Suez operation with Britain and
goals: France.
(1) The elimination of Western
Influence from the Middle East Russian Aid to Arabs
and the extension of Russian in-
fluence.
(2) Denial of the oil of the
Middle East to the West.
To accomplish these objectives
Soviet Russia is above 'all ex-
ploiting the tide of Arab nation-
alism which is sweeping the Mid-
'CAULDRON BUBBLE'
'Unwed, In The Portland Oregonian
dl. East and which is symbolized
by Camel Abdel Nasser, Presi-
dent of Egypt. The Arabs, their
days of greatness behind them,
are struggling with the chains
of feudalism and may be awak-
ening af*i- r dorenant centuries.
Soviet Russia s principal means:
of penetrating the Middle East
has been her frank espousal of
the cause Of Arab nationalism.
Moscow is trying to ride the.
crest of the Arab tide, to exploit
hide and fear and unrest. She
has sided with the Arabs against:
Israel and this Is the major rea-.
son for Soviet popularity in the!
area. Moscow's warnings during
the days of the Port Said crisis:
are given greater credit by the
Arabs for the cessation of hos-
tilities than United States or
United Nations intervention. Un-
fortunately for the West the
short-term aims of Arab nation-
alism--Egyptian natioealization
of the Suez Canal, oil nationali-
zation, and _the reduction of
Western Influence?coincide with
the short-term objectives of the
Communists.
The Soviet pro-Arab policy is
the biggest single weapon in the
Communist campaign of Middle
East infiltration. But this policy,
is supported by a variety of'
means. A psychological and!
propaganda campaign, triggered
in part from Tashkent, where a,
powerful transmitter beams the
Communist ling to the Middlei
East, is a potent weapon. Arabs
tend in many ways to live in al
dream world and the big lie1
makes a b.g impression in thei
Middle Baet.
Conimun,,t. propaganda is for-
warded on All fronts. Soviet and
Iron Curtain embassies main-
tain journalistic kind cultural
contacts with the 4rai Arabic
While In The Aar% Deleon-Journal
"Price tag."
premised through Point Four and
other aia, and limited military
help to counter Soviet influence.
The United States Information
Service has sponsored various
measures libraries, releases,
films, etc., which help to coun-
ter similar Soviet projects. The
United States, utilizing both
public and private effort, has
alan sponsored various educa-
tional projects and visits of Arab
specialists to the United States.
But above all, the recent Unit-
ed States action in helping to
halt the Israeli - British - French.
attacks on Egypt has created'
for the United States a higher
measure of goodwill in the Arab
states than at any time in the,
put decade. But a vacuum of
power still exists in the Middle
East; Soviet infiltration efforts
are being increased and the crest
of the wave which the United
States is now riding has a deep
trough behind it.
U.S. Policy
The formulation of a firm and
definite United States policy in
the area Is the first requirement
if Soviet infiltration Is to be de-
feated. Today we have no such
police; we have been trying to
straddle the fence of Arab-Israeli
differences, to iitipport the Bagh-
dad Pact Without joining it, to
placate Egypt and Syria with-
out alienating England and
France, to remain friends with
all without offense ? to any. So
far we have saddled the United
Nations with responsibility in-
stead of assuming it ourselves.
Yet a firm settlement of some
political problems?refugees, the
Gaza. Strip, Sinai, the Gulf of
Aqaba, the Suez Canal, the
Baghdad Pact ? accompanied
perhaps by a massive economic
development programs may be
the only hope of meeting the So-
viet challenge.
More Arms for Arabs
The Syrian people ire con-
inced by censorship and slant-
ed news and propaganda--ss
are most of the Egyptians?
that there was no defeat of the
leeypilan Army in Sinai, that
in.- French battleship Jean Bart
was Aink at Port Said, that the
Britt:in suffered great casual-
ties there.
The steps taken and method*
?u.;-ed. to combat Soviet Russian
liummunism in be Middle East
, are psychological and cultural,
'military and economic, and poli-
tical. The Baghdad Pact coun-
tries have a counter-subversion
eroup and Arab leaders at a re-
cent -meeting warned against
suoversion in veiled but unrnls-
tik,tile terms. But the chief
counterpoise to Soviet Russia's
drive for dominant Middle East-
ern influence in the past has
been Britain?and now Britain's
influence has probably been fa-
tally weakened.
The United States has used
diplomatic persuasion, political
pronouncements warning against
aggression economic 'power ex-
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?
r-
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zusurv ,Auniv wkr.- JtiIY
6
4
,orrospondent that a "les-
sa? had aaon learned The lex
4 ? ?
7 he Mideast Crisis?I
- - and i.iccept
oa the facts of
tacae who participated in the
? fighting the:: are few indeed---
.
Swayed in any caae by Presi-
Review of Factors Underlying Region's ?dont Naaser's appeal Co the
?
?
" with all the* o'iticall
Ferment After the Recent Invasions -
pcv, er
? tho Arab worldPthat
thus moiled
This is he first of three articles by the military editor oil of Afnf;?,1 mthicrv; iins tahne IArornabCwiilolralidn.
The Naar Yo 'k Times based on visits to the principal countries .Cairias Voice of the Arabs am
of the Multi t East at the height of the Suez Canal chits. the Damascus radio, aided by So
\art propaganda broadcasts from
Tashkent, blanket the Arab
word, Piark is made white and
e
? President Eisenhower's Whitel And Washington now has start-
tbman'Jag black the street believes
is white.
-House conference 'with Congres-
sional leaders yeaterday openedled to formulate a more poaa
a critical year in the Middle
. East. The conference was held
By HANSON W. BALDWIN
)
itive and vigoreus policy. Only Nur RiVala Nasaer
Any balance sheet of the To the Arabs the Sinai
caj'n-
paign and the Port
S3id deferse
fighting In Egypt would have
wore glorious 'victories' against
Just two months atter the Brit-
to stress the Increased prestige. tar stronger forcea. Tremendous
of President Nasser. This cm- losses." the Arab radio declares,
respondent in recent visits to; were inflicted upon the (tures.
Cyprus, Lebanon, - Syria Iraq, :airs. The French battleship Jean
Jordan and Israel and, before Bart Was "sunk" off Port' Said
':traaigthened by the campaigns' the fighting. to Egypt. asked I actually she was not Scratched
,in the Sinai Peninsula and ataiArabs, Israelis, Americans, Brit- and did not fire a guru. The
Port Said. The prestige of Gamallions and others about President British deliberately "bombed"
Abdel Nasser, President ;Na.sser's stancing. There was many Eayptian cities. Even
Egypt, is probably at a new high i
lihnhst unanimous agrefruent'?mans.. of :he small Arab middle
that to date it had been en- Hass arid some of the wealthy
ha.need with the Arab masses, who tVere formei.ly opposed to
There were reservations about1President Nasser admire him
often made or broken. I the future.
?
cow. Did he not twist the British
The Suez Canal, lifeline of na-
"All the returns are not in, ion s Oil
e observers said Sarno be- President Nasser is rivaled as
tions, has not been dredged since,
, lieve the Egyptian President's-1n .% rib leader only by Premier
'the British and French bornbingi prestige has been impaired with Nina As-Said of Iraq, Lieut. Col.
mf Egypt started on Oct. 31. It some of the more informed and Ahdal timid Serraj, so-called
is silting up at the rate of 8,830,- respOnrible Arab governments "stbing man of Syria," and Pre-
000 cubic feet a month All a..,:ne but not with the masses. rnier Suleiman Nabuisi of Jor-
? ish-French and Israeli attacks
on Egypt.
Arab nationalism has been
with the Arab street mobs, by
;which Arab governments are sot
A. few of these leadars ar-1 dan ale both admirers end fol-
dredgers formerly used in canal some educated Arabs, it was rea- lowers of Nasser. .
maintenance were sunk by the soned, knew the farts about the Most other 4rab leaders are
Egyptians. Most of half a hun- disproportionate Egyptian losses more cautious. None except:
tired wrecks and obstructions. in the short fighting against the/ Pi emier' as-Said can be classed
I Israelis, British and French. a ,trong, forthright N
are still uncleared.
I
No work has been started to,
replace the oil pumping stations!
in the Iraq Petroleum Company's
pipeline across Syria. The sta..
tioni were blown up by the Sy-
ian Army after the British:
French invasion of Egypt.
'era.
Tentative estimates indicate The Israeli viewpoint was ex-
He will face another crisis
iwhen lIe reopens the schools, and"
replacement of the complicated pressed to this orrespondent re-
still another when Parliament
machinery and restoration of themeently by Premier David Ben-
full flow will require 'ten to Gution and Maj. Gen. Moshe reconvenes. He may well weather, these,
be aall do so, indeed .
twelve months after politicalcDayan, Chief of Staff. Both de-
dared that the fighting showedIllong as the Iraqi- Army sites no
problems have been resolved and that the "unity of the Arab pen-1 alternative to. htni,
Syria pertnita'the start of repair plea was a legend," that despite Rut he is losing the war o;
,
various treaties of assistance. nolworas;
work. the Baghdad radio Is out-
But so far no major Middle Arab country came to Egyprsi
Eactern problems have been re-
solved. Rivalries and factions,
plots and counterplots, rend the
Arab world despite the strong
emotional desire for Arab unity,
an Arab feder'ation of some sort.
Former alignments are chang-
ing, old loyalties dying. But
there, has been one net gain:
the fighting in Egypt focused
the world's attention on an area
of tremendous strategic impor-
tance hitherto little known to
many Americans, an area that
contains more than two-thirds of
the free world's oil reserves.
They were WO rriecl, it was said
by President Nasser's increasing
popularity in their own coun-
tries, by the Middle East's eco-
nomic losses from the canal' now from. their suppcut fie has
blockage and oil line sabotage weathered the recent street riots
and by the prospect of general in Baghdad, Mosul, Najaf and
war. elsewhere led by students, Com-
Israeli Viewpoint Expressed ;mtinists and Nasser sympathiz-
oppanent
Ger,aral as-Said, twelve times
Premier of Iraq and strongly
supported by the British, suffers
assistance during the fighting.'
President Nasser:3 pretenses'
as a Military leader were dem-
onstrated to be hollow, they de-
clared,
"Fer a year or perhaps two we
can work in peace." Jar. Ben- hams al-Halo-i, who 'broadcast
Gurion said. 'propaganda for Nazi Germany
"I think we have given them in 1941-42.
a lesson,' *General Dayan de- The Egyptian President's tteld
dared, "and we have shown all 'upon 'the street" in Iraq Li
the Arab countries that a solution 'strong and seems to be increas-
of the Israeli problem cannot be mg, and een v some Iraqi Army
found through fighting: we have officers are influenced by Ms
taken It out of their heads that view,
the,
can drive Israel into the
tore Important Factors
sea.
But. there was little evidence! Thece are in the Middle East
in the Arab countries vieited by:somo fundamental factors even
more important than.. President
shouted by Cairo and Damascus.
Bagialadar propaganda answers
have shown recently a kind of
desperation, The Premier has
tried, with only pat-tial success,
to jam the Damascus,radio. He
has hired for the Iraqi radio
Nasser that will long influence.
the development of the area.
One is Arab nationalism, which'
the Egyptian President symbol-'
izet and encourages but does not
control, This factor was de-
scribed by an American observ-
er as I he "Arab tide" The waves
that make up this tide, he said.
are political and economic revo-
lution, a cultural renaissance,
an anti-colonialism, anti-Western
feeling and a desire for unity.
The Arabs, "asleep for 700
years, are now ripping through
the centuries pretty fast," he
said.
A second major factor,? which
coincides with the rise of Arab
nationalism, is the decline of
British and French power in the
area. British and Franch
Influ-
ence have been dealt an almost
fatal blow, not only by the ab-
ortive attack on the Suez Canal
but also by the association of
Britain and France with Israel.
"Collusion." no matter how
much denied, is a fact in the
Arab mind, and Britatri and
France are now damned in the
Middle East as allies of hated
Britain, it is true, still retains
influence in Iraq and strong foot-
holds in the indepehdent sheikh-
doms of the Persian Gulf, but all
of these are now Subject to chal-
lenge.
A third key factor is Commu-
nist infiltration of the area: So-
viet. interest in the Persian Gulf;
area has been a geopolitical fac-
tor since the days of the czars.
This Interest is now being for-
warded primarily by Communist
.espousal of ,Arab nationalism.
Morteow's support Of the Arabs
Against Israel has helped the
onisnunist caw more in the
Arab countries han any. other
single poNcy.
This, and arms aid, limited
economic help, military and tech-
Meal assistance, cultural mis-
sions, effective propaganda, the
usual machinations Of indige-
nous Communists atfti capitaliza-
tion upon the, mistakes of the
West have helped greatly in
preading Communist influence.
Lnfortunately, the short-term .
alms of Arab nationalism, the
control of their own resources
and the reduction of Western
Influence, coincide with the
short-term alms of communism.
the ousting of the West and the
denial of the Middle East's. oil
to the West-
Finally, hate and fear color the
situation. Thine is little realism,'
the Arab and, to a considerahlyi
lesser extent, the Israeli both
live in a dream world of their
own creation. Logic rarely rides;
passions govern.
Eota Israeli and Arab accuse
,imeti other of precisely the same
Itransgressjons.
Many Israelis now admit that
their thinking before the Sinai'
attack was colored by a "War-'
saw ghetto" type of feeling.'
There was no factual military!
indication of any imminent i
Egyptian attack, but Egypt's de-1
fervie arrangements with Syria
Jordan and .Saudi Arabia made.
0 \JE R
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The Middle East: Key Personalities in Its Future
Asectia tea Prom
President (;anuil Abdel Nasser of Egypt, an obscure arni ?Meer only four years ago has
attained a peak of prestige, especially in his appeal to -the street." which carries great
political power in the Arab world. II ii !ic-e lii ins; it %tea to an Egyptian village.
Israel feel, a:. one observer ex-
presse.I it. that "the hoop was
,(ompressing the barrel. and
ithat a preventive war must be
fought.
These are the principal fact.,)rs
that make any over-all "solu-
tion" that would be acceptable
to the Middle East and satisfac-
lory to the West'extremely dif-
ficult if not impossible. There is
a host of subsidiary problems.
howevel, and thAse cry for quirk
answers. They include the clear-
ance. maintenance, improvement.
administration and control of the
Suez Canal; control of the Strait
.of Than leading to the Gulf of
Aqaba and the Israeli port of
Elrtth t he Gaza Strip; Ihe fu-
ture of Arab refugees; the resto-
,rat.lon of Oil flow .through the
Iraq Petroleum Company's pipe-
;lines arid the possible develop-
ment of other pipelines.
Above all tnere Ii the seem-
ingly irreconcilable conflict
be-
wreni Israel-- its population still
oxpandinz by immigration, its?
recent victories frustrated?and
:the Arab states, suffering under
a ilcep sen ie of inferiority.
? The great question mark in
.the East is who will take
Ithe leadership in solving these
problems ? - the United Nations.
the United States or the Soviet
Un on
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rh? New Yolk TIrowl
Gertz le Sam WS
DIAN Ben-Gurlon. Premier
o'' Israel. He gays that
the reyent fighting has
shown that the "unity of the
A nib peoples was a legend:*
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IJJ/
The Mideast Crisis-4I
An Analysis of External and Internal
Military Factors in Nations of the Area
? This is the secon4 of three articles by the military caltor
of The New. York Time., based on visits to the principa/
countries of the Middle East at the height of the Suez cri,sie.
By HANSON W. BALDWIN
The Britisli-French and Is: ?tell
attacks on Egypt'have strength-
ened Communist influence in the
Middle East.
The Soviet Union is given
credit in the Arab world, as
much as, or more than, the Unit-
ed States for the cease-fire in
Sinai and the Suez Canal zone:
Outside Power Analyzed
Soviet military povor in the
Middle East cannot yet be ap-
plied, therefore, except from
bases within the Soviet bloc.
This is not true of Communist
political, psychologi. al and eco-
nomic power, which has inri-
tmtedheavily int,' Egypt and
The nittaces have fanned thei Syria and to a lesser extent into
flames of Arab nationalism,. Join and Iraq.
weakened Western influence and British power, though fast de-
helped the Soviet Union nn its dining, still. has bases in the re-
attempts to fill the vacuum of gime The value of Cyprus,
power in the area. where 9,000 to 10,000 British
Sizable numbers of Soviet-bloc. troops are tied down in internal
personnel have flown into Egypt, security duty, has been reduced
In the last six weeks. Syriais. by extensive terrorist activity
still receiving deliveries of arms and by the lack of an adequate
from Czechoslovakia. Both Egypt port.. But Cyprus is strategical.
and Syria have received oil de- ly useful. part.cniarly as an air
liveries from the Soviet Union. base, The British also iit.Ii7e
recently. Egypt is expecting the ;for the moment bases at Mat rag
delivery of one or two subma-, and Aqaba in Jordan. Trey
Tines from Poland. ' have the right under certain
Syria and Eypt are the ems
----"connitions to utilize two Iraqi
in the Middle East. Both of them,
have been infiltrated to ?,
greater degree than any other
Middle Eastern country.
Arms Overstraiseil
ent centers of communist efforts
Jet it would be false to char-
artertze either Egypt or Syria as
a Communist satellite or as a
military base ready for use by
Soviet armed forces. Exagger-
ated attention has been focused
? on the Soviet arms delivered to
both countries. Te quantity,
quality and potential of these
;arms and the readiness of Egypt
land Syria as military buss have
been overstressed by France.
1Britain and Israel,
Egypt has good airfields built
by the British, some of which
,have been damaged by British
bombs. But she does not have
refueling and maintenance facili-
tiee adequate to support exten-
sive air operations. .Syria has
. about two airfields barely adee
? gusts for use by modern jets.
Before any sizable numbers of
Soviet planes could operate from
Syria, an extensive airfield and
port construction program would
be necessary.
Neither Camel Abdel Nasser,
President of Egypt nor Lieut.
Col. Abdel Hamid Sarraj. so-/
called strong man of Syria, is al
Communist. There are Commu-
nists or crypto-Communists iii'
prominent positions in boy
Egypt and Syria. But the lea*
ers of these countries are fervent
nationalists who probably have
two pre-eminent passions, the
exaltation of Arab nationalism
and the defeat of Israel.
ng the brief fightinW-esti-,
r.,..ted by the Israelis at:1;5 per
cc.1 of Egypt's jet alrcratt and,
one-quarter to one-third of her,
army, Cairo still commands the',
il.ret Arab army, perhaps 100.-1
strong. About three
dlvi-
tie one or them armored, are ,
;still intact and there Is plenty J
. of equipment.
' Possibly eighteen to thirty jet
a ; craft - IL-28 bombers and?4
MICI-iS g s? ere flown out
of Egypt to safety, chiefly to
Jiddah in Saudi Arabia. Nego-
tiations with Czechoslovakia and
the soviet Union to replace de-
stroyed or captured equipment
may be expected.
Pi .:sident Nasser's attempts
to !noise new blood into the of-
ficer corps ant & hese iiptrit into
the nation were barely negin-
ning when war came, in time
some of this "new spirit" may
take hold.
SYRIA, # ; ? .
PolitIcal control in Syria rests
o ith the Army. Thirty-one-year-
old Colonel Sarraj, who heads
the intelligence section. of the
general staff, leads a young
officer faction that is probably
the most important power source
in Syria.
During a rtcent visit to Syria
AM?. correspondent interviewed
the Syrian Army Commander in
Chief, Maj. Gen. Tewfik Nizam-
'ai-D,n. Colonel Sarraj sat in on
...he interview and did not hest-
? tate to correct or. contradict his
chief.
fields .for staging and training' Civil government, democratic
aircraft, and they have airfield., processes, and even tisii moral
and portoraround Arabia. ;AieriorIty of military relik have
French power in the MiddrIII:nited importance in present-'
East is now virtually nonex-? day Syria. Nevertheless, it would
latent. Military academies of be wrong to conclude that the
several Arab states are traininz1 xenophobic young officer faction
selected Algerians as officers is the only important political
for the guerrilla army that is? power source. Colonel Sarraj
fighting the French in Algeria. does not hold absolute power.
Turkey holds the strateg c!, His influence is exercised largely
Dardanelles and the mountain' by veto; he is mi.a dictator.
barriers that proteet the Middle' Syria's unstable political and
East against lann.invasions. Sl' i . economic situation militates
looks askance at increasing. against her military' effective-
Communist influence in Syria, ness. tier army, expanded from
for Turkey realizes that she can- 40,00 to almost 65,000 In one
. not tolerate a Communist power, year, is organized in six regular
to 'her south as well as to the infantrybrigades (equivalent to
north. I the United States regiment), two
United States military power: others at renuced strength and
in the area is represented main- "armored units comprising about
ly by the Sixth Fleet in the Med-:'175 tanks.
iterranean and one or more Weapons of a Soviet type are
, small surface ships in the Per- still being delivered, but in early
'elan Gulf area. The Sixth Fleet. 'December the total represented'
equipped with atomic weapons, less than 50 per cent of all
is capable of smashing attack
and of effective blockade. But ? Syrian Army equipment.
Such weapons include 120
It has only one reinforced Ma-,
T-94 tanks, fifty to sixty SU-110
rine ' battalion landing team,
i self-propelled guns; fifty-two
about 1,004) men, and is not ,
!RAO
Nuri as-Said, Pienuer of Iraq,
21-year-oli King Feisal. and his
uncle, ihn. former regent are the
stabilizing factors ? in a nountry
that ie a keystone of the Bagh-
dad :Pact, rather friendly to the,
West and yet swept by ? Arab
nationaiism.
The future course of Iraq is
uncertain. Heavy reductions of
oil revenues resulting from the
destruction of the Iraq Pe-
troleum Company's pumping
stations in Syria, violent and ef-
fective attacks upon Premier
Nuri and the Baghdad Pact by
the Tashkent, Cairo and Damas-
cus radios,, some Communist in-
filtration, the restlessness of the
Kurd lab tribes and above alt.
anti-Western Arab nationalism
add up 'to .A pieture of political
volatility. -
The Army of 50,000 to 60,000
men, organized in two. desert
divisions and one mountain unit
and an embryo armored force,
follows a British pattern and
uses British and American equip-
ment. Iraq has. about 180 air-
?rraft, fewer than 100 of them
combat planes. She is ptirchasdng
a squadron of Hawker Hunter
jets. from Britain' and wants
modern United States jets.
JORDAN
Jordan appears to be a coun-
try in dissolution. It ha.s been
Ralit that the only Cruet Jordanias,
iii-year-old King Hussein. The
loyalties of the rest ,of the coun-
try are diffuse. Power rests pri-,
mainly upon a triuminrate, thel
King, who frequently seeks the
Queen Mothers advice; Maj.
Cen. Aly Abu Nuwar, com-
mander of the Jordanian Army,
and Premier Suleiman Nabulsi,
who rose to power as leader of
the street mobs of Amman.
The Jordanians have commit-
ted themselves to "terminating"
as soon as possible the British
treaty, with its subsidy. They
hope to substitute financial.sup-
port front other Arab countries.
Jordan's armed forces consist
of one division, about 18,00f.I
strong; the Arab Legion and
forty-four battalions 'of National
Guard. Each National Gus
battalion has an 'enrage paper
strength* of 650 Men, but .many
Ler conekteriblilletlee strength.
SAUDI-ARARIA
Saudi Arabia is a feudalistic,
oil-rich country with little mili-
tary' strength. 'Egyptian influ-
ence is strong in the schools, in
the regular Army and with the ?
muses. Kin Saud has been'
worried by resident Nasser's
?appeal to the Saudi Arabians
and he has attempted to counter
the Egyptian influence in the
regular army by strengthening
his ties to the tribal levies.
The United States has predom-
inant influence in this area and
uses an important air base It
Dhahran. The lease haa expired
and negotiations for a new lease
have bogged down. The Saudis
have asked a rental of 000,000,-
000 for a six-year perod. 83,000.-
000 in cash and ninety North
American F-86 Sabre Jet air-
craft.
'elm. howitzers, thirty-two
equipped to intervene in land ?
ware
The indigenous strength of the
Middle East area is more impor-
tant economically than
ly. It has huge oil resources but ,
the armed forces of the area are '
relatively weak and, except for
the Israelis, only partly trained.
Here are thumbnail sketches:
of the more important states:
EGYPT
Egypt is the kingpin ? of the
Arab world. Despite huge losses
52 ?
guns, ,at least three
-mm. guns; more than thirty
85 -mm. guns, more
than thirty six-wheeled armored
personnel carriers and at least
20,000. rifles and 20,000 sub-
atachine runs.
The Syrian air force is weak.
Its most modern planes are four-
teen British Meteors but some
Syrian MIG-15's may have been
destroyed in Egypt by British
and French bombing.
R
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Key Personalities in the Policies of Jordan
Premier Suleiman Nairobi st his ?Me In Amman. Me rose
to power as the /*aim *Alm street maim k Mist city.
? I
tilANON _ '
Lebanon is a wades nolbeno a
Christian minority holds an un-
easy dominance over a Moslems
majority that has been infected
at some levels by 'Egyptian agi-
tation and Arab nationalism.
Lebanon now hes a strong pro-
Western Goverrunent.and would
like nothing better telemnsatirilie
In peace. But bar to
events Ifl the Arab is
shown by & severseimitimna-
arming censorship.
Bar border with Iir*ks long
has been quiet eitedpi Soca-
atonal incursio =
ns by
fedayeen (guerrilla)
Lebanon has a small dilly
about 5,800 an orgaielleed 'in
battalions. e
ISRAEL
Premier David Bsnrio IS
firmly in power for the massent
after the Innen "totem amt.
The armed forma are WOW tht
nicht powerful in the hfiddld
list. Israel can mobilise ISO,.
000 people in a few days.
The Army operates chiefly in
brigade croups (reganental
combat teams) though it has tbe
structure for at least seven di-
visions--flve infantry and two
armored infantry. An Air Toros
of several hundred planes, in-
eluding about fifty to seventy.
five jets, is the best Lathe ha&
die Zest and Israel's wall Navy
Is superior to that of any other
Ilibidie Eastern comity.
-r
0
The Sew Tmt 'Masi II, HarmW. soma
Maj. Gen. My Abs Newer,
commander et ilie* *As;
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I ? ?
t; the
The MI h
Mideast Crisis?III East lies President
Mid-
dlesident
Gamer Abdel Nasser of Egypt
and Premier Nun as-Said, of
Iraq, with the long-term odds on
A Review of Region's Basic Conflicts President Nasser's side.
Or, more correctly, the odds
And Possible Copstructive U.S. Steps today ire on the side of Arab
I nationalism Presidenf Nasser
I might be overthrown by a cern-
This is the last of three articles by the military editor of
The New York Times based on visits to the principal countries
?pf the Middle East at the height of the Suez crisis.
By HANSON W....BALDWIN
The next chapter in the Ms-
tory of the Middle East' is cer-
tain to be bright with the wealth
of oil, dark with the abundance
of misery.
The slow volution oft United
States ? policy for the Middle
East, a policy long overdue, is a
hopeful sign. But no conceivable
policy will provide a magic
wand. The problems of the area
are immense, complex and inter-.
.7- The' Aiials arc becefidrik more
and more skilled in this type of
warfare, and Arab nationalism
is providing fe spirit to ani-
mate it.
Auxiliary Forces Developed
Jordan has built lip a Na-
tional Guard more than 20,000
strong. Its members have little
training but are fairly well
armed with light weapons. Syria
has given some rudimentary
basic training to perhaps 90,000
locking and Many of them defy:Ptrsons and has issued machine Czecho-
slovak sub guns and
solution by rational processes. rifles to thousands of students.
Formal military force alone legypt'S National Liberation
cannot resolve these problems, Army, though poorly trained.
AS was shown at the time of the provided a spark of fanaticism
fighting in the Sinai Peninsula in the defense of Port Said.
and Port Said. . These semi-military forces add
Israel has been, since 1919, up, in effect, to armed street
the strongest indigenous mill- snobs and guerrilla armies. They
tary force in the area. She is already are of internal political
stronger today, as ? compared
with the Arab states, than ever
before, despite the supply of
Soviet equipment to Egypt and
Syria during the last year.. The
Soviet Union has cast its lot
squarely with the Arab :state',
however, and particularly with
Egypt and Syria.
The asc of local force In the
Middle East,- or anywhere in the
world, faces two inhibitions: the
threat of Soviet intervention and
the fear of nuclear war.
Role of Arab Natiatusileas
Moreover, there is another
counter to Israeli military power
more important than the devet. of Middle Eastern oil supplies.
oping but still ? incompletely, The first Soviet objective is
trained Arab armies. It Includes. Iraq, and if Iraq should turn
the "nations,' liberation" armies, toward the Communists the re-
of Egypt, Syria and Jordan, the sulfa would be felt all around
street mobs, the NationalGuard, the oll-rich Permian Gulf. If
the fervent nationalists, the ,Soviet leadership prevails in the
fedayeen (guerrilla) raiders--the: area, Moscow will have won a
Arab', nationalism, which will'istrategic victory comparable in
pull down the pillars of its own iimporttince to the communize-
temple in order to crush an tion of China.
enemy. I The United Nations has dem-
Most of the Arabs can revert, onstrated that it has real power
If necessary, te a date-and-camel to act strongly in major crisee
economy; in fact, most of them only when the United States and
have ? never risen above this the Soviet Union are on the
level. But at the same time they same side. These two. natiorut
hold Western Europe's principal cannot be on the same side in
sources of oil in fief. the Middle East, exce?it In occa?
Britain and Israel can win in sional short-term objectives such
open battle, as Sinai and Port as the cease-fire in Sinai and
Said demonstrated, but neither Suez, because their long-term ab.
Britain nor Israel can adopt a jectives clash.
date-and-camel economy. Neither In the long run there will be
nation can stand the slow attri- no substitute for United States
lion of guerrilla warfare, under- leadership vigorously applied in
grOand terrorism of the type the Middle East, outside as well
that played a part in the deciT as through the United Nations,
sion of the British te.hand over?Today, the time is ripe for that
the Suez Canal zone, indefinite leadership. The United States is
fcdayeen raids, economic boy- riding the crest of the wave is
cotts and blockade, sabotage of the area, but a trough lies not
pipelines, nationalization of oil far far behind.
refineries and holdings.
importance in a number of Arab
states. With better leadership
suni improved organization they
could be an important military
factor in any future war.
Three great outside forces can
now exert possible leadership in
the Middle East. One is the
United Nations.' Another is the
United States. The third is the
Soviet Union.
Communist ambitions in the
area are squarely opposed to
those of the United States. The
principal Soviet aim is to "crack
open the oil axis," as one ob-
server put it?to utilize Arab
nationalism to deprive the West
biriation of economic pressure,
which is now becoming severe in
Egypt, and the volatility of Arab
:politics. But the Arab nation-
alism he symbolizes will con-
tinue.
Various courses of action in
I the area are possible.
One, strongly urged 9 by Tel
lAviv, is all-out support of Israel.
But this would create more.prob-
lems than it would solve. The
very fact of Israel's eitistence is
in itself the major reason for.
friction in the Middle East.
If the United States should
'side completely with Israel
against the Arabs, it would re-
peat the same mistake that Brit-
ain and France made'in their at-
tack at Suez. The complete iden-
`tifIcation of the United States
...with Israeli interests would re-
duce this country's prestige and
;influence in the Arab world from
;Morocco to Iraq.
Israeli Resources Limited
Moreover, this would mean
:siding against nations that are
rich in oil, which. is essential tol
the Western European members
of the Atlantic pact, and sup-
porting a nation poor in re-
sources and dependent primarily
upon outside aid for continued
economic viability.
If Washington chose this
course, it would sharpen, the
great power division In the /fid-
dle East. The United States
would have to be prepared to use
military force to guard oil instal-
lations and thousands of miles of
pipelines and to occupy tbe Suez
Canal.
All - out support of Arab
threats against Israel is also im-
possible for a variety of reasons.
Israel's existence is a fact, even
if. the Arabs refuse to recog-
nize it. Complete support of the
Arabs would make a final United
States spilt with France and
Britain almost inevitable.
It follows, therefoee, that the
fundamental probleqi Is to try
to find a solution,. tree if onl
a transitory one, of the Arab-
i I reel feud.
It also follows Hull: :United
$tatiti polity In the bilfilk East .
is Raid to be Iundarneabily a
etratkiling policy, one of onmpro-
rsse, much harder to iriplement
this the forthright Soviet policy
of peti-A reliant
Preliminary StePs Listed
But some things can be done,
within, these limitations. Limit-,
ed mutual disarmament in the!
Middle East; neutralized fron-
tiers imposed and enforced
by ? permanent United Nations
forces; internationalization of
the Strait of Tiren leading to
the Gulf of Aqaba and the south-
ern tip of Israel; settlement of
the status of the Suez Camel;
a new approach to the Arab ref-
ugee problem; United Nations
trusteeship of the Gaza strip?
all these would ,help.
But these problems cannot be
trolved without definite and
tangible concessions on both
Weil. Unfortunately, neither Is-
OVER,
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P 1. P.
ISRAEL'S MILITARY POWER is stronger today, in relation to the Arab states, than
ever before. The emmterbalance of this strength, however, I. the ability of the Arabs
to revert. If necessary, to a date-and-camel economy, something Israel is usable to do.
rael nor the Arab states is in a
mood for compromise now. If
there is to be any improvement
in the Arab-Israel situation; the
United States will have to use
great pressure combined with
the most skillful possible diplo-
macy.
The split in the Arab world,
with President Gamal Abdel Nas-
ser of Egypt and Premier Nur!
. al-Said of Iraq the principal pro-
tagonists, presents another prese-
t
'eminent, one that may veer to
Ithe left.
A third approach to the Mid-
dle East is economic rather than
political. Washington is consid-
ering today what some have
called a "Mid-East Marshall
Plan," though not oft the same
scale or proportions- as aid to
Western Europe. The economic
approach for such 'things as
flood control, irrigation, darns,
health and educaUonal measures,
offers some promise. So do mili-
tary expenditures ler such pure-
ly defensive measures as radas
warning lines across Iran and
Iraq and selective training of
Arab officers in United States
military schools.
A guarantee against aggres-
sion and agreement by Congress
to support the President in the
use of force in the Middle East
would also provide greater se-
curity against the use of formal
organized force by the Soviet
Union. though It would have lit-
tle influence against intiltraUon
and subversion. And a consider-
ably expanded informational
program might help in time to
weaken the "Iron curtain" of the
mind that imprisons many
Arabs.
But none of these approaches
alone will suffice and all of them
together cannot be expected to
cure, only to ameliorate. All of
them, political, military, eco-
nomic and psychological mess-
ures,.may be necessary, though
none of them will be completely
effeQ.tive.
ing and perhaps imminent prob-loppose thi? view, asserting that
kern, , if the United States joined 'the.'
The United States proposed Baghdad Pact It would "become
and has supported, but never has'a tail to the BriUsh kite" in;
Joined, the Baghdad Pact. whose' Middle Eastern policy and muchl
members are Britain. Iran. IraqArab opinion, freezing the .'pies-
Turkey and Pakistan. Tile Brit-lent division of the Arab world.
ish bet On the other hand, it theieve that unless the United On
formally joins soon, thc'U
nited States does not join the ?
pact will wither and die and Iracikmkol? a seams probable that
at least, and possibly Pakistan,lGen? al-Sald will eveatuanY is-
will turn away from the west. 'sign as Premier and may be sac-
Some United States dipioniats!cded by an unstable Iraqi Gov-.?
?
?
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MEM. Aviuk. JAN 10 1957
Test for the Airborne
Analysis of New S-Sided Army Division
And an Exercise to .Study Its Make-Up .
By HANSON
, Fort Bragg, N. C., is the scene
this week of another definitive
test in the evolution of the 'mod-
ern Army.
i An exercise dubbed Operation
.Market Ir will put in the field
.for the first time one of the
lAinty's new airborne combat
Igroups or battle groups.
!. The exercise will involve air
itransportation between Fort
Campbell,. Ky., and Fort Bragg;
, parachute drops and air landing
operations, helicopter lift and
helicopter patrol and scouting,
and offensive and defensive
ground operations.
The unit?participating will be
the ' 187th ? Airborne Infantry
Combat Group, one of five simi-
lar groups of the reconstituted
101st Alt borne Division. The
101st Division has been for more
than a year a "guinea-pig" divi-
sion, with radically altered
'tables of organization and equip-
ment. ?
It has been trying. out and
testing in progressive exercises
the Army's new five-sided divi-
sional organization. The Fort
Bragg exercises will demonstrate
the battlefield potential of the
new combat group organization.
Organizational Problem
The small, pentagonal divi-
sional structure already has been
!tested sufficiently to warrant an
!Arany commitment to reorganize
lits present triangular divisions,
, both airborne and infantry,
1 along the new. lines. But many
details of the reorganized divi-
sion are still in doubt, The Fort
!Bragg exercise will help to for-
imalize and complete the new
,organization of the airborne di-
vision, and will serve as a guide
, to the new infantry division.
? The 101st Airborne Division
now numbers 'about 11,500 men,
'about, 5,600 men fewer than the
conventional?triangular airborne
; divi sion ; that -.the new. organize-
Lim Willi'riPirace. Tbe?regiment,
ias'such, has been abOliabed, and
so has the battalion. instead of
ithree regiments of infantry there
are now .fl ye -combat :groups in
the new division, atit roughly
equivalent to a small? regiment
or a large battalion. ? .?
Thle pattern of organization Is
isome4hat similar totliatadapted
by the French for,their.new air-
borne division?one of Which, at
!reduced strength, was employed
in the recent Port Fuad-Port
Said operation in Egypt.
1.
The French, however, use the
i
equivalent of sit;bontlrat groups
in their new dIvision'instead of
our five, and each of their units
hall an internal organization that
W. B.f.LOVAN
idffers widely froni the United
!States groups now under test.
Each United States airborne,
combat group has a five-sided
structure internally. It has five
infantry companies, averaging!
242 officers and men each, a
headqsarters and service com-
pany and a heavy mortar bat-
tery. The Combat group at full'?
strength totals 1,573.
Each of the new infantry com-
bat groups will normally have
attached to its artillery, engineeri
and other units to enable it to
fight as a combat team. All of!
these attachments--which in-
clude one battery of five 105mm.
howitzers, an engineer platoon
and other small units?increase
the. total by 219 officers and
men. ?
The 105rnm. howitzers and
90mm. assault guns provide the
combat groups with conventional
fire support. The new airborne
divisional artillery includes an
Honest John rocket battery. This
rocket can utilize either conven-
tional or nuclear ?Varheads.
Thus the new five-sided air-
borne division will have either
atomic or non - atomic capa-
bilities?hence one of its de-
signations ?Pentane (five-sided
atomic-non-atomic).
The future infantry division
will have a similar structure but
somewhat more weapons and.
men; its strength will be about'
2,09Unpre than the airborne di-
vision?or abceit 13,755 men.
'Lean and Mean'
.neW. ftve-aided
whielt Can. Maxwell D. Taylor,
Armyiehlef of Staff likes to call
the "Penfomic division," is un-
doubtedly "lean and mean," as
it has been described. All of the
airborne division's equipment is
transportable by air. It is more
mobile strategically. Its nuclear
capability. gives it much greater
fire power. It has a "higher per-
centage of foxhole strength" or
combat infantrymen.
But it suffers from some se-
vere weaknesses?some' of which
could oe almost crippling in a
non-atomic war, such as Korea
or Port Said. The new five-sided
division has far less staying
power than the old. It quite pos-
sibly has less tactical mobility.
Its most powerful weapon?the
Honest John--can be transport-
ed only by a big C-124 type air-
craft.
The new airborne division has,
no tankr. And its coriventionai.
field artillery fire support is
somewhat limited. Most impor-1
tant, the count, y does not main-I
tam n sufficient military air trans-
port to make the new division's!
potential strategic mobility an
;actuality,
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/11/08: CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030050-5