1973-11-12 Central Intelligence Bulletin: Arab States-Israel

7/29/2019 1973-11-12 Central Intelligence Bulletin: Arab States-Israel

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C ARAB STATES - ISRAEL: A six-point cease-fireagreement was signed Sunday morning by Egyptian andIsraeli military officers at Kilometer 101 on theCairo-Suez road. After the signing, representativesof the two sides met for more than one hour with UNofficials to discuss the implementation of the agree-ment. An Egyptian spokesman in Cairo implied thatthe next step would be to disentangle opposing mili-tary forces west of the canal "and return them to thepositions of 22 October," and to secure Egyptian roadcommunications to Suez City and the east bank. Hesidestepped a question on the blockade of the Bab al-Mandab, the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Talksbetween Egyptian and Israeli officers will resume atnoon on Monday at Kilometer 101. They are scheduledto discuss the exchange of prisoners of war.

The military situation is quiet, although reportsof minor cease-fire violations continued to be re-ceived up to a few hours before the signing of thesix-point agreement. The violations consisted ofartillery and small arms exchanges in areas along thecanal. 25

Prime Minister Meir attended an emergency meet-ing of the Socialist. International in London yester-day. The meeting, attended by Socialists from 20countries, centered largely on the recent declarationby the nine members of the European Communities thatcalled on Israel to return to pre-June 1967 boundaries.West German Chancellor Brandt and Dutch Premier denUyl denied that the EC resolution represented anyhardening beyond mere support of the 1967 UN SecurityCouncil resolution, which urged an Israeli withdrawal.Because of the trip, the Israeli Knesset has post-poned debate on the six-point agreement with Egyptuntil Tuesday.

In Tel Aviv, leaders of Likud, the Israeli oppo-sition party, decided Sunday night not to support thegovernment's cease-fire agreement with Cairo. Likudopposes the accord on the grounds that it does notensure the release of all Israeli POWs and does notexplicitly include provisions for the lifting of theblockade of the Bab al-Mandab. In addition, Likud )12 Nov 73 Central Intelligence Bulletin 125

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Text of the Egyptian-Israeli AgreementSigned on 11 November 1973:

--Egypt and Israel agree to observe scrupulously thecease-fire called for by the UN Security Council.--Both sides agree that discussions between them willbegin immediately to settle the question of the re-turn to the October 22 positions in the framework ofagreement on the disengagement and separation offorces under the auspices of the UN.

--The town of Suez will receive daily supplies offood, water and medicine. All wounded civilians inthe town of Suez will be evacuated.--There shall be no impediment to the movement ofnon-military supplies to the East Bank.--The Israeli checkpoints on the Cairo-Suez road willbe replaced by UN checkpoints. At the Suez end ofthe road Israeli officers can participate with theUN to supervise the non-military nature of the cargoat the bank of the Canal.--As soon as the UN checkpoints are established onthe Cairo-Suez road, there will be an exchange ofall prisoners of war, including wounded.

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C contends that in effect the siege of the EgyptianThird Army has been lifted. Likud also argues thatthe Meir government has no mansdate to take on obliga-tions on behalf of Israel. The opposition points outthat the government's term of office ended on 28 Oc-tober; elections were postponed because o-the waremergency. Likud is demanding that the cabinet de-clare in advance that only a new government--electionsare scheduled for 31 December--has the authority to.negotiate future settlements.

Deputy Prime Minister Allon, in an Israeli tele-vision interview, said that,although Israel wantednegotiations, talks could not possibly become substan-tive before the elections on 31 December. He saidmany people in Israel, including himself, thought thegovernment needed a new mandate before concluding anyagreements, but that no opportunity should be missedfor the opening of talks, even before the Decemberelections.

Meanwhile, a controversy is growing in Israelover the conduct of the war. The Israeli cabinet an-nounced yesterday that Mrs. Meir had proposed a fullinvestigation into the circumstances surrounding thewar and that the army would also conduct 'its own in-quiry. Foreign Minister Eban earlier had called fora special commission to look into Israel's prepared-ness on the eve of the war. Eban, never a close po-litical ally of Defense Minister Dayan, criticizedDayan's defense concepts, including his approach tothe question of the Suez Canal.

Major General Sharon, a top Israeli commanderon the Egyptian front, also stoked the controversyin two recent interviews with foreign correspondentswhen he criticized the Israeli high command for itsconduct of the war. Sharon, who had retired fromthe army earlier this year to enter politics, is aleader of Likud, which is challenging the governingLabor Party in next month's elections.

Yasir Afarat, Fatah leader and Palestine Libera-tion Organization chairman, left for Moscow yesterdayafter meeting briefly in Cairo with President Sadat,

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Caccording to a press report. Arafat's stopover inEgypt followed his meeting with King Faysal on 10 No-vember and other Arab leaders earlier. Fatah report-edly has been in the forefront of the commando groupsfavoring fedayeen participation in a peace conference.

King Husayn made a whirlwind visit to Oman,Qatar, and Bahrain yesterday. The Jordanian Kingmade a similar one-day swing through Saudi Arabia,Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and Syria about a week ago.Husayn has close ties with some of the rulers ofthe Gulf states and he may be trying to rally sup-port for a Jordanian role in post-war negotiations.

Press reports indicate that the Chinese areadopting a more flexible position on a politicalsettlement in the Middle East. The US Consulatein Hong Kong views Peking's press treatment of theresumption of diplomatic relations between the USand Egypt as a shift away from previous categoricalcondemnations of efforts toward a negotiated set-tlement. In the past few days, the earlier andfrequent condemnation of an "imposed settlement"in the Middle East has been conspicuously absent;there has been no criticism of current US diplo-matic efforts.

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INTERNATIONAL OIL: Libya and Algeria, neitherof which fully implemented the October agreement tocut oil production, now appear to be implementingthe 25-percent cut agreed to at the second Arab oilproducers' meeting in November. One of the US oilcompanies operating in Libya was told Friday to cutits production by some 25 percent. The US InterestsSection in Algiers, relying on information concerningonly two fields, has reported that Algeria has al-ready cut oil production by at least 15 percent fromits September level. The two countries account forabout .17 percent of Arab oil production.. All Araboil producers that signed the agreement now seem tobe following through on the 25-percent cutback.Iraq, which did not sign either agreement,lost about20-30 percent of its production because of war damageto its terminal at Baniyas. 25


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1973-11-12 Central Intelligence Bulletin: Arab States-Israel

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