SOVIET POSITION MIDEAST SITUATION

Created: 7/1/1967

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

Intelligence Information Cable

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USSR/ARABJUNE 7

SUBJECT: SOVIET POSITION MIDEAST SITUATION

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A. . YOU SHIPPING WEAPONS TO THE ARAB COUNTRIES? B. THE SHIPMENT OF ARMS WAS TO START AFTER THE SIGNINGEW MILITARY AID PACT DURING THE RECENT VISIT OF USSR CHIEF OF STAFF MARSHALL MATVEY VASIL^EVICH ZAKHAROV TO CAIRO. HINK S

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ARE BEING LOADED ON SHIPS IN ODESSA AND OTHER BLACK SEA PORTS, PRIOR TO THE SIGNINGACT. SOME FOREIGN NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED REPORTS THAT THE USSR WAS TRANSPORTING ARMS TO ARAB COUNTRIES BY AIR. THE EXPLANATION FOR

THIS IS THAT CERTAIN SENSITIVE EQUIPMENT AT ARAB AIRPORTS WAS DAMAGED. REPLACEMENTS ARE BEING AIR SHIPPED AND REPAIRS STARTED IMMEDIATELY.

. IN YOUR OPINION, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR THE ARAB STATES TO START FIGHTING AGAIN?

B. IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY ARMY WHICH HAS BEEN SO BADLY DEFEATED BOTH MORALLY AND MATERIALLY TO GOAR WHICH WOULD LAST FOR MONTHS, OR EVEN YEARS. THE ARABS VERY CLEARLY SHOWED THAT THEY DO NOT ACT LOGICALLY. THIS TIME THE USSR IS PROVIDING WEAPONS WITH THE CONDITION THAT THEY BE USED FOR DEFENSIVE PURPOSES AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES FOR OFFENSIVE MEASURES. THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING THESE ARMS IS TO INCREASE

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LOWERING OUR PRESTIGE WITH THE ARABS. WE

EXPLAINED THIS TO PRESIDENT NASIR. HE MAY NOT

LIXE IT, BUT WE DON'T CATCH THESE WEAPONS FROM

THE SEA. HE WON'T BE PAYING FOR THE DAMAGED

WEAPONS FOR THE NEXT FIVE OR TEN YEARS. FOR NASIR

TO BECOME INVOLVEDAR WOULD NOT ONLY BE

FOOLISH BUT WOULD BE COMMITTING SUICIDE.

3. A. WHAT SACRIFICES SHOULD BE MADE BY BOTH SIDES IN ORDER TO REACH AN AGREEMENT; IN OTHER WORDS WHAT SACRIFICES DOES THE SOVIET UNION EXPECT HE ISRAELIS AND THE ARABS TO MAKE?

B. AS WAS AGREED IN THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN PREMIER KOSYSIN AND PRESIDENT JOHNSON, WE SHALL .PUT PRESSURE ON THE ARABS TO ACCEPT ISRAELEALITY. IN RETURN, WE WILL TRY TO PRESS THE ISRAELIS TO AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING I TO WITHDRAW FROM THE TERRITORY THEY OCCUPIED IN THE RECENT HOSTILITIES; O PAY INDEMNITY TO CIVILIANS WHO SUFFERED DAMAGES DURING THE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF REFUGEES.

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ISRAEL WANTS TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE ARABS,ARABS DON'T WANT TO RECOGNIZE ISRAEL. WHAT IS

YOUR OPINION ON THIS SUBJECT?

B. 'WHEN ISRAEL ACCEPTS THE CONDITIONS WE PUT FORTH, THE ARABS WILL HAVE TO RECOGNIZE ISRAEL SO THEY CAN NEGOTIATE THE DETAILS. IN THIS CASE, THE QUESTION WILL BE WHICH OF THE CONDITIONS SHOULD BE MET FIRST. IN OTHER WORDS, WHICH SHOULD COME FIRST. SHOULD ISRAEL FIRST WITHDRAW FROM THE LAND THEY HAVE OCCUPIED, OR SHOULD THEIRST RECOGNIZE ISRAEL. ANYWAY, IF ISRAEL. CARRIES OUT ITS OBLIGATION UNDER THE SOVIET-AMERICAN AGREEMENT, THERE IS NO REASON WHY THE ARABS SHOULD NOT START NEGOTIATIONS. IF NASIR ACTS STUBBORNLY THEN HE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE LEADERSHIP TO ANOTHER WHO WOULD ACCEPT THE SOVIET-AMERICAN AGREEMENT.

WHAT DO THE SOVIETS THINK ABOUT JHE TURKISHATTITUDE?

3. THE TURKISH POLICY DURING THE CRISIS IS INSPIRED BYESULT OF THE NEW PRINCIPLE OF FRIENDLY

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WITH ARABS. IF ITESULT OF ABSOLUTELY NEUTRAL POLICY, THEN IT WOULD BE, LIKE ALL OTHER MUSLIM COUNTRIES, TO OPENLY OPPOSE ISRAEL. ON THE OTHER HAND, FOREIGN MINISTER CA6LAYANGIL OF THE DEHIREL CABINET ATTRACTS OUR ATTENTIONOREIGN MINISTER WHO CAN CALMLY AND WITH RESERVE SEE THE FUTURE. THUS HE IS ALSO PREVENTING THE ANTI-TURKISH PROPAGANDA WHICH WE COULD MAKE IN THESE COUNTRIES. IN THE EVENT THE UNITED STATES AND SOVIET RUSSIA ALSO AGREE ON OTHER PROBLEMS, THEN TURKISH POLICY IN THE PAST WILL NATURALLY BE CONSIDERED BY BOTH THE ARABS ANDDURING THIS CURREHT CRISIS, IT WOULD NOT BE WISE FOR TURKEY TO-BE ON THE SAME SIDE WITH ISRAEL. GENERAL OPINION WOULD BE WITH THE OPPOSITION. .THUS WE CONSIDER THIS ATTITUDE IN FOREIGN POLICYDRIFT TO NEUTRALITY", OGICAL POLICY IMPOSED

Original document.

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