392. Memorandum From the Director of the National Indications Center (Hitchcock) to the Intelligence Advisory Committee1
NIC
#TS–6–372
Washington, October 28,
1956.
SUBJECT
- Evidence Bearing On The Possibility Of An Israeli Attack On Egypt
The Watch Committee, in reaching its conclusions bearing on the possibility of an Israeli attack against Egypt (Special Watch Report No. 325A, 28 October 1956),2 considered a number of recent reports, the most important of which are summarized below:
- 1.
- Intense Israeli military activity with very heavy call-ups of personnel and requisitioning of civilian vehicles and engineer construction equipment during the past few days. Mobilization of personnel is now estimated as 80 per cent of maximum with 170,000 active duty and there are indications that this mobilization will be a maximum one.
- 2.
- Large troop and matériel movements throughout Israel with maximum concentrations apparently in the southern and Rehovot areas as well as strong reinforcements of the Jordan border and Jerusalem areas.
- 3.
- Evidence of a state of alert in the Israeli Air Force although its reserves have not been mobilized in large numbers.
- 4.
- Israeli censoring of overseas telephone conversations.
- 5.
- Reports that the Israeli Defense Force has pressured Ben Gurion for a freer hand in determining the scale and direction of its military actions and the reported move of its headquarters out of Tel Aviv to an alternate operational headquarters.
- 6.
- Israel’s announcement of its mobilization as justified by Egyptian commando operations, the new Egyptian-Syrian-Jordanian military agreement, the concentration of Iraqi forces on Jordan’s east border and continued hostile Arab declarations against Israel.
- 7.
- Additional reports of close collaboration between the French and Israeli Governments, including the dispatch of Mystere aircraft, raising Israeli strength in this aircraft to 53–60.
- 8.
- The movement of 18 French air transports, of DC–6 size or larger, to Cyprus on 28 October, which with the available UK air lift of 21 aircraft, raises UK-French lift capabilities from Cyprus to 2500–3000 troops.
- 9.
- Arab actions against France including a complete general strike throughout Arab countries, in support of Algerian rebellion, and French riots and demonstrations resulting in the burning of the French Consulate in Jerusalem and attacks on the French Embassy in Damascus and the Consulate in Aleppo. French irritation at Egypt over the Athos, seized near Algeria with a cargo of Egyptian arms.
- 10.
- Evidence of closer collaboration among Syria, Jordan and Egypt in the recent military agreement among the three countries, placing the Jordanian forces under Egyptian command in the event of an Israeli attack and in the emergence of pro-Egyptian Jordanian personalities as a result of the Jordanian elections.
For the Chairman:
James
J. Hitchcock