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0935Z 24
May 1967 transmitted message text from
U.S. Defense Attache Office, Cairo to
Defense Intelligence Agency
O P 240935Z MAY 67
FM USDAO CAIRO
TO DIA
INFO STATE DEPT
JCS
USCINCMEAFSA
USCINCEUR
CINCUSNAVEUR
CINCUSAREUR
CINCUSAFE
COMIDEASTFOR
USDAO BEIRUT
USDAO DAMASCUS
USDAO AMMAN
USDAO TEL AVIV
USDAO JEDDA
AMEMBASSY SANAA
7272 FTW WHEELUS AB LIBYA
BT
UNCLAS E F T O 0666 MAY 67
SITREP 24 UAR MILITARY ALERT
STRAITS OF TIRAN
1. "EL-AHRAQM NEWSPAPER 24 MAY CARRIES SPECIAL DISPATCH FROM JOURNALIST
WHO VISITED SHARM EL-SHEIKH AREA AFTERNOON 23 MAY.
FOLLOWING SALIENT POINTS:
A. SEALED ORDERS WERE CARRIED TO SHARM EL-SHEIKT BY
SPECIAL PLANE FROM CAIRO ON MORNING OF 23 MAY AND BECAME
EFFECTIVE AS OF 1200 (PRESUMABLY LOCAL TIME) 23 MAY.
B. AT 1200 23 MAY, TWO GROUPS OF TORPEDO BOATS LEFT A
"SPECIAL PIER" NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO THE GULF TO PATROL THE
ENTRANCE OF THE GULF. THEY WERE COVERED BY A "SQUADRON" OF
MIG AIRCRAFT. AT THE SAME TIME, GUNS WERE MOVED TO THE SHORE
AT RAS NASRANI WHERE THE STRAITS NARROW TO A PASSAGE 2
KILOMETERS WIDE.
C. THE ORDERS STATED THAT THE TORPEDO BOATS WOULD
INTERCEPT ANY ISRAELI SHIP INFORMING IT BY SIGNAL THAT THE
AQABA GULF IS UAR TERRITORIAL WATER AND THAT IT IS FORBIDDEN
TO ENTER. IF THE SHIP DOES NOT CONFORM TO THESE ORDERS, IT
WILL BE "EXPOSED TO OPEN FIRE."
D. THE TORPEDO BOATS ARE FURTHER TO INTERCEPT ANY SHIP
WHOSE CARGO IS IN DOUBT OR WHOSE DESTINATION IS NOT MADE
KNOWN IN ADVANCE TO THE UAR NAVY. SUCH SHIPS WILL BE
REQUESTED TO STOP FOR INSPECTION AND WILL BE BOARDED BY CREW
MEMBERS OF THE TORPEDO BOATS WHO WILL INSPECT THE SHIP'S
CARGO AND PAPERS AT THEIR DISCRETION. PERMISSION TO PROCEED
OR NOT WILL DEPEND ON THE OUTCOME OF THIS INSPECTION.
E. FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THE ORDER WENT INTO EFFECT, A
DUTCH SHIP PASSED THRU THE STRAITS WITH A DESTINATION OF
THE JORDANIAN PORT OF AQABA. PRIOR TO THIS A SMALL SHIP NAMED
"QBILANCE" OR "PALANCE" (TRANSLATION FROM ARABIC) EXITED
THE GULF CARRYING PHOSPHATES. AND PRIOR TO THAT, A SMALL
LIBERIAN TANKER TOGETHER WITH THE PANAMANIAN CARGO SHIP "ASTOR"
EXITED FROM THE GULF. AT 0700 ON THE SAME MORNING (23 MAY AM)
CARGO SHIP NAMED "NOVNADINASS" (TRANSLATED FROM ARABIC) EXITED THE
GULF. OBSERVERS WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE NATIONALITY OF THIS
VESSEL SINCE IT FLEW MRA FLAG. NONE OF THESE SHIPS WERE STOPPED.
2. THE SAME PAPER REPORTED SEPARATELY THAT NAVAL MINES HAD
BEEN PLANTED "INSIDE UAR TERRITORIAL WATER" TO RESTRICT
NAVIGATIONAL PASSAGE.
3. COORDINATED WITH EMBASSY.
BT
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