Memorandum on Egypt-Soviet Cooperation
(May 28, 1966)
This memorandum summarizes various issues in Egypt-Soviet cooperation.
No. 0830/66
Washington, May 28, 1966.
EGYPTIAN-SOVIET RELATIONS
Summary
Egypt and the USSR may be moving toward a period of
closer cooperation in the pursuit of their common objectives in the
Arab world. Nasir's reviving antagonism toward conservative and moderate
Arab leaders, his concurrent tendency to try to unify "progressive
and revolutionary" Arab forces, and his renewed hostility toward
US and British policy in the Middle East have almost certainly increased
his readiness to collaborate with Moscow. Moscow's present leadership
will be cautiously receptive to opportunities Nasir may offer for extending
Soviet influence in the area. They already appear to be preparing to
work somewhat more closely with him than in the past in espousing his
kind of Arab nationalism, socialism, and opposition to Western influence.
There are, however, definite limitations on such cooperation well-recognized
by both sides.
[Here follow 17 paragraphs of more detailed discussion.]
/1/Source: Johnson Library, National Security File,
Country File, United Arab Republic, Vol. IV. Secret; No Foreign Dissem;
No Dissem Abroad; Controlled Dissem/Background Use Only. A note in the
source text states that the memorandum was prepared by the Office of
Current Intelligence in the CIA Directorate of Intelligence and coordinated
with ORR and ONE.
Sources: Foreign
Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, V. 18, Arab-Israeli
Dispute 1964-1967. DC: GPO,
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