NOTES
pp. [215–217]^
Phantom nearly accomplishes an intercept of a high-altitude Soviet reconnaissance craft.
It is “guessed” to be a Yak-25RV (Mandrake), an older Soviet model that was a rough coun-
terpart of the U-2. There is no other evidence of this model’s appearance over Israel, but
as the book was completed before the 63rd was deployed to Eg ypt, it appears to indicate
prior IAF awareness of Soviet spy planes.- Akopov, transcript, pp. 27–30.
- “Ahmad Ismail,” Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/
topic/930499/Ahmad-Ismail - In this speech, Sadat attributed the Soviets’ dispatch of their SAM units to Nasser’s visit
in January 1970, but his statement that “Russian soldiers were killed alongside our boys”
within a week of the visit in effect confirmed that Soviet missile crews had been in Eg ypt
earlier. Could that have caused MENA’s immediate retraction of the report? AP’s Cairo
bureau “indicated that its report had been censored” (“Russians Died at Missiles, Sadat
Reports,” Toledo Blade, 5 January 1970, p. 1); Reuters was approached to emend its ver-
sion but refused. The Daily Telegraph’s John Bulloch reported that he had to fly to Cyprus
to file his story, after—according to “western and Arab diplomats”—the Soviet embassy
had prevailed on Eg yptian authorities to censor the passage in question (Bulloch, quoted
in Ma’ariv, 6 January 1971, p. 3). MENA and Cairo Radio then carried versions that omit-
ted any mention at all of Soviet aid. Sadat spoke extemporaneously for two hours; no full
transcript survived—if there ever was one. He was speaking on a tour aimed at whipping
up support for a war; his thrust was strongly anti-American and pro-Soviet. See Chapter
4, notes 48 and 51. - War Ministry, Air Defence Forces Headquarters operations division, circular to forma-
tion commanders, 23 November 1970, CDE-IHC, 264/12. - Kapitanets, Na Sluzhbe, pp. 274–7.
- Heikal in Al-Ahram, quoted by Arab affairs correspondent, Davar, 3 January 1971, p. 2.
- Bergus, Cairo, to secretary of state, 8 February 1971. NARA, NSC H-files, box H-51,
folder 5. - “We’ll Replace War Loss,” Herald-Statesman (Yonkers, NY), 18 January 1971.
- Military correspondent, Davar, 4 February 1971, p. 1. Peres (then transportation minis-
ter) commented: “As long as the Russians protect Eg yptian skies, as long as Eg ypt is a
Soviet military protectorate, the temptation for Eg ypt will be too strong for her to make
peace.” Davar, 5 February 1971, p. 3. - Military correspondent, Davar, 10 May 1971, p. 1.
- SAR, no. 115, pp. 278–9, 279n6.
- SAR, no. 114, pp. 274–5, 275n4. The bracketed reference was penciled in. The editors
provide no clarification for the otherwise unknown “Amin Channel.” It might possibly be
the “private channel” mentioned in the cable from Bergus to secretary of state, 8 February
1971. NARA, NSC H-files, box H-51, folder 5. - Primakov, Blizhniy Vostok, p. 139.
- To Arnaud de Borchgrave of Newsweek. The interview appeared in the 22 February issue
of the magazine, but its essence was released almost immediately.