Office of the Historian

674.84A/9–2953: Telegram

No. 680
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Egypt1

secret
Washington, September 29, 1953—7:30 p.m.

365. You may inform Nasir Dept regards any violation Armistice Agreement or flouting of UN authority with utmost (Cairo’s 379)2 [Page 1338] seriousness. As first step we assume Egypt taking up matter through existing UNTSO machinery. Dept plans make appropriate inquiries of Israel re this incident. You may add Secy expressed to Eban Sept 25 our concern over Israel’s reaction to Gen. Bennike’s decision regarding Banat Yaacov Canal. You should continue stress importance to Egypt in her overall interest of showing restraint and avoiding aggravation situation Israel border. You may add Dept recognizes statesmanlike attitude toward this problem followed to date by RCC.3

Dulles
  1. Repeated to Tel Aviv and to London and Paris by pouch.↩
  2. Supra.↩

  3. Ambassador Caffery reported on Sept. 30 that he had transmitted this message to Nasir and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, both of whom expressed satisfaction at the Department’s attitude. They affirmed that Egypt was taking the matter up through the U.N. Truce Supervision Organization and that they would refrain from provocation. At the same time, Egyptian forces in the area which were reduced in May were being reinforced. Nasir said he was awaiting further information as a result of the Department’s inquiries of Israel and expressed the hope that Egypt’s reliance on U.N. action would “result in something more than usual words.” (Telegram 384 from Cairo, Sept. 30; 674.84A/9–3053)

    For the text of the Egyptian letter of Oct. 2 to the Security Council concerning the Israeli advance at al-Auja, see U.N. doc. S/3101.

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