Gamal Abdel Nasser, president of the United Arab Republic, has told his followers that he will build his nation’s armed strength “to meet Zionist and Imperialist threats,” according to Egyptian dispatches received here today.
Addressing a rally at Port Said, in celebration of the withdrawal of British and French forces following the Suez Canal action in 1956, Nasser said he will add three divisions to his army, as well as a “well-armed national guard,” to enable him “to break the head of anybody who may approach us.”
He implied, however, that he does not intend to attack Israel at the time, stating that those who were urging him to engage in war against Israel or in any other kind of military operation were doing so “in order to stab us in the back.” He declared Arabs could not wage war against Israel until other Arab nations “rid themselves of reactionary fifth columns.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
