‘al Ahram’ Reports Egyptian War Ministry Distributing Weapons to New Militia

The semi-official Cairo newspaper Al Ahram reported today that the Egyptian War Ministry had begun to distribute weapons to the newly created Peoples’ Defense Force. The militia was established by decree of President Gamal Abdel Nasser 24 hours after Israel’s commando raid last week deep into Egyptian territory which resulted in damage to two bridges and a power station. The report from Cairo said militia recruits are now in training camps all over Egypt and will relieve Army regulars of guard duty behind the lines.

Members of the militia are to guard civilian and Government installations in the hope of forestalling or blunting any future Israeli forays beyond the Suez Canal cease-fire lines.

(A New York Times dispatch from Cairo today said the Defense Force would also be politically advantageous to the Government by providing employment and giving civilians a feeling of participation in the struggle against Israel. At the same time, creation of the militia “may pose serious risks for the regime” in view of the “numerous plots reported against President Nasser since the 1967 war,” the Times reported. “The Government has also announced that former military men are expected to play a leading role within the force. However, many of the country’s foremost officers have grievances against Mr. Nasser or the military leadership, which is the principal buttress of his power,” the Times said.)

Mock air raids were held in Alexandria and Damietta yesterday as 21 military advisors were being deployed to various districts to coordinate the work of the militia. Deep anxiety over the vulnerability of Egypt’s strategic centers, notably the Aswan High Dam, was behind the Nasser decree, Western observers believe.