British Intelligence believes that the immediate objective of President Nasser of Egypt in his propaganda campaign against British bases in the Middle East is Israel, not the British protectorate of Aden, the Evening Standard, a leading British daily reported here today.
Nasser’s basic strategy is believed to be the creation of conditions to prevent Britain from helping Israel if and when the Arabs launch their long-heralded attack on Israel, according to the report. The Nasser plan, it is believed, is to tie down British reserves in Aden, Cyprus, Libya and the Far East. With the British tied down, Nasser would be able to carry out his plans to attack Israel, according to the British Intelligence analysis.
Nasser was represented by the British Intelligence as regarding France as heavily committed economically in North Africa, West Germany in no mood to support Israel, Russia strongly backing the Arabs in their anti-Israeli hostility and the United States reluctant to intervene on behalf of Israel out of alleged fears of losing Middle East oil concessions. According to this view, the United States would also hesitate to intervene for fear that this would open the Arab world fully to Soviet penetration.
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