The U.S. Defense Department said today it could make “no comment” on reports received here that an Egyptian jet bomber had “buzzed” the U.S.S. Georgetown, a Navy intelligence ship, about 50 miles north of Alexandria, Sunday morning. Administration sources indicated that attempts are being made to minimize the incident because of “general improvement in American-Egyptian relations.
The Georgetown was buzzed by a Soviet-made IL-28 “Beagle” bomber. The ship is in the same class as the U.S.S. Liberty, accidentally attacked by Israel during the Six-Day War. It is much larger than the U.S.S. Pueblo. The incident came at a time when the Egyptian press and radio continued to gloat over the North Korean capture of the Pueblo. The incident took place in international waters at a point estimated at 50 miles north of Alexandria, a port used by the Soviet Navy.
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