The Soviet Union intends to step up the Middle East arms race in the next few months by delivering large quantities of modern weapons, including planes and guided missiles, to Egypt and Iraq, the Daily Telegraph here reported today in a dispatch from Beirut.
An Iraqi military mission now in Moscow, the dispatch reported, is particularly anxious to obtain more modern planes to replace obsolete Soviet MIGs now being operated by the Iraqi air force. The report added that the Iraqis are also seeking to obtain from the USSR the type of anti-aircraft missiles now being used by North Viet Nam.
A press dispatch from Damascus reported today that Syria’s new regime also expects to receive fresh Soviet military supplies. This report was accepted here as having validity because, under the new regime in Damascus, the Russian-backed, local Communist Party has been permitted considerable liberty of action.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
