Egypt’s two topmost leaders, President Gamal Abdel Nasser and War Minister-Field Marshal Abdel Hakim Amer, announced boldly in Cairo today that the rockets fired by the Egyptians Saturday, and other armaments exhibited in a “Revolution Day” parade today, are being amassed for a war against Israel, according to Cairo dispatches received here today.
“I want the world to know,” said President Nasser, “that we will not allow Palestine to remain in the hands of Israel. As the world has seen, we are getting ready.”
Marshal Amer took the salute of Egypt’s armed forces, alongside President Nasser, as Cairo watched the military parade celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Nasser coup which overthrew King Farouk, and declared:
“The United Arab Republic air force has full command of the skies in our area. Its armed forces are the strongest in Africa and the Middle East. The enemy facing the Arab world is Israel, an imperialist base. The fact that Israel has an atomic reactor, functioning in secret, leads us to believe that she will use it for aggressive purposes.”
The reports from Cairo indicated that, in addition to the rockets fired Saturday, Egypt also possesses now MIG-21 jet fighters recently acquired from the Soviet Union, as well as the new, Soviet TU-16 bombers, plus Russian tanks and new, Soviet types of artillery.
Nasser boasted in his speech opening the “Revolution Day” celebration that he has still other, secret armaments. He told his crowds: “You will not see all of my new weapons. Some will remain secret.” He said also that, soon, he will open a factory for the production of “Egypt’s own jet planes.” Thus far, all of Egypt’s jets have been acquired from the Soviet Union.
Press commentators here pointed out that the rockets fired by Egypt Saturday, at launching pads 50 miles west of Cairo, put Israel within range of Nasser’s rockets.
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