High-ranking U.S. officials privately expressed great admiration today for the daring and imagination in the escape of five Israeli gunboats from the French embargo. One official described it as “a great intelligence coup, a brilliant operation.” The Israeli Navy was lauded by some American authorities who are known to have criticized Israel on various issues in the past.
U.S. naval officers appeared pleased that the five gunboats had escaped. The event was the topic of amusement and admiration at U.S. naval headquarters.
(In London, the Daily Mail said that “in one blow, the Israelis have freed their boats, undermined the confidence of the Arabs in President Pompidou and revenged the big arms deal that France is negotiating with Libya.)
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