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Egypt Charges in Letter to Thant That Israel Uses Phantom Jets

December 9, 1969
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Egypt has protested to the United Nations against the alleged use by Israel of American-made Phantom jet fighter-bombers against Egyptian forces. In a letter to secretary General U Thant, Egyptian Ambassador Mohammed-Hassan El-Zayyat warned that “such military aid cannot but sustain Israel in its attempts to consolidate its aggression and plan further expansion.” He said that “the use of U.S. -built Phantom jet aircraft by Israel occupying forces bears out the warnings and apprehensions repeatedly expressed by the Arab countries regarding the serious repercussions of providing such offensive weapons to Israel.”

The Egyptian envoy quoted reports from Lt. Gen. Odd Bull, chief of the UN Truce supervision organization, confirming use of the Phantoms. In apparent criticism of the U.S., Mr. al-Zayyat said “military aid assumes a disturbing character when it comes from a permanent member of the Security Council which has a special responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.”

The semi-official Cairo newspaper Al Ahram today accused Israel of using an American-made fragmentation missile outlawed by international conventions in air raids across the Suez Canal. According to Al Ahram, the Israelis are using the “Mighty Mouse” which was originally developed for use in Vietnam. It was described as a missile containing five-inch steel arrows which cause a jagged “dirty” wound on impact. The paper claimed that this was fresh evidence of America’s “total bias” in favor of Israel.

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