October 2, 1955 Nasser, attacks Western “deceit”
Egypt Receives Russian and Czech Military Aid
CAIRO: Premier Gamal Abdel Nasser, attacking Western “deceit,” said today that Egypt was forced to go to the Communists for arms to protect itself from Israel. Col. Nasser charged that the British, French and American conception of a “balance of power” and the tripartite declaration guaranteeing security in the Middle East was “the big deceit.” Speaking at Egyptian Military Academy graduation exercises, the Premier declared that the West was arming Israel and refusing to provide Egypt with military equipment. Premier Nasser claimed “Egyptian intelligence” had somehow obtained French and British “documents” telling about supplies to Israel. Col. Nasser claimed this was the “turning point” that alerted Egypt and decided it to seek arms from the Communists. He reaffirmed that Egypt intends to hold to its agreement with Czechoslovakia to trade rice and cotton for arms. The United States sent Assistant Secretary of State George V. Allen here to confer with Egyptian officials as soon as the arms deal was announced. Mr. Allen said yesterday, after talks with Col. Nasser, that he had “discussed matters concerning relations between America and Egypt, including the arms question.” Mr. Allen withheld comment when asked yesterday if he offered Egypt anything new, but reports from well informed quarters said he explored ways of supplying Egypt with some kind of American arms as a counter to the Czech deal.
Source: International Herald Tribune, “In Our Pages 100, 75, and 50 Years Ago,” October 3, 2005.
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