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Wednesday, October 07, 1998
While Egypt is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the October 1973 victory, military analysts attribute the success of the war to the surprise air strikes conducted by the Egyptian Air Forces against Israeli targets in the then occupied Sinai Peninsula. President Hosni Mubarak, the commander of the Air Forces during the war, is now praised as the hero who was behind the streak of triumphant air strikes which paved the way to the ground forces to cross the Suez Canal, destroy the Israeli fortified defence line of Barlev and regain control over the Eastern Bank of the Canal. "On October 6, 1973 more than 220 Jets crossed the Suez Canal and stormed the Israeli command headquarters in Sinai, destroying 95 per cent of these points. The strikes included all Israeli air defence sites and airports in Sinai. It caused confusion to the Israeli command and most of their (anti-aircraft) missiles were either destroyed or became useless," the Egyptian leader recalled the first day of the war, dubbed as the most landmark event in the modern military history of the Arab nation. "Afterwards, our (ground) forces started the crossing efficiently and successfully, they reached the east bank of the Canal and occupied the bridge heads" he told "Good Morning Egypt" programme. Mubarak said that the success of the air raids in demolishing the Israeli air defence and artillery posts was a key factor of the success of the Suez Canal crossing. "The first air strike achieved all its targets. There were no other targets left to be hit because the first strike devastated them all," the Egyptian leader said, adding that the political leadership had taken the decision to start the liberation war for many reasons. "The October War is definitely a bright point at the modern Egyptian military history. It was not waged for the sake of war but to open the door for peace," said Mubarak, recalling late President Anwar Sadat's remarks "We fight to move ahead the peace, which is our final target." Mubarak said, however, that although Egypt successfully liberated its land, peace can not yet be established in the Middle East because there are Arab territories under Israeli occupation. "The peace and the recognition of Arabs' rights is the key factor for securing the Middle East area and its nations," said Mubarak. The President cautioned anew against the Israeli undeclared nuclear programme and renewed Cairo's call for a treaty to free the Middle East from weapons of mass destruction. "There should be a balance of power in the region and this will be the big guarantee for the peace process," he said. "We insist on controlling armament in the Middle East. This control should include every country and the nuclear, chemical and biological weapons," Mubarak said when asked about the Israeli nuclear arsenal. Moreover, he blasted the Israeli statements which criticised the Egyptian armament programme. "Israel is the country that develops its military might with weapons and long-range missiles," said Mubarak, pointing at the Israeli cargo plane that collided in Holland while carrying materials used in producing VX gas to Israel. The President blasted the October war critics who claim it was a political manoeuvres between the two parties." The war is not a sort of political manoeuvres, it is impossible that two parties agree to kill each other," he said. Furthermore, the President ridiculed statements by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he claimed victory in the 1973 war. "Israel's Former Prime Minister Golda Maier cried and described the war as 'the sad day of Israel",' he said. Asked about the developments of the Middle East peace process, Mubarak, who recently met with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, said that Arafat had "a very good meeting" with US President Bill Clinton in Washington two weeks ago, but what is important is what Netanyahu would do (to move peace)." The Egyptian leader also blasted the Israeli foot-dragging in carrying out the second stage of the troop redeployment, from the West Bank. "Netanyahu introduces incomprehensible terms like" the nature reserve'. "What are the characteristics of this reserve? Only Netanyahu knows the answer. I think no one else, even the Palestinians, understand it," Mubarak said. Mubarak said that violence would continue in the region until the security of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples is guaranteed. "Peace is the strategic option, picked up by Arab leaders in their last summit (in Cairo in 1996). Former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Began, who himself was a hardliner, realised that peace benefits both parties," he told "Good Morning Egypt". Mubarak said that all Arab countries would support the Palestinian President Arafat should he announce an independent Palestinian State on May, 1999, the deadline set by the PLO-Israeli Oslo agreement to reach a final peace deal. "This (announcement) would be an implementation of international decision," he said. Mubarak said that Cairo was keen on doing its best to reach a peaceful solution to the current row between Syria and Turkey. Touching on home scene, Mubarak highlighted development, in agricultural, industrial, telecommunication and transport fields. He also attributed the ongoing development which is changing the face of Egypt, to the victory of October war. |
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