Reply to Amroo
Reader comment on item: [Michael Oren's] "Six Days of War"
in response to reader comment: Please read.. -correction-

Submitted by cliff (France), Jun 23, 2007 at 10:59

It is all great what you wrote, and I just wish you had some facts to back up your claims. I meanwhile was living in Cairo, Egypt during the 1973 war and, what you are claiming is not exactly what I saw and heard. Do not get me wrong, I love the Egyptian people and I'm so glad for them that they no longer must bear the burdens of war for the other Arabic nations who themselves only give mouth support while none of their sons died and suffered the horrors of war like the poor Egyptians had to.

The Egyptian crossing of the canal was a brillant military victory and Israel was shocked, but let's face it, 15 days after, the Egyptian army no longer existed, matter of fact the Israelis did reach 101 Kms from Cairo and I could hear the war from my house in Cairo and even saw the monument built by the Egyptians 101 Kms away from Cairo. I will not even mention the beating the Syrians suffered on the Golan Heights 4 days after they attacked.

The UN forced a cease-fire on the Israelis and the Americans forced the Israelis to release the Third Army in the Sinai and I do not know if you ever spent any time in the desert, but it does get hot and water is quite useful to have.

America did supply the Israelis with weapons just like the Soviets did for the Syrians and the Egyptians, I could see the Soviet Air Force Antonovs landing every day in Cairo and believe me, they did not come loaded with tourists, and if my memory is still good which I think it is, the Arabic Air Forces did have the latest Soviet Migs and other Soviet weapons like the great anti tank weapons used brilliantly by the Egyptians in the Sinai.

Not many people do know this, but the Soviets did try to take on the Israelis before the 1973 war and ended running with their tails between their legs after the Israeli pilots shot them down like rabbits out of the sky over the Canal.

To me the best thing that could happen did happen and it took the October/Yom Kippour war to make it happen and that is Peace for the Egyptian people and to no longer see their economy based on a war footage and to no longer bear the burdens of war so dear to the arabic nations that just happen to be far enough from the battlefield.

I like the Egyptians just like the Israelis and each of them showed me great kindness and hospitality during my stays in their countries and I can just hope and pray that the peace between them will last forever

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