The case of debating Israeli and Western propaganda regarding outcome of the October War, 1973. According to Egyptian Army Generals Hassan el-Badri and TahaMagdoub, Granville West, Reuter's military correspondent, described the battlefield: “The wreckage of Israeli centurion tanks is still there bearing traces of fire and ashes. In Wikipedia2, the free encyclopedia under the title: “Battle of the Chinese Farm”, another name for the Devresoir Battle, the following descriptive images of the tough fight west of the Suez Canal are very telling about what did take place in the corridor west of the canal: “Adan (the Israeli field commander) realised that his armoured units were in danger of complete destruction if they attempted to advance any further” and that the Israelis realised that ‘the Egyptians were firing at the Israeli from three sides as they continued to infiltrate through the ditches. Israeli paratrooper Moaziah Seel stated: “The Egyptians were dug in like a horse shoe. They could shoot at us from three sides. It was a carpet fire-bullets were everywhere. I thought from here that we are not going to get out alive÷ This is our destinations...”. Captain Rami Martin, an Israeli tank commander, remembered: “An Egyptian soldier, thinking we were Egyptians, climbed onto the tank and asked for a cigarette. I pulled the pin out of a grenade and tossed it to him”4. The above shown battle images were taking place in the narrow corridor directly parallel to the west side of the Canal. El-Badri and Magdoub stated: “The Egyptian forces encircled that entire pocket or ‘enclave' and were ready to direct the final blow when received the cease-fire resolution issued by the UN Security Council, through the initiative and under guarantee of the two superpowers and with the support of the whole international community. The American military strategist Edward Luttwak made a comparison between the Egyptian forces in 1973, and those of the Lebanese Hizbollah guerrilla organisation in the 2006 Lebanon War: “...hundreds of Israeli tanks were damaged or destroyed by brave Egyptian infantrymen with their hand-carried missiles and rockets .... In 1973, after crossing the Suez Canal, Egyptian infantrymen by the thousands stood their ground unflinchingly against advancing 50-ton Israeli battle tanks, to attack them successfully with their puny hand-held weapons. They were in the open, flat desert, with none of the cover and protection that Hizbollah had in their fortified bunkers or in Lebanon's rugged terrain.... Later, within the few square miles of the so-called Chinese farm near the Suez Canal, the Israelis lost more soldiers fighting against the Egyptians in a single day and night than the 116 killed in a month of war in Lebanon including the victims of vehicle accidents and friendly fire....Hizbollah certainly did not run away and did hold its ground, but its mediocrity is revealed by the casualties it inflicted, which were very few.” Scrutinising the metaphors: “The Israeli Counter Victory”, “Operation Valiant”, “Operation Stouthearted Men” and “God's Chosen Prevailed” In a 2009 comment posted on 9/23/2009 by William F. Pennock, LTC. Ret. on an article entitled: “Yom Kippur War: Embattled Israeli Bridgehead at Chinese Farm, he hailed ‘God's Chosen Forces. He said: “Very well written. The battle of the Chinese Farm was the turning point of the war. Once again Israel prevailed against overwhelming odds. Both sides fought well, but God's chosen prevailed. What is not written into the Yom Kippur War Where did all this armour come into play when so many were being lost in battle on both sides of the conflict? surely the unit's MOTV had a limit in spare armour, so, where did the armour replacements came from ? Without the armour replacements for the losses at the beginning of the war, Israel could have lost the war, yet very little has been written in this subject. The logistical support was key to this classical armour conflict and merits that its story be known bt those that made it happen.
To be contuined next week Wageih is a professor of linguistics of negotiation, Chairman of the English Department, Faculty of Languages & Translation, Al-Azhar University, and a PhD holder from Georgetown University [email protected]
