The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance; The U-2 and OXCART Programs, 1954-1974

Text

This text came with the file. It may have mistakes. When the text and the image disagree, the image is right.

117
Sec. et N6fOFU~
Chapter 3
.9f British Canberra bombers at Akrotiri, Cyprus: The Anglo-French
military buildup greatly irritated President Eisenhower, who consid­
ered these activities a violation of the 1950 Tripartite Declaration, in
which the United States, the United Kingdom, and France had agreed
to m~ntain the status quo in armaments and borders in the Middle
EastXfo Arthur Lundahl he remarked, "It's a hell of a note when you
c
have to G-2 your friends." s(
U-2 photography continued to keep the President and other key
officials well informed about the progress of the crisis. }lights over
Israel and Rhodes on 21 October and Cyprus on 25 October revealed
heavy military concentrations and an increase in the number of troop
transports and air forces. On the basis of this information,: Secretary
of State John Foster Dulles told the President on 28 October that he
believed an Israeli attack on Jordan was imminent, adding that he
thought the British and French would take advantage of such an at­
tack to occupy the Suez Canal. 51
The 10-day Middle East war began on the afternoon of 29
October 1956 with Israeli paratroop drops in the Sinai peninsula, fol­
lowed by mobile columns striking deep into Egyptian territory. tfhe
next day, 30 October, Francis Gary Powers conducted mission 1314.
He overflew Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and finally the Sinai.Jwhere he
photographed black puffs of smoke from the fighting between Israel
and Egypt. Adana-based U-2s were in the air for the next two days
filming the Suez Canal area@fld neighboring countrie£f3
The United Kingdom and France entered the fray on the evening
of 31 October with bombing raids against major Egyptian airfields.
The Anglo-French bombing campaign continued for the next 48
hours. Ear)Y on the morning of 1 November, an Adana-based U-2, pi­
loted by LWilliam Hall, took off to gather intelligence on the
Anglo-French military activity. After photographing Cyprus, Hal]
flew south to the Sinai Desert, where he made several passes to obtain
complete coverage of the Israeli-Egyptian fighting there. [He then
headed west to Cairi passing directly over the main Egyptian airbase
" Lundahl and Brugioni interview (TS Codeword).
" Telephone calls, 28 October 1956, DOE Diary, DDEL.
'' Powers, Operation Overflight, pp. 308-309; Mission folder 1314 (30 October 1956),
OSA records, job 67-B-972, box I (TS Codeword).
-Secret