Egypt/UAE Cairo, October 6 /WAM/ Egyptian politicians, strategic experts and military analysts agreed that the role played by the Arab world in supporting Egypt in the October 6, 1973 war is no less important than the role of Egyptian soldiers who managed to cross the impenetrable Bar Lev Line and shatter the myth of the invincible Israeli army. They emphasized the honorable role of the UAE in this victory, pointing to the late Sheikh Zayed's reservation of all mobile intensive care units from Europe to treat Egyptian soldiers. They noted that Arab support managed to elevate the Arab world to sixth place globally in terms of power and importance, thanks to the October War victories that the Arabs supported. They told 24: "What the Arab leaders, led by the late Sheikh Zayed, did was instrumental in changing the international balance of the war, after major powers sought to reach solutions for a peaceful ceasefire."

The honorary president of the Wafd Party, Counselor Mustafa al-Tawil, affirmed that "the role of the Arabs in the victories of the October War cannot be overlooked, and it is no less important than the role played by Egyptian soldiers on the battlefield."

In his speech about the Arab role, he focused on the role of the UAE and the late Sheikh Zayed, explaining to 24 that the UAE had an honorable role in this victory, and among these roles was Sheikh Zayed's reservation of all mobile intensive care units from Europe to treat Egyptian soldiers.

He pointed out that Arabs are characterized by unity in times of hardship and adversity, which was embodied in its most magnificent scenes when Egypt declared the liberation of the land in 1973, washing away the shame of the 1967 setback.

For his part, the leader of the Egyptian National Movement, Mahmoud Nafadi, affirmed that Egypt cannot forget the role of Arab brothers in the October 73 war.

He told 24: "October 6 was and will remain a day of victory for Egypt, Egyptians and Arabs, noting what the Gulf states did by stopping oil pumping, aiming to pressure the West, as the oil weapon played an important role in pressuring countries that supported Israel, and that helped pressure in favor of Egypt."

From a military perspective, strategic expert Mohamed Abdel Moneim told 24: "The Arab support for Egypt in the October 1973 war was complete and integrated, whether political, economic, moral or material."

He pointed out that the Arab support, solidarity and Arab unity witnessed during that period managed to elevate the Arab world globally to sixth place in terms of power and importance after the United States, China, the Soviet Union, France and England, due to the October War victories supported by the Arabs.

Abdel Moneim noted that the state of fragmentation and conflicts that Arabs appear in now compels everyone to unite again, even more than the solidarity that occurred in the October War, to confront this fierce war that does not stop from the outside world on our Arab region.

In a similar statement, military expert and former director of the Strategic Studies Center of the Armed Forces, Major General Alaa Ezz Eddin, affirmed that despite Egypt's surprise to the world and Arab countries by starting the war with Israel, the key word in this war was represented by the strong support provided by the Arabs in this war, which cannot be denied.

Ezz Eddin told 24: "The most important role was played by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, after they banned oil exports to countries supporting Israel, which resulted in a significant rise in oil prices at that time, and this decision had a profound impact on the morale of the Egyptian army."

In a related context, a leaked secret document from the Office of Economic Research of the US Central Intelligence Agency, recently published, revealed the role of Arab countries in helping Egypt and Syria during the October War. The document indicated the amount of funding that both Egypt and Syria received from Arab countries from October 6, 1973 to November 23 of the same year, estimated at about $2 to $3 billion.

The document revealed that Egypt received an estimated $100 million from the UAE, which played a major role in supporting the Egyptian armed forces during the war days, after US President Nixon requested Congress to approve $2.2 billion as emergency aid to Israel, which was met by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Iraq and Algeria by declaring an embargo on oil exports to the United States due to its decision to support Tel Aviv in the war to liberate occupied land. The Vice President of the National Council for Human Rights and head of the Socialist Popular Alliance Party, Abdel Ghaffar Shokr, said that the Arab countries showed the most prominent positions of unity when they united in support of Egypt during the October War, providing many forms of material and moral support to the soldiers and the Egyptian people in general.

Shokr specifically mentioned the UAE and its great late leader Sheikh Zayed and told 24: "Sheikh Zayed (may God have mercy on him) embodied all meanings of brotherhood and support, as he had a major role in the victory and preparation for the war since the 1967 defeat, in terms of rearming the Egyptian army, after providing a lot of economic aid to the armed forces during the war."

He pointed to the economic and political role played by the UAE in the war, using all its capabilities and political and diplomatic channels, referring to Sheikh Zayed's stance in cutting off oil to countries loyal to Israel, which led to a change in the international balance of the war.

Shokr concluded his speech by affirming that Sheikh Zayed "is considered one of the most important Arab leaders who had an unforgettable role in the October War, along with King Faisal," noting that Egypt recognized Sheikh Zayed's favor by naming a number of schools, streets and cities after him, in appreciation of his efforts during and after the war, in terms of rebuilding the Egyptian state and reconstructing the cities that were completely destroyed in the war."

The author of the idea of destroying the Bar Lev Line with water pumps, Major General Baqi Zaki, said that the miracle of the October War was represented by the Egyptian man who surpassed the enemy's advanced weaponry, which was far superior to Egyptian weapons.

Zaki told 24 in special statements that as commanders and soldiers, they felt proud of the Arab stances while they were on the front, noting that "Sheikh Zayed did not skimp on supporting Egypt during this battle, and provided the Egyptian army with all kinds of support that played a major role in achieving victory."

Major General Baqi recounts his testimony of the war, saying: "I was seconded to the Aswan High Dam, and when the setback occurred, orders were issued for all those seconded in civilian institutions to return to the armed forces. I was specialized in vehicles, and we saw the enemy on the east bank building an earthen barrier. All military leaders thought that the earthen barrier should be destroyed with dynamite and cannons, but my view was different."

He continues, saying: "Despite my young age, one of the leaders listened to me in a meeting with my division, and I presented my idea, which I had drawn from my work at the Aswan High Dam, where I worked as a delegate starting in the early 1960s from April '64 until the 1967 setback. The idea was to use water pumps that would defeat the dirt in minutes."