On July 19, the Egyptian Government Announced, the Discovery of a Plot to Assassinate Nasser And. All His Ministers And. Replace

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EGYPT: WAPDIST PLOT CONFIDENTIAL On July 19, the Egyptian Government announced, the discovery of a plot to assassinate Nasser and. all his Ministers and. replace them with a Government headed by Mohammed Salah el Din, former vYafdist foreign Minister, with another prominent Wafdist ex-Minister, Abdul Fattah Hassan.as Minister of the Interior. According to the Government announcement, the plotters, who were arrested during the last week of April, included seven former army officers, tv/o serving officers and five civilians (including the two V/afdist Ministers). Rumours of the plot had been rife 'for some time, and fairly accurate accounts had. appeared in the Syrian and Lebanese press as early as June 26. 2. The Government announcement is imprecise in several important respects but from it the following picture emerges. A group of army officers, who had been dismissed from the service for "reasons connected with their military conduct during military operations" got together early in 1956 and established a secret military organisation called "The Supporters of serving Justice". This body then set about recruiting/officers. The ring leader was General Ahmed Atif Nassar (retired) and his associates included Colonel Hassan Siyani (retired) and Llah'or Mohammed Arnin Fawzi. 3. Plans for the coup seem to have been far advanced before the plotters made any effort to contact the Wafdist politicians. Col. Siyam was a friend of Abdul Mohammed al Istambouli, an employee of the Ministry of National Guidance and formerly Press Secretary to Mohammed Salah el Din. In August 1956 Siyam arranged a meeting between Istambouli, General Hassar and Major Fawzi and they discussed plans.

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They finally agreed that the civilians to form the government after the coup was carried out should, "be Mohammed Salah el Din and Abdul Fatten Hassan. Istambouli arranged a meeting between Nassar and Salah el Din at which the latter agreed to accept the Premiership. This apparently all took place before the events of November, Siyarn appears to have acted as the spokesman of the military group although Istambouli was the original contact man. ' U. The events of November brought matters to a head. On November 2 Istambouli introduced Siyarn to • | Abdxil Fattah Hassan. Hassan said that the military would first have to rally round a senior military man and assume authority before the politians could act. lie assured Siyara however that provided a few of the officers in the Ministry of the Interior were removed, he was confident that he could run it satisfactorily. 5. In February 1957 General Nassar returned from abroad bringing with him some revolver silencers for the assassination plot, and in order to prepare public opinion for the coup, a pamphlet was then drafted attacking the regime. For this purpose, Istambouli approached a journalist friend Mohammed Abdullah al Sav/adi. The pamphlets were prepared for distribution, but were seized by the Government. 6. According to the Government announcement, they w ere informed of the plot by someone who had been asked to join. News of it reached them in April 1957. This, if true, is in some ways the most striking aspect of the whole affair - that it should have gone on for nearly a year without the Government knowing anything about it, especially as the conspirators were evidently / contacting ins~~l " 1 2

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contacting serving officers from the outset. 7. It is unlikely that the plot had any wider ramifications than those indicated in the Government's own announcement. The long delay in publishing details might suggest that the plot was more extensive than the Government dared reveal, but it is more likely that they simply wanted to avoid disfiguring the stage so carefully set for the July elections. 0. The Egyptian press has subsequently published varying reports of the policy that the plotters would have followed if they had been successful. According to "Al I/Iasa" they had the following aims:- (a) to improve Anglo-Egyptian relations (although Tt**fc no renewal of the 195U Troaou^F was contemplated); (b) to cancel trade agreements with the Soviet Union, China and Czechoslovakia; (c) to annul the Arab Solidarity Pact and the Joint Command set up by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan; (d) to consider as void all measures, laws and treaties passed by the Government in the previous five years. Of these, (a) and (b) may well have been among the true aims of the conspirators; (c) and (d) look like an attempt to blacken them in the eyes of Egyptian and Arab public opinion. 9. We can regard this development as moderately heartening. Next best to a plot against Nasser that succeeds is a plot that fails. Even the latter shows that the former stability of the regime has been shaken.

C7 I?» Bi'endiey; July 25, 1957 1 2

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APPENDIX A; EGYPT

Al Government statement on Attempted coup against Abel al-Nasir

Cairo in Arabic home service 03.^5, "Voice of the Arabs" 0^.00 and "Sudan Corner" 0^.30 GMT 19.7.5V.

Text of broadcast report on Government statement:

The Government learned that some former army officers had contacted certain civilians who belonged to the dissolved parties and planned with them a plot against the Government regime, for the purpose of carrying out a coup d'etat and enabling the corrupt reactionary regimes to return to power and dominate the country's future.

News of this plot reached the appropriate authorities in April 1957 when it was learned that a croup of officers who had been dismissed from the service for reasons connected with their military conduct during the military operations were trying to contact officers and include them in a secret military organisation called "The Group of the Upholders of Justice".

It was learned that this organisation had been set up about a year earlier, with the agreement of certain officers and civilians who belonged to the dissolved VJafd ?

The organisers of this plot were arrested during the last week of April 1957. They were: Brig.Qen. (Retd.) Ahmed Atif Nassar, Lt.Col. (Retd.) Hasan Abd al-MaJld Siyam, and MaJ. Mohammed Amin Fawzi, assisted by Abd al-Hamid Mustafa al-Islambouli, who is an employee of the Ministry of National Guidance and who was earlier employed as Press Secretary to Mohammed Salah al-Din at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and who has acted as link between the afore-mentioned organisation and the civilians who participated in the plot. All persons who were found to have participated in the plot were also arrested. Plotters and others arrested numbered seven former army officers, two serving officers, and five civilians including Mohammed Salah al-Din and Abd al-Fattah Hasan,

The State prosecutor's Department has carried out investigations. Hasan Abd al-MaJid Slyam, Mohammed Amin Fawzi, and Abd al-Hamid al--l3lambouli have, in the course of the investigations, made detailed confessions about their participation in the planning of the outlines of the plot under the supervision of Brlg.Qen. Ahmed Atif Nassar, the head of the organisation, since last summer. In their respective confessions they gave details of the plot which, in brief, stipulated that theyv.-ouia storm the president's office dressed in military uniform and carrying machine-guns, with some of them wearing the uniform of the Military Police in order that they might easily surprise the guard and gain admittance to the President's office, when they would proceed to the meeting hall where they would commit their crime by assassinating all present in the hall.

The accueed Abd al-Hamid al-islambouli confessed that he had been in contact with thio military organisation since August 1956 through his brother officer Hasan Siyam, who had arranged for him to meet the head of the military organisation, Brig. (Retd.) Ahmed Atif Nassar, and MaJ. Hohamraed Amin Fawzi. islambouli attended their meetings and discussed with them the plans for the coup d'etat. The accused stated that they finally agreed that they should contact the civilians who would form the Government after the carrying out of the coup. They considered the names of former politicians and finally PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins 1

- 2 - \ agreed on nominating Mohammed Salah al-Dln and Abd al-pattah Hasan, who agreed, after becoming acquainted with the details of the plot, to Join a cabinet. This took place after the nationalisation of the Suez Canal and before the tripartite aggression against Egypt. Abd al-Hamld al-lslamboull confessed that the officer Hasan Slyam called on him at his house on the evening of ?th November 1956, dressed In military uniform, and requested that he should go with him to meet Abd al-pattah Hasan. Slyam took Al-lslambouli in his military car to Abd al-pattah Hasan's house, where there was a black-out because of enemy raids. Abd al-Fattah Hasan met them there, Hasan Slyam requested him to contact former politicians to ask them to take over office. He also expressed his readiness to deploy his military forces for the purpose of implementing anything agreed to by the politicians. The accused Abd al-pattah Hasan replied saying that the military personnel would first have to rally round a senior military person and assume authority before the politicians could do what was asked of them. Hasan Slyam confirmed this in his confession.

Al-lslambouli and Siyam also stated that thoy subsequently visited Abd al- Fattah Hasan one evening and had dinner with him, and that Hasan Slyam discussed with Abd al-pattah Hasan some of the affairs of the Ministry of the interior and the possibility of his controlling this Ministry, Abd al-Fattah Hasan assured him that he could well do that if several of the officials of this Ministry were arrested. He mentioned the names of some of these officials.

Durin* the Investigation Abd al-Fattah Hasan confessed that he had met the officer Hasan Siyam twice in his house. He also stated that the first meeting took place on the evening of 2nd November 1956, when Abd al-Hamld al-lslamboull contacted him by telephone and informed him that he would come to see him. Later, Al-lslamboull arrived accompanied by Hasan Slyam, whom he had not seen before. He said that Hasan Siyam spoke to him as soon as he entered about the possibility of the former politicians taking over office, Abd al-Fattah Hasan mentioned that the second meeting between him and Hasan Siyam took place on another night at the end of November, when he came to his house with islamboull and had dinner with him. He confessed that at this meeting they discussed Ministry of the Interior affairs; he said that he told Hasan Siyam that the policemen generally perform their duties In different areas in a similar manner, except for some holding special positions. He said that ho mentioned the name of only one such officer. In his confession Abd al-Fattah Hasan mentioned that he understood from his conversation with the officer Hasan Siyam that he might be seeking to contact him with regard to a change he was thinking of carrying out In the Government regime,

Abd al-Hamid al-lslamboull mentioned in his confession that he arranged for a meeting between the head of the organisation, Atif Nassar, and Mohammed solah al-Din. The latter returned to his house where Atif Nassar, Kasan Siyam, and Amln pawzl were present and proposed to him /s"alah al-Din/ that he assume the premiership after the coup. He accepted. They then discussed what the new Government would do, after it assumed office, about drafting a new constitution and performing certain urgent functions so that the Government would quickly get popular support. Both Hasan Siyara and Mohammed Amln Fauzi confirmed that this meeting took place. Ahmed Atif Nassar confessed to his meeting vrith Mohammed salah al-Din at Al-lslamboull's home in the presence of the rest of the accused.

During the investigation Abd al-Fattah Hasan mentioned that he learned of this meeting either from Mohammed s&lah al-Dln or from Abd al-Hamld al-islambouli. The accused Abd al-Hamld al-islambouli said that he learned that members of the military organisation contemplated the possibility of assassinating the President of the Republic in a publie street by machine-gun fire, or by a silenced revolver to be used by a person able to obtain access to the president in his office. Al-lslambouli said that the first accused, Atif Nassar, was going to carry out this crime himself on the grounds that he was In close touch with the President and was able to meet him whenever he asked without being suspected by anyone. Al-lslambov.il mentioned that he learned from the accused Hasan Siyam that Atif Nassar had travelled abroad in February 1957. When he returned from abroad he brought with him three devices to be fixed to revolvers to muffle the sound of shots. ins 1

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The accused Hasan Siyam in his confession confirmed this fact, and said that Atlf Nassar showed him one of these devices. This was also admitted by the accused Mohammed Amin Fawzl, who said that Atif Nassar contemplated the possibility of assassinating the President by this method. The three accused salu that thereafter the plan was drafted on the basis of storming the President's office, and assassinating the President and all the Ministers, as mentioned before.

The accused Hasan Siyam, Amin Fawzl, and Abd al-Hamid al-Islambouli stated that it was decided to draft a pamphlet attacking the Revolutionary Government and to distribute it so as to prepare the people for the agreed coup, and that the accused Abel al-Hanicl al-Islambouli was charged with this task. In this connection he approached his Journalist friend Mohammed Abdullah al-Sawadi and informed him of the existence of a military organisation of officers endeavouring to stage a coup. The latter agreed to co-operate in drafting the text of the pamphlet.

This was done and the pamphlet was submitted to the head of the military organisation, Brig,Gen, Atif Nassar, after Amin Fawzi had types a copy of it. Abd al-Hamid al-lsjonbouli collected sums of money from Mohammed Salah al-Din, Abd al-Fattah Hasan and Mohammed Abdullah al-Sawadi as contributions from them for the expenses of printing and distributing the pamphlet by post. Each of them paid the sum of £E10 and he /Al-Islambouli/ bought envelopes and postage stamps for this purpose. Some 1,000 of these envelopes, with stamps affixed, were seized from the desk of the accused Abd al-Hamiil al-Islambouli,

It has been learned from the statements of the accused Hasan Siyam, Amin Fawzi and Abd al-Hamid al-Islambouli about the implementation of the plot that it was decided that the officers participating in the operation would meet in the form of cells, of not more than five persons, at the house of one of them as soon as they were summoned to do so. Orders would then be issued to them to proceed to a house - unknown to them until the order was issued - where they would don their uniforms and receive their arms. There the head of the organisation would Join them and tell them the details of the plot and each person's duties. From this house a group of them would proceed to the President's office to carry out the assassination plan, by killing the President and the Ministers during a Cabinet meeting. The others would carry out the plan assigned to them.

Abd al-Hamid al-Islamboull stated that it had been decided to choose a villa, to be rented for the purpose by the Journalist Mohammed Abdullah al-Sawadi in the suburb of Matariyyah. He said he had approached Mohammed Abdullah al-Sawadi in this connection, who had agreed. In his confession Hasan Siyam confirmed that Al-Sawadi's house had been chosen for the purpose, Mohammed Abdullah al-Sawadi confessed that Abd al-Hamid al-Islambouli often talked to him about an expected military coup, and that if the coup succeeded it would be of great benefit to him, as he would be given the management of the publication of a widely-read dally newspaper,

Abd al-Hamid al-Islambouli stated that he approached Ahmed Abd al-Azii; al-Saqqa with regard to the possibility of his organising demonstrations to support the coup, and the latter agreed. He also approached him regarding the possibility of his observing the arrival of the President of the Republic at the President's office to meet the Ministers, and of Informing the organisation so that the timing of the operation could be fixed. He answered that he could do so in view of the fact that he once worked at the President's office. Al-Islambouli stated that he introduced Ahmed Abd al-Azi.; al-Saqqa to Hasan Siyam, to confirm to him what they discussed before. Ahmed Abd al-Aziz al-Saqqa admitted Abd al-Hamid al-Islambouli's conversation with him about the demonstration and his finding out the time of the President's meeting with the Ministers, He also confessed to his meeting with Hasan Siyam.

Lt.Col, Hasan Siyam stated that after he was pensioned off on 5th February 1957 he was called upon to contact a number of retired officers to join them in the military organisation. He mentioned that he succeeded in getting Lt,Col, Hasan Abd al-Ghaffar Zakl, MaJ. Ghanlm Abd al-Muta'al al-Sa'ic'.i, Lt.Col, Mohammed Hllmi Ibrahim and Col, Mohammed Fahim al-Ghannam - all of whom were pensioned off because of their ins 1 1 "T 2

^soryt}

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behaviour during the tripartite aggression - to Join. Each of them knew the organisation's objectives and took an oath in front of Siyam that they would Join him and not disclose his secret. Hasan Abd al-Ghaffar Zaki and Ghanira Abd al-Muta'al al-Sa'ldi confessed that Hasan Siyam approached them with the purpose of persuading them to Join the military organisation.

The accused Mohammed Amin Fawzi stated that he made Lt.Col. Ahmed Fathi Ismail Kawkab Join the organisation. The officer confessed that Amin Fawzi approached him on the subject. Hasan Siyam confessed that they had drawn up a plan to contact a number of serving army officers in order to make use of them in carrying out their plots, but that these contacts did not succeed.

A military court has been formed to try the accused in the conspiracy to carry out a coup against the regime, MENA has learned that the court has been formed under the presidency of MaJ.Gen. Mohammed Fouad al-Digwi, the members being Brig.Gen. Sa'd al-Din Mltwalli, Col. Abd al-MaJld Mohammed Kurayim, Col. Abd al-Rahman Fahmi Yusuf, Col. Ibrahim Sami, Lt.Col. Jalal Mohammed Zaki, Lt.Col. Sa'd Najib All, and Wing Cdr. Yahya Mohammed Husaln, The public prosecution will take the case before the court.

A2 Aimed Sa'id on Imperialism's "War against Abd al-Nasir and Quwwatll"

Cairo in Arabic "Voice of the Arabs" 18.20 GMT 18.7.57.

Excerpts from commentary broadcast by Ahmed Sa'idi

"0 my Arab brother, you undoubtedly know and are aware of the matter which imperialism fears. Yes, imperialism fears the unity of the Arabs, fears the union of one Arab with another, the union of all the Arabs. This war which imperialism is waging against Egypt and Syria, against the free people of Egypt, against the honourable people of Syria, this war, 0 my brother, is not waged against either Egypt or Syria: not against the free people of Egypt or against the honourable people of Syria. This war, my brother, is against your unity, against your strength, against your Integrity, against your every hope for an honourable life; it is a war against Gamal Abd al-Nasir and the principles held by the men of Qamal Abd al-Nasir, against Shukri al-Quwwatli and the ideals for wliich the men of Shukri al-Quwwatli are working.

"Yes, it is a war against that true work, that consistent work for the union of Egypt with Syria, for the union of all the Arabs into the great and glorious major State for which we hope:, and which must extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arab Gulf, This Is the secret, and this is what is behind this widespread war which imperialism is waging against us, against Egypt, against Syria, against the free peoples of Egypt and Syria, and against all free Arabs all over the world.

"Let us read together what has recently appeared in the latest issue of the American magazine 'Newsweek' about the unity of the Arabs, and let us see how this American magazine explains it. The American magazine says that there is a dream in Egypt of establishing an Arab empire. 0 my brother, I am not alone in dreaming of this in Egypt, for you, yes, you in Algeria, you in Bahrain, you in Kuwait, you in Iraq, you in Morocco, you in Jordan, you in occupied Palestine, and you, wherever you are in any spot of our sacred homeland, also dream of this. It is a dream of the vigilant and fully awakened people, it is a dream of the believers, it is a dream of the sincere and true people, it is a dream of the liberated people, it is a dream of the solidarity and unity of the Arabs and their merger into one State. Yes, it will be a State to embrace them all, to strengthen them all and make their enemies shiver with fear; it is a State which will restore their grandeur and their glory.

"o my brother, it is imperialism, British imperialism, French imperialism, American Imperialism, doctrinaire Imperialism, yes, my brother, it is imperialism in 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins 1 1 I 2

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Mideast Mirror August 4, 1957

CAIRO CONSPIRACY TRIAL SHORTLY S^lO Alleged Confession that New Regime Would Seek Understanding with US

CAIRO—The trial of 15 men accused of conspiring to arrest or assassinate President G-amal Abdel-^Nasser and his cabinet, overthrow their regime, and proclaim a new one will ap^- ir-, Cr^jrc ci: v-^T.St 12, it is officially stated* The indictment, published on July 23, cites an article of the penal code providing for the death sentence on conviction, but the state security prosecution said it would demand penalties ranging from penal servitude for life to simple imprisonment. When the arrests were announced on July 18 it was stated that they numbered 14-, but the indictment now lists only 15 as follows, of whom the first f .ur are described as the leaders: Ahmed Atef Nassar, aged 45, retired brigadier; Hassan Abdul-Megid Seyam, 35, retired lieutenant-colonel; Mohamed Amin Fawzy, 36,. a major; Abdul-Hamid Mustafa Aly Hashem el-Islambouly, 36,. an official of the Ministry of National Guidance; Mohamed Salaheddin Ahmed Osman, 54, lawyer; Abdul-Fattah Hassan,-50, lawyer; Hassan Abdul-Ghaffar Zaky, 36, retired lieutenant-colonel; Mohamed Hilmy Ibrahim, 37, retired lieutenant- colonel; Ahmed Abdul-Hamid el-Ghannam, 45, retired colonel; Ghanem Abdul-Mutaal el-Saidy, 355, retired major; Ahmed Fathy Ismail Kawkab, 28, a captain; Mohamed Abdulla el-Sawady, 52, journalist, proprietor of the newspaper "Al-Sawady"; and Aimed Abdul-Aziz el-Sakka, 55, former official at the Ministry of Social Affairs. The army officers who are described as retired were cashiered for their conduct during the invasion of Egypt last November, according to the July 18 announcement, which said there were seven of them and not six as now listed.

The Informer

The indictment, based almost entirely on alleged confessions, contains little new information, A prosecution witness, Ahmed Kadry Mohamed, an official of the arts department at the National Guidance Ministry, said his colleague Islambouly spoke to him last April of the need for a new regime, which might reach an understanding with the United States Government. An organisation of military men and civilians was seeking to achieve this change, perhaps before the end of April, It had a great deal of power. Islambouly also told him that one group of officers, wearing their uniforms and armed, would enter the hall of the presidency building where President Abdel-Nasser met his ministers before a meeting and would assassinate them all. A second group would go to the barracks and persuade army units to take up positions at important places in Cairo and occupy the broadcasting and telephone buildings. A third group would bring the former president,.General Neguib, to the presidency in a military procession. Demon- strations woTuld""be organised to applaud the procession as it passed. The witness also said he informed the presidency and the general headquarters of the armed forces about all this. He was instructed to continue to meet members of the conspiracy and learn more about their plans, which he did. Among other things, he learned that rewards of up to £E10,000 would be given to the members of the conspiracy if it succeeded, with £E20,000 for the heir of any conspirator who was killed. The, prosecution said the conspiracy originated from meetings at the Touring Club, Pyramids Road, Cairo, during the summer of 1956 at vzhich Seyam, Fawzy, and Nassar complained together of bad conditions, in the army, which they attributed to the present system of government. The meetings began before the Suez Canal Company was nationalised. 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins I 1 i 2

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8 August 4. 1957

JORDANIAN OFFICERS PLEAD NOT GUILTY

Witness Says He Eavesdropped Outside Meeting Which Plotted Against King

AMMAN—All 14 army officers in custody pleaded not guilty when the military tribunal on July 50 resumed the hearing of charges that they conspired to kill King Hussein and change the constitution by force. Seven other officers, including the former chiefs of staff Major-Generals Ali Abu-Nuwar and Ali el-Hiyari, and one civilian, Sayed Abdullah Rimawi, formerly minister of state for foreign affairs, are being tried in their absence from Jordan. Death sentences are demanded for all except Second Lieut. Kamal el-Hiyari, who is a cousin of the general. The tribunal decided to go on with the hearings in spite of requests from defence lawyers for more time to study the case and that the tribunal should follow normal criminal court procedure. The tribunal said it was not bound by normal rules of procedure. . . A prosecution witness, Lieut. Hleiyel Salameh, said one of the absent accused, Captain Nazir Ahmed Rashid, commander of the first regiment of the Armoured Division, when explaining the regiment's part in the plot told him, "Within 48 hours if Israel • tries to take over the west bank Egypt will occupy Israel and if Iraqi troops intervene Russia will occupy Iraq. Syrian forces will support us if need be'J Officers of the Saudi Arabian troops stationed in Jordan would be- invited to a specially-arranged banquet on the shore of the Dead Sea at the time of the coup and afterwards would be told they jooiii.d n-ither accept the new state of affairs in Jordan or go home. • f Lieut. Salameh said he discussed the plot with other company commanders. They all decided that it was bound to fail. It would have more evil than good effects. There would be bloodshed, and the west bank would "be lost. "We all swore we would not yield one foot of our country and would protect our king" The palace was informed. 1 Radio Warning Another witness, Lieut. Allawi el-Jaradi, said the king's uncle, Sherif Nasser Bin. Jamil, requested the commanders to go on pretending they were in the plot till zero hour so that they would know all about it. They agreed to use the password "howitzer" to be sent out from their wireless sets when they should decide to direct all the companies of the regiment to the palace to prevent its being seized by other units, but as an extra precaution the first company went to the palace at once. On July 31 Lieut. Mohamed Salim Abu-Ridn said he first heard of the plot in October 1956, when he commanded a company of the first regiment, and promised to join with other officers in working against it. Last March he eavesdropped outside a window of the house of Major Turki el-Hindawi when conspirators were meeting there, including Generals Abu-Nuwar and el-Hiyari. He heard the words "unity with Syria1,! but did not know who spoke them. Lieut. Abu-Ridn alleged that on another occasion Captain Rashid made slander- ous remarks about the king, the king1s mother, and the chief of the royal cabinet, Sayed Bahjat el-Talhouni. A fourth prosecution witness, Lieut. Atallah G-hasseb, said Captain Rashid told him and other commanders that "if Syrian forces defeat Iraqi forces and Iraq asks the other Baghdad pact countries for help Russia will definitely intervene within 48 hours and will occupy the pact countries within four days'i Rashid also declared that after the coup the new regime would proclaim that Jordan was being annexed to Syria. The annexa- tion process would not take more than a month to complete. 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins I 1 I 2

Ref.: p^ "S"-^! / ^'2-!>M'2_2>

August 18, 1957,- —r-f^jJ***-? j^gc-Jr;-*' •-» • ^ «.'' *•-• J«.-»;.*^ --*j»

"US PLOT AGAINST NASSER REGIME"

Allegation "by Prosecution Witness at Cairo Trial: Complaint of Torture

CAIRO—Six former army officers, two serving officers, and four civilians nleaded not guilty'on August 12 when a military court here began their trial on 'charges of conspiring to arrest or assassinate President Gamal AMel-Nasser and his ministers and to overthrow their regme "by force. A fifth civilian, Abdul-Fattah Hassan, who is a former minister, was ill and it was stated that his trial would be postponed. . . . ,, •The indictment cited an article of the penal code providing for the death sentence on conviction, but Sayed Abdul-Raouf Aly, for the prosecution, smply asked for "severe punishment1: He said that the motive of the accused was not to restore parliamentary life in Egypt, as they had claimed, but was a desire for power. They were either politicians longing to rule the country or army men greedy for more power. Instead of supporting their fatherland when it was attacked last autumn they had chosen to attack its only guardian, President Abdel-Nasser. Each of the accused was to have received £E10,000 if the plot had succeeded. Evidence was given by a prosecution witness, Ahmed Kadry, an ex-officer now employed by the Ministry of National Guidance, who said one of the accused, Abdul- Hamid Mustafa Aly Hashem el-Islambouly, a former colleague at that ministry, tried last April to make him join the plot. Islambouly told him that the United States information offices and treacherous reactionaries in Egypt had been trying to bring down the Nasser regime. American intelligence was paving the way all over the Middle East for the "Eisenhower doctrine1:

"Dirty American Plot"

. Another accused, Mohamed Salaheddin, who was a former Wafdist foreign minister, had gone to Saudi Arabia to meet people there. "I do not believe that exper- ienced politicians like Salaheddin and Hassan did not know this was a dirty American plot',1 Kadry added. When a defence lawyer objected to this language Kadry retorted, ''Shut up'.' All 32 defence lawyers then jumped up and .protested. The court was adjourned for a short time to-enable order to be restored. Kadry said that after Islambouly gave him details of the plot he felt he would be committing high treason if he kept silent, so he met the commander-in-chief of the Egyptian armed forces, Major-General Abdul-Hakim Amer, who told him to keep on contact with the accused and ascertain their objectives. Later Islambouly told him the United States ambassador tried to contact Salaheddin and the vfcireran Wafdist leader Mustafa el-Nahas before the attack_on Egypt. (The State Department has denied this as "a complete fabrication"). Salaheddin went to Saudi Arabia to reach an understanding on moves to be taken if and when the plot succeeded. Asked by the defence whether he had proof of United States complicity Kadry replied, "No1: During further cros.s-examination he said that in 1954 he was sentenced to five years' imprisonment with stay of execution and cashiered from the army on a charge of an attempt to overthrow the regime. At that time he believed the government was working for American imperialism, but he now knew that was not so. Kadry also said he knew of the latest plot six or seven weeks before he reported it to the authorities. The only conspirators whom he knew were Islambouly end Hassan Abdul-Megid Seyam, a retired lieutenant-colonel. 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins 1 1 I 2

| **<~ R-* 3^1 MT-SMT-S "><'•?^V"} *~l Piease note that this copy is supplied subject to the Public Record Office's terms and conditions and that your ijse of it may be subject to copyright restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of Public Records' leaflet

Mirror 9 August 18. 1957

One of the defence lawyers withdrew from the case after the presiding judge, Major-General Mohamcd Fouad el-Digwy, had insisted on his explaining whyyhc wished to call as witnesses General Amer, Major Salah Salem, and President Abdel-Nasser' s adc, Mohamcd. Ahmed. The judge appointed a military lawyer to replace him in defending Ahmed Atef Hassar, a retired brigadier, who is described as the ringleader of the alleged conspiracy. On August 13 Islambouly withdrew his alleged confession, on which the prosecution case is largely based, and said it had been obtained by torture. He said he was taken to a desert military prison, put in a cell, and told to take off his clothes. "I remained on the bare floor without foq& or water for two days. I was beaten several times with whips. They woke me up at dawn and made me stand in spite of a leg injury. They threatened me : ' If you do not tell us everything we will imprison your wife and your children will remain without food. You know what happened to the Moslem Brothers — you know we have the whip .and other means'" Islambouly said a glass of water was put before him, but he was told he could not drink it until he had confessed. Then he was told his wife had been arrested. He broke down and agreed to sign a confession on condition that his wife would not be touched raid would "be paid £K20 a month. When he refused to sign the confession he was beaten on the soles of his feet with a special instrument. An interrogator, Major Shentinawi, had visited him in prison on August 12 and advised him to stick to his confession because he had an agreement with the court to acquit him. There was no truth whatever in the confession. The prosecutor read out a letter which he said Islambouly wrote to his wife from prison asking her to tell another accused to deny his confession and say it had been made under torture. The judge ordered a medical examination of Islambouly for evidence of his allegation of torture. Another jConf essicoi .W^hdraMQ

When the hearing was resumed on August 14 it was announced that the examination, by government doctors, showed a small wound on Islambouly' s foot, but no impress- ion of a 'whip mark. The cause of the wound could not be ascertained, it was stated. Seyam was then called. "I was abducted from my house and taken to a military prison, where I was threatened that I would be whipped by a soldier in spite of my rank'j he said. "About midnight on the day of my arrest I was brought to the office of the interrogators, who treated me as a criminal and said, 'We have whips and other methods to force you to .speak' " After denying that he conspired against the regime he said, "All my confessions are false. I succumbed after being left without water and food for 36 hours and signed what was asked of me. I would have paid a million pounds for a glass of water" He said under cross-examination that he went with one of the accused, the retired brigadier Ahmed Atef Nassar, to the neighbourhood of the villa of ex-President Hohamed Neguib (who is now serving a 10-year sentence imposed by a secret court martial) not to visit Neguib but to see a plot _ of land v/hich he himself owned. He agreed that in a conversation he might have stressed the need to restore parliamentary life in Egypt. When the state broadcasting station was bombed last autumn he thought Egypt's resistance to the three-power attack would collapse and he asked Islambouly to arrange a meeting for him with Abdul-Fattah Hassan. He asked Hassan to arrange a meeting of politicians to consider the situation,- . but he could not rcneinber what was said at the" meeting. 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins 1 1 I 2

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Mideast Mirror 10 zust 18, 1957

On August 15 a third defendant, Major Mohamed Amin Fawzy, retracted his coii- I Cession. He said, "In spite of the fact that I was in uniform I was thrown into a "bare cell, where I remained for about four days without food or water. This is the way my alleged confession was obtained" Later, he said, he was thrown into a bloodstained cell and repeatedly threatened by investigators. "An officer told me he had discussed my case with the commander-in-chief. ,The officer said they knew I was all right, but Islambouly had said some things and it would be.useful if I signed a confession, in which case I would merely be examined as a witness at:the trial. Investigators dictated the confession to me'i . He agreed that he knew and admired Nassar, whom he introduced to Seyam. He could not remember whether politics were discussed, but he denied that Nassar and Seyam had criticised the Nasser regime in his presence. The court then adjourned until tomorrow at the request of a defence lawyer for time to study the evidence given so far.

OVER 1,000 ALGERIANS KILLED IN 10 MIS

ALGSERS—The French high command reports that more than 1,000 Algerians have been killed in widespread fighting in'the past 10 days to prevent any insurgent offen- sive on the eve oXthe autumn session of the United Nations General Assembly. Aircraft have flown about 2,000 sorties in support of ground troops and warships have bombarded strongholds along the\coast and kept a check on arms-running by sea. The total of Insurgent dead since the rising began 35 Months ago is put at 36,000, and French losses\at 4,000 killed. France has 400,000 Droops in the field against an estimated 20,001 .insurgent regulars, with auxiliary groups occasionally brought up for operations. The v/orst fighting this' week - has been in the Bou'Zegza mountains 70km south-east of Algiers. The French claim to have Icilled 128 insurgents there for the loss of 32 of their troops. On August 13 98 insurgents/and five French soldiers were killed in a clash in the Tebessa region near the Tunisian border. Other actions this week have been as follows 24 insurgents killed and e'ighV captured.-' in a three-day battle in caves in the Grand Kabylie mountains, central Algeria; 34 insurgents killed 20km north-east of Batna, east Algeria; . . ';,. 32 insurgents killed in the Chevretfil area of east Algeria; ,15 insurgents killed near El-Milia. bbtvveen Bougie and Philippeville; seven Foreign Legionnaires killed and six vrounded when attacked near Lag- houat,'about 320km in the interior; . \ 12 insurgents killed in two clashes near Bone, east Algeria. Two gendarmes . and a soldier were also killed; \ three French soldiers.killed in an ambush between Frenda and Palat, west Algeria; and 11 Algerians killed and' 13 wounded when a market day^ crowd at Nodromah, Oran region, tried to break through a police cordon. Three Moslems convicted of terrorist attacks were guillotined in the prison yard in Algiers on August 12/A military tribunal on August' 14 sentenced to death Bellamine Lounes, a leader of the outlawed Algerian Nationalist Movement, who was accused of endangering the./external security of the state and of forming terrorist commandos. Two other leaders were sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour,two to 20 years' hard labour, and three to terms ranging from seven to 10 years' hard labour. ins

Midt ; Mirror August 25, 1957

CASHIERED EGYPTIAN OFFICERS' MEETINGS

Alleged Plot Leader Writes from Prison to President Nasser

CAIRO—When the trial on charges of conspirijng to overthrow the present Egyptian regime was resumed by the military court on August 19 Ghanem Abdul-Mutaal el-Saidy was the first of the accused heard so far who did not retract his confession. He said.he was not forced by torture or other pressure to confess. Saidy, a major, is one of the six army officers among the accused who, it has been officially stated, were cashiered.for their-conduct during the invasion ci' Egypt last autumn. The nature of this conduct has not been explained, but is presumed to be their, alleged complicity in the alleged plot. Saidy said another of the six, the former lieutenant-colonel Hassan Abdul™ Megid Seyam, who retracted his confession last week, -told him of a plot to arrest or.? assassinate President Gamal Abdel-Nasser and his ministers and said the "retired11 officers should take part in it. All the Arab states would declare their support fcv the movement after it had succeeded. Seyam did not say whether there had been a:iy contact with these states. This conversation took place after the two, v/ith another former Iieutene::-b-- colonel, had met at the War Ministry while experiencing difficulty in getting their pension claims settled. They had agreed to submit a collective complaint to the authorities. Later Saidy told Seyam in reply to his questioning that he had not yet tUoutb.t seriously about the movement, Seyam assured him that it would "inevitably occur'] Si:'/!;/ swore on the Koran not to disclose the secret. That was the extent of his role in \.:>c movement.

Thirteenth Accused Present

The former Wafdist minister Abdul-Fattah Hassan, ivho had been ill during the first week of the trial, was now present and, like all the other accused, pleaded not guilty. The alleged ringleader, the former brigadier Ahmed Atef Nassar, gave evidence on August 20. He said he was innocent of the accusations made • against him, and he denied statements which he had given at the preliminary inquiry, saying these had been made under compulsion and threats. Four policemen searched his hcine on the night of April 25 and took him to a military prison. He had an interview with the Interior Minister, Sayed Zakaria Mohieddin, made a written report on what he Icn-j.v about the aTfair, i".v was released. After 24 hours he -was again put in prison. While there he sent a letter to President Abdel-Nasser stating, "I am the same as you have always known me before and since the revolution. I will never allow anyone to harm you'J Nassar said it would be illogical to expect a man like himself" to join ire destroying the present regime, which he had helped to build. Turning towards his fellow-accused Abdul-Hamid Mustafa Aly Hashem el-Islatnbouly,, whose confession'—later withdrawn—had been the mainstay of the prosecution, he declared tiiat he was a Co;T..n-~ unist; it was impossible to believe a Communist. Abdul-Fattah Hasaan said statements made by Islambouly .and Seydn were con- tradictory. Their first visit to him had been made to seek his opinion on aslajig Mustafa el-Nahas, the veteran Wafdist, to.support President Abdel-Nasser during the invasion last autumn. He had refused to do so because he felt sure that if he had made such a suggestion Nahas would have'ordered him out of his house. 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins I -| I 2

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August 25, 1957 Llldcast Mirror

Hassan said he had never sought an understanding with Russia, the United States, or Britain. The trial was a put-up job* All the evidence was hearsay-there were no ^^^ former Wafdict minister, Mohamed Salaheddin, declined to give evidence and said his lawyer would defend him. . -(•„„<,-; ™™n Hassan, -esuming his defence after a recess, said he was not a professional politician who would sacrifice his country' s interest for the sake of his Phonal interest. Per example, soon after leavtog his ministerial post he had had to borrow £E1,000 from the National Bank of Egypt at an interest of seven per cent because he was in need of money. . . ^.fw^o In proof of his patriotism he said, thai; when actuig as minister of defence he dismissed all the British senior officials in the ministry,, Further, he withdrew all the Egyptian military missions from Br.itain, where they were studying, on protest ogatas t a remark in the House of Commons calculated to cause dissension between the

^ pleadijag for .J-^ci. Atcf Nassar on August 21, said that when he was asked to join in the defence he was reluctant to do so because his own name had been mentioned in the investigations, but the Nassar family .insisted and he agreed so 'that he might not be accused of having deserted a person who sought his

aid legal 'There T/ajg no material evidence of a conspiracy to overthrow the regime ex- cepting some envelopes found in Islambouly's office. The only witness for the prosecution had levelled charges at. random and spoken of imaginary meetings. Contact between Nassar and any foreign quarter had not been established Nassar had been^ne of the men of the revolution and TOS still serving it, while Salaheddan and Hassan £ad been foremost among those who fought against the British, This was sufficient to refute the charge of being in contact with any foreign power.

No_ Tape Recorcbng

There was no tape recording of talks v.ith Islambouly and Seyam although the prosecution witness, Ahmed Kadry, could have arranged for this, especially after the authorities had known of the alleged conspiracy from Kadry. Moreover, no arms or mill- Sii uniforms for use in the alleged conspiracy had been found. Seyam had made it

clear that it was "he who tried to contact Nassar and not vice versa, ,H-r-h,,1 Saved Mohamed Asfur, another lawyer for Nassar, described him as the_virtual leader of the revolution in Alexandria and said.he had also rendered good service to .Ss country when he was military attache* to Delhi, For instance, he greatly helped to ensure that Indian arms were sent to Egypt. After this disclosure the presiding judge, Major-general Mohamed Fuad el- Digwy, said"he would order the'court to go into closed session if lawyers insisted on

ml giving ~^y ^£JJ ^nied thc accuracy of statements by'the prosecution witness and Islambouly and another accused, the former mjor Mohamed Amin Fawzy, and said the relationship of the too latter with Nassar had been transient. There was no proof against Nassar. Where were the uniforms, tommy-guns, and silencers mentioned an the investigation? No such evidence load been produced, Sayed Ahmed Hussein, defending Seyam on August 22, describing the psycho- logical effect on Seyam of the scrap of paper informing him that his service with the armed forces had bceii terminated, said he suffered a nervous breakdown. He described Islambouly as a chatterbox, whose statements had been so con- tradictory that no reliance could be placed on them. There had been a chain of lies in his and other statements, besides which the court procedure was illegal. The hearing was adjourned until today (August 25). cms 1 ^ PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins I •) "I 2

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1-Iideast Mirror 1,

Sayed Hussein Kanial Ahmed Aly, defending the former minister Abdul-Fattah Hassan on August 23, said the case against him was based on two visits from other accused, at which in fact there had "been nothing t>ut commonplace conversation such as might take place between any two persons. None of the accused load said anything against Hassan in their statements during interrogation or in court. It was also contended that there was no case against another accused, the former lieutenant-colonel Hassan ^bdul-Ghaffar Zaky. Had there been any truth in the allegations made against hur ,by the sole prosecution witness, it was stated, the intelligence service could have secured adequate proof against the alleged army of conspirators and could have caught them red-handed. Yesterday the Interior Ministry confirmed Egyptian press reports that IB members of an alleged Communist underground organisation, known as the Communist party of Egypt, had been arrested. It was stated that they -would n a tried in October, According to the newspapers they are charged with conspiring to replace the present regime by one based on Communist principles by the use of force, terrorism, and other illegal means. 'When, the headquarters was raided about three months ago 40 ,arrests were made—some had been released af vjr investigations—and printing machines and leaflets were confiscated. There had been confessions. Among those arrested were women, students, and journalistst "Al-Ahran" said the arrests and impending trial were proof of Egypt's policy of non-alignment in the cold war. 1'he fact was that Egypt infliobed most severe punishment on importers of prohibited doctrines.

SUDAN

PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO LONDON

KHARTOUM—The Prime Minister, Sayed Abdullah Khalil, arranged to fly to Lbndon today for a 10-day visit during which he will attend the Parnborough air dis- play, tour the atomic energy research, establishment at Harwell, visit cotton mer- chants in Manchester and Liverpool, and meet officials of the foreign service. I^^tian^E^cpelle^le. The government has rejected Dr» Wadie G-ayed1 s appeal against an expulsion order issued on the ground that he interfered, as an Egyptian citizen, in local politics. Dr. G-ayed had long been resident in Sudan,, He recently won an opposi- tion seat on the Khartoum city council; foreigners living in Sudan are allowed to contest council seats. The Egyptian embassy has asked for detailed reasons for the I expulsion. A DritjishjFina, Albert Hudson Ltd,, competing with other foreign companies, has won the contract to supply 560 naixow-gauge rail v/agoiis and track materials for the Sudan cotton scheme. The contract is worth £660,000,

NORTH

uJHIS —A lav/ jiublished this week provides for confiscation of "ill-gotten xde by civil servants, elected officials, and members of the late royal ing the last years of French rule in Tunisia. The law also provides for /al of civic rights, and national disgrace for- those convicted. "T.POLI —A Libyan military mission under the acting chief of staff is to Arabia at the invitation of the Saudi Arabian defence minister. THE EGYPTIAN GAZETTE, MONDAY. JULY 21. 1957 tHCTMENT ISSUED IN AGAINST REGIME

13 accused will be tried by •101 ( Supreme Military Court HE Chief Representative of the Public Prosecutor for State Se Tcurity last night released the indictment report in the case of the conspiracy against the present regime, involving two former Wafdisi ministers, Mohamed Salah el Din and Abdul Fattah Hassan, a number

CM of cashiered Army officers, and others. The accused will appear before a Supreme Military Court for trial, according to Artilces 48/1. 95 and 96 o

CO the Penal Code, on the charges stated hereafter.

C 0) the Governorate of Cairo, says the indictment, the accus CO |_ ed participated in a criminal agreement for overthrowing S-o the Government and suspending the constitution by force; DO I s a crime stipulated in Article 87 of the Penal Code. !•§ 9 8 S 'TO ATTACK THE PRESIDENCY The accused reached agreement to form a gang among themselves and of those who might join them from among Army officers to attack the premises of the Pre- sidency and to assassinate or arrest the President of the en co Republic and the Cabinet Ministers; in order to seize c in power, overthrow the constitution of the state, change the I .3 ~P Government, proclaim a new president of the Republic, 1 and to appoint the fifth accused as Prime Minister and the sixth accused as Minister of Interior. The first, second, third and fourth accused have plot- O ted and conducted this agreement, the indictment adds. 3 Tho accused arc: 3 O 1. — Ahmed Atcf Nnasar, 43 Heliopolis. Detained at the Mili- HI £ v> Q. years old retired brigadier. tary Prison. a ±3 c Q. Wakfs Building, Alexandria. 9. — Ahmed Abdul Hamid el O 2-25 Detained at the Military Prison. «- O i^ Ghannam, 43 years old, retired a o 'C o 2. — Hassan Abdul Megid ~?ol., Sharia el Mootassen, Tanta, 3 Seyam, 36 years old retired Lit. C/O. El Sayed Aref Fawzy. De- -5" CD C ^3 •- ri Col. 4, Italian Hospital Street, tained at the Military Prison. Abbassia, Cairo. Detained at the 10. — Ghanem Abdul Mutaal Military Prison. el Saidy, 35 years old, retired 3. — Mohamed Amin Fawzy, Major. 27, Sharia Mohamed Pa- 3 36 years old, Major at the Ar- sha Fikry, Agouza. Detained at tillery and -delegated at the"'Me- the Military Prison. II dical* Corps, 44, Sharia Moha- 11. — Ahmed Fathy Ismail c/j 2 med Farid, Cairo. Detained at . . T3 Kawkab, 28 years old, Captain a. 0 the Military Prison. at the Artillery and delegated 4. — Abdul Hamld Mustafa with the Medical Corps. 21, Aly Hashem el Islambouly, 36 Sekket Rateb Pasha, Hilmia el in u> years old. Government official Gedida, Cairo. Detained at the 0 S at the Ministry of National Military Prison. Guidance. 6, Italian Hospital 5 i * Street, Cairo. Detained at the 12. — Mohamed Abdulla el pi'ison of the Court of Appeal. Sawady, 52 years old, proprietor 5. — Mohamed Salah el Din of 'Al Sawady' newspaper, jour- °5 Ahmed Osman, 54 years old, nalist. Haret Batn el Bakara, lawyer. 69, Street No. 14, Maadi. Faggala, Ezbekieh. Detained at S CD Detained at the prison of the the prison of the Court of Ap- cso -s1 Court of Appeal. peal. 6. — Abdul Fattah Hassan, 50 13. — El Sayed Ahmed Ab- years old, lawyer. 13, Sharia dul Aziz el Sakka, 35 years old, Ibrahim Naguib, Garden City. a former civil servant attached Detained at the prison of the to the Ministry of Social Af- Court of Appeal. fairs, and Secretary to El Sayed 7. — Hassan Abdul Ghaffar Mustafa el Nahas. 34, Sharia Zaky, 36 years old, retired Lt Abdul Megid el Labban, Sayeda Col. 33, Sharia El Kasr el Aaly Zeinab, Cairo. Detained at the Garden City. Detained at the prison of the Court of Appeal. Military Prison. The indictment then gave the 8. — Mohamed Hilmy Ibra- names of witnesses for the pro- him, 37 years old, retired Lt.- secution, and a summary of Coi. 4, Sharia El Deir el Bahary their statements in the course of the inquiry. "One of those witnesses, 27- year-old Ahmed Kadry Moha- med, an official of the Arts De- partment at the Ministry of National Guidance and a former officer, said that he had known the fourth accused, Abdul Hamid el Islambouly, as his colleague in the Ministry of National Guidance. He further said he sometimes met the accused at "Casino Opera," and that the accused used to express his opi- nions on political trends. COUP D'ETAT "During one of those meetings, in the first half of April 1957, the accused spoke of the necessity of changing the pre- j sent sot-up in Egypt through what he called the "nationalist elements" so that a new regime might reach an understanding with the American Government. The accused also informed him of the existence of an organisation of military and civilians which was seeking to achieve this change. He told him that this organisation had a great deal of power, and that it would carry out the change of the system of rule in a short time, perhaps before the end of April. "The fourth accused spoke to him about the plan for the coup (Cont. on page 3) I) *> .i .i £ ?,.i o a ««»n£3 3 *** KJ O V 3SS| IO S T3 sft s*"13:; i .&J33* I jfiMgl gl-§H-SlS^lllS-l*2^a- ;fl 3 l-o-sfa10 > 38fi|? ^ .*• o Cc] iK• -2 5 '«S 2 « a* _.is

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APPEND .PC A: EGYPT

Al The Sentences in the Cairo Conspiracy Trial

Mid:,le East News Agency in Arabic 12.00 GMT and Cairo in Arabic home service 12.30 / and 15.00 GMT 20.10.57-

Text of report:

Cairo. At 1J.OO today the supreme military court delivered its Judgment in the case of the great conspiracy as follows:

1. Ahmad Atif Nassar, retire',: brigadier-general, hard labour for life.

2. Hasan Abel al-MaJib Siyam, retired lieutenant-colonel, hard labour for life.

3. Muhammad Amin Fawzl, retired major, hard labour for life.

4. Abd al-Hamld al-Islambull, official at the Ministry of National Guidance, hard labour f•r life.

5. Muhammad Salah ad-Din, former Minister, 15 years' hard labour.

6. Abd al-Fattah Hasan, lawyer, 12 years' hard labour.

7. Hasan Abd al-Ghaffar Zaki, retired lieutenant-colonel, five years' hard labour.

8. Muhammad Hilmi Ibrahim, retired lieutenant-colonel, acquitted.

9. Ahmad Fahim al-Ghannam, retired colonel, acquitted.

10. Ghanim Abd al-Mutal as-Sa'idl, retired major, 10 years' hard labour.

11. Ahmad Fathl Isma'll Kawkab, captain in the artillery, delegated to the medical services, seven years' hard labour.

12. Muhammad Abdullah as-Sawadi, proprietor of 'As-Sawadl' newspaper and Journalist, seven years' hard labour.

15. Ahmad Abd al-Aziz as-Saqqa, former official at the Ministry of Social Affairs and secretary to Mustafa an-Nahhas, seven years' hard labour.

Col. Ibrahim Sami delivered the Judgment passed by the supreme court.

The charges against the accused are that during the period April 1956 to 2Jrd April 1957» in the province of Cairo, they took part in a criminal conspiracy, the purpose of which was to bring about a change in the State's Constitution and overthrow the system of government by force.

This crime falls under Article 87 of the Penal Code, in that they agreed to set up among themselves, and with the army officers Joining them, an armed gang which would attack the Presidency of the Republic to assassinate the President and the Ministers, or arrest them, seize power, change the State's Constitution and the system of government, proclaim the appointment of another President of the Republic, and Instal the fifth accused as Premier and the sixth accused as Minister of the Interior.

The first four accused were the instigators and organisers of this conspiracy. PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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\:, 7

- 2 -

A2 Comment on Mr.* Bevan' s 'Article In 'The News of the World'

(a) Cairo in Arabic "Voice of the Arabs" 18.17 GMT 20.10.57.

Excerpts, with linking passages summarised, of oommentary by Ahmad Sa'ldj

"The core of the truth and the whole truth Is now becoming clear to some eyes in the West. The British Labour leader Bevan has said that some maintain that all that is needed in the Middle East is for America and Britain to agree on a common policy for the Middle East region; but, the Labour leader says, such an American-British agreement is no longer sufficient for solving the problems of the Middle East (indistinct words). This, my brother, is the precise truth as it Is seen by some in the West; and as for the agreement of America and Britain it is no longer sufficient for solving the problems of the Middle East. The British Labour leader, Bevan, inquires about the practical (?plan) which could lead to a solution of those problems, but in his reply Ignores and pretends not to see the other half of the truth because he says that the achievement of stability in the Middle East demands the conclusion of agreements in which the Soviet Union would be a participant. The people of the Middle East, the countries of the Middle East and the wishes of the Middle East are forgotten by the British Labour politician, as if he wants also to forget your gallant fighting in Port Said, your blowing up of the oil pipe- lines In Syria (indistinct words),"

The West, still dominated by the Imperialist mentality, does not wish to recognise Arab entity and the strength of this entity to settle its problems in a way which conforms with its wishes and its historical rights. The West has forgotten that Arab liberation policy has from its beginning since the end of the second world war been following a neutral path, that of rejecting Joint defence plans and foreign aid disguis- ing military alliances. Also the West pretends to forget the glorious struggle of the Arabs of Morocco by which the Maghrib terminated the era of French imperialism. It pretends to forget the glorious Arab struggle in Tunisia until Tunisia obtained her independence In spite of French imperialism. It pretends to forget the Arab struggle in the Nile valley until Egypt and the Sudan obtained their independence in spite of British imperialism. It pretends to forget the glorious Arab struggle in Jordan until Jordan was liberated from British aid and from the British army of occupation.

"The West overlooks all these glories achieved by the Arab nation by virtue of the strength and sacrifices of Its sons and their s^eat and contiguous struggle. The West, having failed alone to impose its will on the Middle East wishes to (few words indistinct) in the imaginary belief that If Russia Joined America and Britain in drafting solutions to the problems of the Middle East it would be possible to impose their will on our millions regardless of our will, liberties and interests. On these lines the imperialist West is thlnfclr.g; but on what lines are you thinking, my brother? How are you acting to preserve your freedom and to protect your homeland and to raise your prestige?"

Your recent glorious history of struggle is filled with many examples of sacrifices which indicate a deep belief in the fact that your will is responsible for defining your direction and your thinking alone is responsible for outlining your steps and your interests alone are responsible for the success of your struggle, and not London, Washington, Paris or even Moscow.

"This is the truth about the Middle East. The Middle East has its people, and the people of the Middle East have a will. Time and events have proved that the policy of the Middle East is an Arab policy and Is neither Eastern or Western, and the will of the Middle East is an Arab will, neither Eastern or Western, and the liberated States of the Middle East will never through neglect betray their freedom to either Eastern or Western States... This, brother, is our firm vow: the Middle East Is our homeland, and the future of the Middle East is our future. Any Eastern or Western consideration of any of the Middle East questions in which we do not participate in complete freedom and in which our opinion is not taken as the final authority we shall regard as an aggression against us and an encroachment on our will. Our present battle against the forces of imperialism will decide the right of the Middle East, retrospective since the first world war, to live the life desired by Its sons and not the life prescribed to it by its colonisers. This Is our battle of today - a battle for (?upholding) an independent Arab will which recognises any Arab Interests, aims at nothing but (one word Indistinct) of the Arabs, and is only activated by the inspiration of their thinking." 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins 1 1 I 2

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Allied British Plot Against Nasser

I saw on the tape at lunch ^ime that the Egyptians have arrested ft Prince Abdel Mo/neim and his wife Princess Nazli for alleged implication in a plot against Nasser, which according to(^nreport was inspired by British intelligence. This presumably links up with the passage in the speech made by Nasser at Port Said jtesterday in which he accused Maraghi and Hussein Khairi of working from Beirut to organise a plot in Egypt. Flag A An extract from Nasser's speech is attached.

(T.F. Brenchley/ December 2U. 1957 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins 1 1 I 2

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GLASGOW HERALD. Cutting date TO:'? .194 ALLEGED PLOT IN EGYPT o t*. Britain Blamed CAIRO, Wednesday. Squadron-Leader Mahmoud 1/1 Khalil said in an interview X with the newspaper "Al H Akhbar" to-day that British intelligence had hold him the Z Egyptian regime "should be toppled at any cost." z He said the British had drawn ui up a plan to assassinate President Nasser; Major-General Amer, the War Minister; Mr, Abdel Macif Boghdadi, Speaker of the National Assembly, and Mr Zakaria Mohieddin, Interior Minister. They also planned to provoke a rift in the armed forces, he allegsd. ui "Al Akhbar" said that the home CO of Prince - Mohammed Ardel Moneim. former Egyptian regent O who was placed under arrest in connection with the alleged plot, o was searched by the authorities on z Christmas Eve. GUARD ON PALACE Eight policemen guarded the palace where Prince Moneim and | I his wife, Princess Nazli Shaa are | being kept incommunicado. ! Squadron Leader Mahmoud j Khalil is an Egyptian intelligence officer. President Nasser said in a speech on Monday that Khalil had been given £166,500 by British ag-ents to carry out the alleged plot against the regime. He had exposed'the plot and handed over the money to the Egyptian Govern- ment, Nasser said.—Reuter.

M . F . P 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins i -\ 1 2

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» Prlae* Baaatk (or Baa**). Of th* idoatifiod la tfco p*oao. <&• ' with tao BrttlpH laUnifango.* tha oporotioa *• tho la tor

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Mho •m Air er««t« •» w a» of of wit a •f tte t« Irf l*i 11* IM> ropori pvrporting to bo la am'a ,-__ appoarod in iho PT^B». atato«oa)t« attrlbutod to him aa Prt>«*cut«r pu*r^**t th»t h* h«ji givoa tho follon *• *o NUL1« and ploc*o w«r«i ropon«d dd fforontlj in varioua

the <>rton.y IB tht • th« th •ontwtod ^« «t a« ^_ tho in prlwlplo, _^, aho iiwljrto~— ^d. that bar Prime* JUwi «l Mun«)«, dnat«ad of taking offloo aa ragout^ I UM> throao dl r%«tly (with Ahbaa aa crown prlnco) ainao it i proforMbl* to haw a matnro porooa on tfco throaa>. *«jo ydLottar* that Maro«»!i *oa to bo «xi»o HLnUtar Budri «u«i0tar of lav and Mini • tor of In tori *"*• A

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Page _ _of CONFIDENTIAL End. No.. (CldssijiCtltlon) Desp. No. From._ Gair® eomp frm the British Iiite,ll.tge-ns«e S«*rciees,> and setting forth his reasons .for b«9j.le'»i.ng that this was not iiw>n$ist*nt with Egypt's independence^ soTwaignty or digni/lgr0 Su.bsequ.eKWy Isaro himself was placed in c@ntaet with two BM,tish secret sersrics operatives s John (?) Fanw»ra in Beirut (or ItwaAylp and Jkml Crlehtesi (Cre-ightor*!, Graytonl)0 At the house of the s latter in Munich p Isam was shown a letter 9 also in Maraghi s handwriting; addressed to Khairi, dscXarlsig the necessity for terminating the revolts tionary regime in ISgypt by any means cjid at any cost<, and giving certain details of the conspiracy0 Recognising the important© of this document; Isam excused himself tu go to the batiirocsBj, secreted the letter in his s aM set fire to some toi!iefc paper j wijen the conspirators smelled the h«g pretended, to b* indlgssjmt that they had endangered themselves and him by preserving such an lne.ri.wisjatl.fig dO'Sswaento By this subterfuge he was able to plage a second piece of material evidence is^ the hands of the Egyptian authorities while r®ta:Lre5.iig the confiding® of | federates05 .in the plots Bj other ttrl.efes h® also stteceeded in' specimens of the hazsdwrit'l.ag i»f the t-w?» Brftis'h of fleers* Ihe Public Pr^secyt-ctr i-efei-red the tw^ Mar'agbi. letters to the Depart^ ment of Legal Sfediciue (s5x«.) whejt.*?^ "Gpou comparisea with ho3,agraphs of 1 Maraghi

g isi M?y/-,9 'IP57.;, ^s Farid Sharif Shaker 1 acted freqxisntvi ^ as messjs.nge.af i* ! Isas? ar.d trie conspirators0 What purports to be his In'? I j-:t-svpT?;ent the Prvs^outor appeared' (with unique on l.ha tif-x:^.} ?.n ajil ^a.}.. ar© hlb'llil-fi of b:!.:J tv

Msy ?!^?. Met r-arx and K Eeturned to Galr© with «.i RPJTI French .?••?„ rwil-wrrsl!. ;,.^rale«J ®.?nrpJ,{*p^ from Isam to Khairi. in Beirut; told Khali"! Isain was «"<;r!HJ;n» hst-l bu!- nt'^-dsri more aioneyo Had a fine tim© in Beirut cabaret^ w^-r^ Fh,alr.l sm-r»t La S-./lK/ ^rery night on women and liquor Ehairl expresw't--a satl^f action with Is^m^s work, but emphasised the need for h%st«; more Piotiey would dep-end upow a ".fiTrm" report| Khairi asked for two reports?, or?* lor biniself and on?! fop those financing the »peratio:eio KhaJ.rl fjsid •T-sam should he .Lnstznc ted to recruit senior police officers^, an.d that HarH&H! wanted to know th« date set for the coup, what anno'tmciBment w^s to bs mads to the .Egyptian people j, what reasons Isam had for optimism as to th^ suceass of the plsstj, aM details of the organizs^ tion set up in the ara70 Farid re tiursiied to Cairo >clth 1^ 2Gj,0000 July ^ To Ag«.j.n -in Beirut^ Me*- Basharaj, Hannein and Jeannstt® Canerain {?}» a dani-ey at th«? Lido iiight=.cl'ab and also working with ih« eonspi rato.T*?? foi" tb* acoowil of the French 5 wliftlligenne serric@«« Khairi ins

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Page- k fine/. (Classification) gave him a memorandum of instructions for Isam and the key to an apartment to be used on subsequent trlps«

August 2i~28s Tb«Je report to Beirut that organisation growingp police of fleers recruited and Isam needed money,, Xhairi asked about the military situation^, requested a police officer transfer list and detailed alternative plans for the coup whether Nasser were in Egypt or abroad, a plan for operations in case the coup failed^ and a list of expenditures thus fare. He entered up an additional LE J September IV Hade brief oral progress report, Agreed on code^ using names of medicines # to designate day on which the coup would be executed* Received LI 35?ODO.

October 8«35« Took plan for the coup to Beirut0 Saw Haraghi himself for first time, who expressed appreciation for Isara's efibrts0 Get LE £00000 from Khairi, • . October 23°280 Returned to Beirut $ ma.de optiarLs tic oral report to Khairi, received LE 20,000 (of lOOgOOO previously promised) and a brass badge intended to be worn by participants in the operation* Open return to Cairo? Farid was instructed by Isam to return to Beirut November 6 to bring the remaining funds and 50000 badges «, However*, November 7o Farid flew to Athens where he had fixed a TOUS with Khairi to inform him that Egyptian Intelligence was oa his tail and aware of the conspiracy0 Khairi gave him a sixopage letter signed by his alias, "Tariq Qadri*,. All then proceeded to Beirut and called on Haraghi, whose house was closely guarded by Lebanese soldiers* Haraghi was vexed because the coup had not yet taken placep and demanded it be carried out before the end ot£ ^overaber* Asp obvious lyj, it had nefo bec'ssna impractical to preleng the and sufficient evidence had in any ease been acquired^ no further contact was made and Nasser publicly denounced the conspiracy December S3, Princess Haslishahf, all reports agree^ admitted to the Prosecutor that ftdnce Hamuq had spoken to her of re-establishing the monarchy j, IB the person of her son, but stoutly denied that she considered the proposal as more than a joke. The press has suggested that she consulted the constitutional lawyer Wahid Si "fat on the subjeetp and that revelation* were made at a tea party at the home of two sisters .f ttira and Shiaer Cahil in ZamaleJcs attended by Haslishahp Abd al^Huneia and the lawyer,, fieportedlys however9 aH three maintain that the consultation had to do with means of gaining possession of Abd al^Muneim's share of the estate of his uncle Huharamad Ali in England, (If an attempt were made to transfer these assets to Egyptp they would be subject to confiscation as possessions of the former royal family,, Hi 'fat supposedly suggested that a fictitious British

CONFIDENTTAI, PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Page : CONEEBBHTJI. End. No.. (Classification) Desp. No.TO, From

creditor be empowered to gala possession of the funds 9 pending * later settlement with hiaij, the Egyptiaja authorities meanwhile being informed of the existence of the balance and of the claim against ito Abd al« Muneim denied any knowledge of the plot. Upon searching his homep the police discovered^ in the entry hallp an object which the Prince maintained was an ordinary radio receiving s©ts but which was suspected to be a trans<=> mitter0 Various experts were called in to examine the machine^ but no press indication exists that the authorities have yet learned whether the machine transmits or receives0 Several letters addressed to the Princess were also seized as possibly bearing on the plot0 Of these? onep signed "K* and saying "much money is being spent to end the matter as well as possible" was explained by Haslishah as written by Princess Kamal al=>Din (sister of Prince Muhammad Ali Tswfiq) and dealing with Mohammad All5&» He drew up a brief tending to prove that the elections held in Ju3y9 1957> w«r« illegal even under the present constitutionc He conducted a spirited and aatute defense in the Muhammad Salah al=Din trial in Angus t^Ssptemfcer of last year „ finallyp he drafted a bitter attack upon the resent Soviet^ Egyptian loan agreement, which the Embassy understands has been published abroad^ and which he pressed sufficiently vigorously in Egypt to be placed unde__^_J "_^_r_ arrest^ LiJ' -._ A. . Accordin*___. t J g tAo ._ CAf* * e*S re^wtSji i - _ ft. '_ , -»TNass* .._•'r » beeam• •e s- o- apprehensiv« • ••••••**e tha. * t press handling of M. 'fat's connection with Naslishah ndgftt result In the complete discredit of the conspiracy in the public mind (on the assumption that it was fabricated simply to take revenge on Ri'fat)? that Nasser has ordered the reinstatement of official^ formal and strict press eens©r=> ship,, The wild irresponsibility of the Cairo press may be judged frcm the following sampling of allegations appearing on the subject of the conspiracys => Hussein Ihairij, after resigning from the army in 1°53* engaged in suspicious activities in ifeypt, then traveled abroad,, ending up in Home, where he joined a foreign intelligence service; he brought his friends Prince Hamuq and Prince Hayef (relative and friend of Prince Abd al«Ilah of Iraq) into this service with him0 (al^Ahram) => The conspirators turned first to Mahmud Abu al-Fath (expatriate journalist, publisher of the defunct al«Hisrig and distinguished critie of the regime)s but he refused to cooperate with thems explaining that he was working for "another foreign group *0 (Shaab) (Al^Ahraa blew this tale up

~~COHFIDElilTIAI. 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins I 1 I 2~~

6 _of End. No.. (Classification) p. Ni to a headline story saying Abu al«Fatfc had "officially* admitted he i« dir#sting Radio Free Egypt in Sou-teens Frame for the account of the French Government*) - The brains of the conspiracy was a British intelligence of ficer^ who maintained constant contact with Eden before his resignation* than with the British Prime Ministry* (Shaab) <= The intelligence services of NAfQ and the Baghdad Pact organisM the pilot* (Oumhuriya) '

» Curing the week before Nasser exposed the plot g Mar aghi was talking to foreign diplomats in Beirut as though he expected to take over as Egyptian Prime Minister within a few days0 (Oumhuriya;, dateline Damascus)

<• Crichton (?)s Chief of British Intelligence in Germanyp gave Isam a German reccarder, transmitter and receiver, the equal of which is to be found in few intelligence services in the World,, (Akhbar) « Purposes of the conspiracy g

18 Re^establishment of Feudalism^ It was suggested that peasants be required to pa$ the price ef their land acquired under the agricultural reform program immediately in full (after consultation with the British); Maraghi insisted, however, that the land must be returned to its former owners « 2, Sue? Canal . Khairi realized that cancellation of nationalization would arouse adverse public sentimentj therefore foreign ship-owners would be invited to participate in operating the canalo 3o UcS. Aid. Massive American aid was to be made available inane* diately on the success of the 'coup, in order to enable the new government to "narcotize* public opinion ^ ll, A number of princes of "a Wriain Arab country* contributed to the expenses of the conspiracy,, The j&ibassy of thias country ^uld pay oveir L£ 5^)0^000 upon success of the revolt,:, (Shaab) Such fantasies as the fore-going, implicating all and sundry against whom the press bears a grudge9 were a contributing factor to the &tl»posi<= tion of censorship,, Orders had twice been issued to the press during the period December 2U<=31 to "play down" the conspiracy. These were observed for a couple of days each time, but irresponsible invention began again with increased gust© until January !„ when identical stories » obviously a "canned" release^ were carried in the four morning papers^ along with the Prosecutor's reprimand to the press for its extravagant treatment of the casee (The fact and motive for the reintroductioa of censorship went learned from a CAS source,,)

~~iONFlDENTlAt cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins 1~~

~~Pape _of End. No (Classijtcation) Desp. Cair®~~

If the prosecution "a ease rests only on the testLirnxngr revealed thus far to the pr«ssp It would appear to be a weak one^ although of course not weak enough to fail of obtaining a conviction In Egyptian courts t,bday« On the other handp if the conspirators were to .fact sufficiently destitute of astuteness to entrust the whole operation to the Chief of Air Intelli<= genee with no effort to yerify his good faith, perhaps the Egyptians ar© mil saved from the projected successor regime,, It is premature to speculate on the significance of this latest con= spirasjg beyond pointing out that it might provide the occasion for action against a group potentially threatening the regime (i0e0 the remaining members of the former ruling dynasty) as previously-discovered plots permitted it to act against Wafdist leaders and the Ikhwanu (On January 3 the press announced the sentencing in absentia of Princess Fayza Ahmad T Fuads sister of Faruq, to one month s imprisonment at hard labor and a fine9 by the Alexandria Court of Appeals,, on a charge of smuggling furs and household effects bo and from Egypt*) This procedure harmonizes I completely with the .regime's policy of reducing possible nuclei of / dissidence piecemeal, The Embassy will continue to report developments in the investigation of the conspiracy and the eventual, trial.,„ which win perforce be conducted in larg© part In absentia^

~~FOR THE AMBASSADORg~~

~~I Claude Gs Ross Counselor of finbassy for Political Affairs~~

~~CONFIDENTIAL~~