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SIA IN THE
BYACCIDENT
Today, the Soviel Union is the domina t
po ' '
in the
Middle East. By contrast America a
d
Brira ·n
hove
few
friencfs in this critica/
corner of
the world.
by
Paul Kroll and Raouf El Gamma!
T
O A CASUAL OBSERVER,
it might
appear that the Soviet Union
blundered its way into the
Middle East. The lesson of history tells
us otherwise.
The Kremlin has a history of cov·
etous eyes regarding the Middle East -
especially Egypt and the Persian Gulf
area. To many Russophiles, influence in
these areas was virtually a God-given
commission.
Geography Soviet Style
In
1848,
a Russian ex·diplomat,
Fedor Tiutchev, wrote a poem entitled
"Russian Geography." In this patriotic
poem he designated seven rivers as
God-chosen Russian frontiers. The
seven rivers were the Neva, Volga,
Euphrates, Ganges, Elbe, Danube, and
curiously the NlLE!
His ideas of a Russian empire reach–
ing into Egypt were certainly not new.
They had been around for a long time,
as far back as the year
1001
A.D.
For example, when one Benjamín
ben Jonab of Tudela, a learned traveler
and diary-keeper of the twelfth century,
spoke of Alexandria as a "commercial
market for all nations," he specifi.cally
mentioned the Russians among the vari–
ous traders gravitating toward this
strategic place.
Move on to more recent times, and
one finds that of the various parts of the
African continent, Egypt has been the
apple of many a Russian ruler's eye.
This has undoubtedly been due to
Egypt's strategic geographical location,
its comparative closeness to Russia's
shores and the physical importance of
the Nile valley.
Under Catherine the Great (
1762-
96), Russia's activities in Egypt were
dictated by its desire to speed the fall of
the Turkish Empire (which extended
from Eastern Europe to the Middle East
and included much of North Africa) by
threatening ít from the north.
The Empress rendered military assist–
ance to the Man1eluke Ali-Bey, a local
governor wbo succeeded in making
Egypt independent of Turkish rule for
a few years. In
1784
it
was mmored
that Russia had agreed to support the
independence of Egypt in the next war
with the Turks. The price was per–
mission to guarter Russian troops in
AJexandria, Rosetta and Damietta -
various Egyptian cities.
Czarist Military in Egypt
In the following years severa! Rus–
sian officers visited Egypt. They were
received by the Egyptian Beys rebelling
against Turkish rule, with great honor
as
military advisers.
The Russian gov–
ernment even encouraged the enlistment
of Russian peasant youth in the military
formations of the Mameluks, members
of the Egyptian military body. As a re–
sult, by
1786
this militia was already
one-fottrth
Russian!
During the same period a Russían
consul appeared for the first time on
Egyptian soil and hastened to asswne
the political leadership of the rebellion.
When the Beys were defeated by the
Turkish Sultan in
1786
they appealed
to the Russian consui for intercession.
The latter sought to defend them on the
grounds that they were under the
protection of the Empress of Russia.
Russia gave direct military advice to
Egypt in the nineteenth century. Rostis–
lav Fadeev, a retired general, served as
military adviser to the Khedive (title of
the viceroy of Egypt) in the years
1875-
76.
He was even siated to become com–
mander-in·chief of the Egyptian army.
His refusal to wear the tunic of an
Egyptian officer blocked his plan.
The Kremlin has always recognized
both the strategic position of Egypt and
its vulnerability. Russia's position in the
nineteenth century was reflected in the
words of Czarist foreign affairs minis–
ter Giers: "The proclaimed principie of
Egypt for the Egyptians is a Utopía.
Egypt because of its
geographical
position
is of such political importance
that its independence is impossible. lt
would become a battle field for
European rivalries."
It is no wonder the Soviet Union is
today supplying Egypt with arms, tech–
nical advisers, economic support, politi–
cal backing - and using any other kind
of influence-mustering technique at its
dísposal.
The Suez Canal
Tben as now Russia was quite con–
scious of its deficiencies in open water
lanes. Its interest in any "chokepoint"
or sea gate such as the Suez Canal has
always been great. Knowing of the
interest of the Soviets, Count Ferdinand