HOTEL WITH NEWSMEN WAITING INSIDE; LISTENING TO RADIO; WATCHING TELEVISION; CONDUCTED TOUR THROUGH STREETS; AIR RAPID SHELTER; CAMERAMAN WITH ARGUING PEOPLE; GUARDS OUTSIDE HOTEL; NEWSPAPER HEADLINES; CAMERAMAN FILMING.




Initials AB/V/CT/ES



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Background: FOR CAIRO-BASED NEWSMEN THE MIDDLE EAST WAR HAS LARGELY A TIME OF WAITING. WITHIN HOURS OF THE FIRST SHOTS A SECURITY CLAMP HAD BEEN PUT ON THE CITY AND THE MOVEMENT OF JOURNALISTS AND CAMERAMEN HAD BEEN RESTRICTED.

AS FIERCE BATTLES WERE FOUGHT IN THE SINAI DESERT THAT NEWSMEN REMAINED IN THEIR HOTELS WHILE ARMED GUARDS PATROLLED OUTSIDE TO PREVENT BREACHES OF SECURITY.

MUCH OF THEIR TIME WAS SPENT LISTENING TO THE RADIO AND WATCHING TELEVISION. ON JUNE 6 CORRESPONDENTS WERE ORDERED TO SEND CABLES ONLY IN ENGLISH, FRENCH OR GERMAN. IT WAS THE FIRST CENSORSHIP REGULATION IMPOSED SINCE THE WAR BEGAN THE PREVIOUS DAY. THE ORDER RESTRICTED THE FILING OF GERMAN CABLES ONLY TO GERMANY AND SWITZERLAND.

IN AN EFFORT TO CUT DOWN FOREIGN EXCHANGE CAIRO NEWSPAPERS DECIDED TO PUBLISH ONLY FOUR PAGES INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL TWELVE.

ON JUNE 7 UNITED STATES CORRESPONDENTS WERE OFFICIALLY TOLD THAT THEY MUST LEAVE THE COUNTRY IMMEDIATELY. THEY WERE ORDERED TO REPORT TO THEIR EMBASSY WHERE ARRANGEMENTS WERE BEING MADE TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE DIPLOMATIC PARTY LEAVING AFTER THE RAPTURE OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UAR AND THE UNITED STATES.

CORRESPONDENTS WERE TOLD THAT THE REASON FOR THEIR EXPULSION WAS THEIR "COUNTRY'S STAND IN SUPPORTING ISRAEL".

CAMERAMEN WHO TRIED TO FILM IN THE STREETS OF CAIRO WERE TARGETS FOR HOSTILE CROWDS, INFLAMED BY REPORTS OF ALLEGED AMERICAN-BRITISH INTERVENTION IN THE WAR ON THE SIDE OF THE ISRAELIS.

AS ISRAELI AIRCRAFT FLEW OVER THE CITY NEWSMEN JOINED THE CAIRENES IN THEIR AIR RAID SHELTERS. TOURS OF THE CITY WERE ORGANISED FOR CAMERAMAN AND JOURNALISTS BY THE CAIRO INFORMATION CENTRE. THE NEWSMEN WERE ACCOMPANIED BY OFFICIALS FROM THE INFORMATION CENTRE AND POLICE.

THROUGHOUT THE WAR AIRPORT RESTRICTIONS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE VISNEWS CAMERAMAN IN CAIRO TO SEND OUT FILM. AND THE WAITING NEWSMEN HAD LARGELY TO RELY ON LOCAL RADIO AND NEWSPAPER REPORTS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRESS OF THE WAR.