CAIRO STREET SCENES; NEWSPAPERS IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH; MOUNTED GUARD OUTSIDE AMERICAN EMBASSY; AIRLINE OFFICE CLOSED; WAR POSTERS; PORTRAIT OF PRESIDENT NASSER; PRESIDENT NASSER SPEAKING ON TELEVISION; PRO-NASSER DEMONSTRATIONS. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEARNS OF WITHDRAWAL OF RESIGNATION.




Initials AA/V/BHH/EEH


OWING TO THE CLOSURE OF CAIRO AIRPORT, AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON NEWSMEN, VISNEWS WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIP FILM OUT OF THE UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC DURING THE MIDDLE EAST WAR. FILM REACHED US TODAY SHOWING CAIRO ON THE DAY THE U.A.R. ACCEPTED THE U.N. CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE, AND PRESIDENT NASSER'S SUBSEQUENT OFFER TO RESIGN. EDITORS TODAY'S PROD. NO. 5814/67 ALSO REFERS.

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Background: A WEEK AGO, THE UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC, AGREED TO THE UNITED NATION'S CALL FOR A CEASE-FIRE IN THE MIDDLE EAST WAR, PROVIDED ISRAEL DID SO AS WELL. RIGHT UP TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE CEASE-FIRE, THE CITIZENS OF CAIRO HAD BEEN OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE WAR. THE RADIO CARRIED STIRRING REPORTS AND PLAYED MARTIAL MUSIC, AND THE NEWS SEEMED TO BE GOOD. EVEN THOUGH AN ANNOUNCEMENT SAID THAT EGYPTIAN TROOPS WERE FIGHTING ON THEIR OWN SOIL. THE NEWSPAPERS CARRIED REPORTS OF HEAVY ISRAELI LOSSES, AND OF SUPPORT FOR THE UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC IN THE UNITED NATIONS.

ALLEGATIONS OF AMERICAN AND BRITISH AID TO ISRAEL SPARKED OFF HOSTILE PROTESTS IN MANY PARTS OF THE ARAB WORLD. MOUNTED POLICE GUARDED THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN CAIRO.

THERE WAS LITTLE ACTIVITY IN THE STREET CAIRO AS THE CITIZENS FEARED BOMBARDMENT. AIRLINE OFFICERS WERE CLOSED, AS WAS THE AIRPORT.

POSTERS ON CAIRO WALLS ADDED SPLASHES OF COLOUR TO THE STREETS. THEY EXHORTED THE POPULATION TO GIVE ALL THEY COULD TO THE WAR EFFORT.

FOLLOWING THE EGYPTIAN ACCEPTING OF THE CEASE-FIRE, PRESIDENT NASSER APPEARED ON TELEVISION TO OFFER HIS RESIGNATION. IN AN EMOTIONAL BROADCAST HE TOLD HIS PEOPLE THAT HE ACCEPTED FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE EVENTS OF THE PAST DAYS.

PRESIDENT NASSER'S OFFER TO RESIGN TRIGGERED OFF DEMONSTRATION ALL OVER THE ARAB WORLD, APPEALING TO THE U.A.R. PRESIDENT TO STAY ON. THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS POURED INTO THE STREET OF CAIRO SHOUTING "NASSER, NASSER" AND DEMANDED THAT THE PRESIDENT STAY IN OFFICE.

THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MET PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT PRESIDENT NASSER SHOULD STAY ON AS THE COUNTRY'S LEADER. AND WHEN PRESIDENT NASSER SENT A MESSAGE TO THE SPEAKER SAYING THAT HE WOULD WITHDRAW HIS RESIGNATION, ASSEMBLY MEMBERS STOOD AND CHEERED.

THERE WAS THE SAME REACTION IN THE STREET OF CAIRO WHERE THOUSANDS CHANTED PRO-NASSER SLOGANS AND CARRIED GIANT PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE MAN WHO HAS LED THE UNITED REPUBLIC FOR ELEVEN YEARS.