The Mideast War: Sadat: Egypt Has Restored Its Honor

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Not since the death of Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1970 has the Arab world been so moved by eloquence and inspiration. Speaking last week to Egypt's People's Assembly, President Anwar Sadat talked of the country's aims in war and peace. Excerpts:

In the name of God, brothers and sisters: I do not think you expect me to stand in front of you so that we may boast together about what we have realized in eleven days—the most dangerous, magnificent and glorious days in our history. The day will come when we shall recount what each of us has done and how each one bore his trust, how the heroes of this people and this nation went out in a dark period carrying the torches of light and pointing out the road between despair and hope.

I say without pretense that the 1967 setback was an exception in our history. I came out of the ranks of these forces and have lived their traditions. [Their] record was magnificent, but our enemies—old and new imperialism and world Zionism—tried to [besmirch] this record so as to make the nation doubt its shield and its sword.

The Egyptian armed forces performed a miracle, by any military standard. I would not be exaggerating if I say that military historians will long pause to examine and study the operation carried out on Oct. 6. The risk was enormous and the sacrifices were grave. But the results of the first six-hour battle of our war were magnificent. Our wounded nation has restored its honor and the political map of the Middle East has been changed.

We are fighting for the sake of peace, the only peace that is worth the name: that is, peace based on justice. The great mistake our enemy has made is that he thought the force of terrorism could guarantee security. [The Israelis] are now faced with [a war of] attrition. That we can bear much better than they can. I would like to add, so they may hear in Israel: we are not advocates of annihilation. Egyptian missiles are now on their pads ready to be launched to the deepest depths of Israel. We could have given the signal and issued the order. But we realize the responsibility of using certain kinds of weapons and we restrain ourselves. Yet they have to remember what I still say: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth . . .

The whole world has hailed our courage in the defense of our rights. Only one state differed with the whole world, and that was the United States. It was not enough that its arms enabled Israel to impede all attempts for a peaceful settlement. Now it is further involved in something that is more dangerous and more perilous. It is hastening to the aid of the aggressor, replacing his losses and furnishing him with new equipment. I would like to tell [President Nixon] that our aims in this war are well known and need no further clarification: First, we have fought and we will go on fighting to liberate our land, which was seized by Israeli occupation in 1967, and to find the means to restore the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

Second, we are prepared to accept a cease-fire on condition that the Israeli forces withdraw forthwith from all the occupied territories under international supervision.