October 11, 1973

text of lr from S T Agnew to Pres Nixon informing him of his resignation and of lr from Nixon to Agnew in which he says he respects Agnew's decision

Oct 11: Nixon Adm officials say on Oct 10 that they believe USSR is airlifting mil equipment to resupply forces of Egypt and Syria; State Dept spokesman R J McCloskey says that if Soviets are in fact engaged in huge resupply effort, this would put 'new face' on Middle East conflict; says he is not in position to confirm this is taking place at this time; other officials readily volunteer information; fact that US officials are now willing to openly discuss indications of Soviet resupply effort prompts speculation that Nixon Adm might be laying groundwork for resupplying Israeli forces; there are repts that Israel is flying mil supplies from US and from US bases in GB and W Ger, but it is not clear whether supplies referred to had previously been ordered; Defense Dept refuses to confirm or deny repts; US officials say that during last day or so, unusually large number of Soviet transports have been observed landing at Egyptian and Syrian airports; presumption is that planes are carrying mil equipment; officials say airlift is being staged primarily from Hungary; diplomatic sources rept that about 30 planes were observed landing at Syrian airports since Oct 9; rept that Israel has already approached US about speeding delivery of mil equipment promised before fighting erupted on Oct 6; say this would include F-4 Phantom jet fighters; officials refuse to comment on whether US is contemplating emergency resupply to Israeli forces; Defense Dept refuses to confirm or deny rept by The Norfolk Ledger-Star that Boeing 707 with Israeli markings on its tail sec was loaded with missiles and bombs at Ocean Naval Air Station at Virginia Beach, Va, on Oct 10; within Adm circles there is growing belief that Israeli forces cannot fight protracted war against numerically superior Arab forces without assurance of some US resupply; it is reptd that about 500 Israeli tanks and armored vehicles have been destroyed or disabled; Israel had about 1,700 tanks and about 3,000 armored vehicles when fighting began; officials note that US is seeking quick end to conflict and does not want to encourage Israel through promises of resupply to carry on long war of attrition; says Adm does not want to cut off all supplies if that would mean ultimate defeat of Israel; say Adm is trying to urge restraint on USSR and does not want to take steps that might provide excuse for USSR to start resupplying Arabs; note that some restraint may be removed if it turns out that USSR is already engaged in supply airlift to Egypt and Syria; Pentagon believes that Israel has lost about 15 F-4 Phantoms and 45 A-4 Skyhawks; says Israeli air force suffered very substantial losses to Soviet-built missiles, particularly SAM-6 missile; believe that Egypt's objective is to maintain beachhead on eastern bank of Suez Canal rather than push across Sinai Peninsula, where its forces will be exposed to Israeli air power; say Egypt would then use its mil victory to force Israel to accept standstill cease-fire and make concessions on returning Arab territory occupied in '67 war

evidence gathered by US Attys in Baltimore indicates that Vice Pres Agnew, in 3 elective offices including Vice-Pres, asked for and accepted cash payments totaling more than $100,000; that evidence, denied by Agnew, is entered by Atty Gen Richardson in Fed Dist Ct on Oct 10 as part of agreement between Justice Dept and Agnew's attys; it becomes permanent part of record in case, along with Agnew's denial and other terms of agreement that included his resignation and plea of no contest to tax charge; 40-page document tells of Agnew's request for money because he was not wealthy and pol and soc demands of office required money, of cash arriving under disguised names of 'papers' and 'information,' of a repr's signal for payments by offering 'congratulations' and of a kickback splitting arrangement with 2 of his closest associates; tells of payments to Agnew in Md by consulting engineers who considered practice so necessary to their business success and so ingrained that they never discussed it and just paid up; tells of Agnew's calling 1 unidentified financial inst 'a cheap bunch' who 'don't give you any money' and later receiving from them a substantial but undisclosed amount for lucrative state bond issues in Md; states that 1 of those making payments to Agnew stopped doing so only last Dec and only because of investigation by US Atty G Beall in Baltimore; document is called 'Exposition of the Evidence' against Agnew as of Oct 10 '73; Agnew denies, when he enters no contest plea, assertions of illegal acts made on his part by govt witnesses except for 1 item; stresses that Md state contracts went only to those who were qualified to perform job during his days as Gov from '67 to '69; denies that payments 'in any way' influenced his official actions and that he enriched himself at expense of public trust; document names I H Hammerman 2d, L Matz, A Green and J B Wolfe; illus of Agnew family

Vice Pres Agnew ends 65 days of defiant insistence that he was innocent of any wrongdoing by pleading no contest to charge of income tax evasion and resigning; Atty Gen Richardson says, in prepared statement, that Govt's evidence against Agnew goes far beyond tax violaton but that 'critical natl interests,' avoidance of 'serious and permanent scars' upon US that would have been inflicted by mos or yrs of criminal prosecution of a sitting Vice Pres, together with new and allied dispute over newsmen's sources, justifies agreement with Agnew; Hoffman approves agreement; under agreement, Agnew waived all his rights as a defendant, right to be indicted and to arraignment, and is sentenced on spot to pay $10,000 fine and to 3 yrs probation; Hoffman admonishes Agnew to violate no state or Fed laws on pain of having his avoidance of prison term reconsidered; long list of other charges, involving perhaps $100,000 in payoffs by Md contractors favored by Agnew in award of state contracts, is dropped; US Atty in Baltimore Beall makes public charges and evidence to support them; Richardson says he insisted on that in bargaining with Agnew; plea of no contest does not mean that Md or some private orgn may not take future action against Agnew; Richardson's plea for leniency noted; illus of Agnew being sworn in as Md Gov Jan 25 '67 by Judge H Hammond

Israel says on Oct 10 that Syrian Army on Golan heights has been driven back to '67 cease-fire line; Israeli forces fighting Egyptians clearly seem to have suspended counterattack aimed at pushing them from eastern bank of Suez Canal; informed Israeli source says that Israel estimates Egyptian invading force at 5 divisions, which could be close to 75,000 men; says force crossed canal with about 606 tanks, and 300 to 400 of these may still be operational; Israeli Air Force bombs 2 air fields in Nile delta as well as naval hq, fuel installations and power plant in Syria in day of slackening air action; Israeli command says on Oct 11 that for 1st time in war Israeli forces struck against opposite bank of Suez Canal; says Israeli force of unannounced size raided convoys and rear echelon installations of Egyptian Army; wording of communique indicates that operation was not attempt to gain foothold on other side and that raiding force returned to eastern bank; command announces naval operation against important Syrian port of Latakia; repts that 2 Syrian missile boats were sunk and oil storage facilities in port damaged; Israeli Premier Meir, in address to nation on religious holiday of Succoth, Feast of Tabernacles, says she has no doubt that war will end in victory but adds that 'this may take more than 6 days'; says she does not know if Jordanian King Hussein will join war; sources say Israel will for time being try to contain Egyptian bridgeheads east of canal and concentrate on 1st defeating Syria; say Israel believes that Syrian Army is badly hurt and intense air operations are aimed at punishing Syrians; concede that Egyptian front is especially difficult problem for Israeli officers; Israelis make clear they would like to fight mobile battle against main body of Egyptian armor, battle for which veteran Israeli tank officers and skilled tank gunners are suited; Israelis have air superiority over canal area and Egyptian force will have to face continued air strikes; illus of Israeli tanks and soldiers in Sinai desert