Abd Al-Hakeem Amer commited suicide

General Mohamed Abd Al-Ghany Al-Gamasy said in his memoirs ( Before going to sleep, I and general Ahmed Ismail were on the canal front at night reviewing, as usual, the activity of the enemy in Sinai, his intentions in the short coming period and also activities of our forces. Then, the telephone rang. The caller was general Mohamed Fawzi from Cairo. He informed us that Marshal Amer had committed suicide by using poisonous material which he had hidden under his clothes and stacking to his body. A high medical committee examined him. He would be treated like any suicide; which mean no funeral rituals after delivering his body to his Family.

General Ahmed Ismail and I discussed the effect of this accident among the forces of the front, We reached a certain conclusion that it would effect nothing; for no one had forgot Marshal Amer's role, as the general commander of the armed forces, in the defeat of June War, losing Sinai and martyrdom of thousands of our armed forces.

We recalled the bad condition of the military service of our armed forces under his command that was considered one of the main reasons of the defeat.

The general prosecutor gave his decision on 10/10/1967 saying "According to what had been mentioned above; the Marshal Abd Al-Hakeem Amer took a poisonous material on purpose to commit suicide in his house and among his family on 13/9/1967 that caused his death the day after. And it is not a crime in concept of law, so we give our order to keep it administratively.".

That was the final fate of "Marshal" Amer who was a "Major" on July 23, 1952 (the Revolution day). In less than a year he was promoted to be a "General", and general commander of the armed forces on June 18, 1953. Then he was promoted to the rank of "Marshal" on 20 February 1958. Finally he became the vice of the supreme commander of the armed forces. )

Shams Badran's Trial.

General Mohamed Abd Al-Ghany Al-Gamasy said in his memoirs ( When Shams Al-Deen Badran, the minister of war, came to trial in February 1968, the court president asked him about his opinion on what had happened and caused the June defeat. He answered "When the situation has been developed, we have realized that we must withdraw the international police (The International Emergency Forces) to show that we are ready to fight; since the international police prevents our forces to enter. After withdrawal of the international police, Al-Aqaba Gulf is closed and Sharm Al-Sheikh is occupied. The view is saying that our army ready to attack Israel. We are completely sure that Israel can not attack or even make the first step. And if Israel attacks, it will be a suicide, and sure will be defeated.".

When he was inquired about his view about president Abd Al-Nasser's decision to close Al-Aqaba after taking confirmation from the responsible leader (Marshal Amer), Shams Badran answered "The general commander, Marshal Amer, gave his confirmation saying "I can do it" but it was difficult to him to do it.".

The court president commented on Shams Bardran's answer with saying "I swear by God if matters go like that and measured by this scale, in which words and conducts are not responsible, so we deserve much more than what had happened." )

Source: October War 1973, second edition 1998. General Mohamed Abd Al-Ghany Al-Gamasy chief of operations of Egyptian Army during the war.

Related links on the Internet:

General Mohamed Fawzi talking to Al-Ahram Weekly about the three year war.

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