The Cultural Salon at Mansoura University hosts Major General Usama Al-Mandouh at a symposium on Egypt from Victory to Stability

Within Mansoura University’s celebrations of the golden jubilee of the October 1973 victories and coinciding with the celebrations of the Mansoura Air Battle, the Faculty of Arts hosted on October 14, 2023, the activities of the Cultural Salon entitled “Egypt from Victory to Stability 1973-2023.” The Salon hosted Major General Usama Al-Mandouh, former Undersecretary of the Intelligence Service, who managed the activities of the cultural salon, and Mr. Hazem Nasr, Vice President of Al-Akhbar Newspaper and Director of its office in Dakahlia.

In the presence of Prof. Cherif Youssef Khater, President of Mansoura University, Prof. Mohamed Rabie Nasser, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Delta University, Prof. Mohamed Attia Al-Bayoumi, Vice President of Mansoura University for Education and Student Affairs, Prof. Mohamed Sweilem Al-Basiouni, former Vice President of the University, Prof. Mahmoud Al-Gaidi, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, deans of faculties, members of the Cultural Salon, vice deans, faculty members and students.

The salon's activities included an art exhibition containing the most important war decisions and photos documenting the most important events of the October War.

Prof. Cherif Khater gave a speech about the October victory, which is one of the most important military victories for the Egyptian and Arab people, and that today we face great challenges to preserve the gains of this great victory. He also saluted the armed forces in appreciation of their great role in restoring the land and preserving the security and stability of the homeland and to the martyrs for what they made sacrifices, stressing that without the role of the Egyptian army, we would not have lived through a period of stability.

Prof. Mahmoud Al-Gaidi said that today we celebrate the Mansoura Air Battle, one of the longest and largest air battle in history, during which the armed forces achieved a victory recorded in the history of Egypt. He also offered salutes and appreciation to the armed forces, the shield of the nation, protecting it and ensuring its stability on the anniversary of the October victories.

Major General Usama Al-Mandouh said that the victory of October 1973 is the greatest victory in the history of Egypt and the Arab nation, he added that the Egyptian armed forces are the shield and sword of the Arab nation, and that the war of attrition was the path to October victory, indicating that Egypt rebuilt our armed forces after the setback, and that the Egyptians stood behind the armed forces after the setback of 1967, stressing that we trained hard and were able to collect important information about the enemy. He also talked about the moment of crossing, and that when he looked out the window of the helicopter behind the enemy lines on the battlefield, his morale was at its peak, and that this day had been prepared for since the 9th  of June 1967 until we achieved this great victory. We thwarted the plan the Israeli army to seize Sinai forever, pointing out that Israel promoted the impossibility of the Egyptian army crossing the Suez Canal.

He emphasized the slogan "No voice is louder than the sound of battle", and we were able to achieve this great victory, and the Egyptian people endured to provide weapons and ammunition to the Egyptian army. He pointed out that his mission during the war was to monitor the activity of the Israeli Air Forces on the battlefront, and after 9 days had passed, he was assigned to continue his mission for a new period, which was 6 months, and his group was able to monitor all the movements of the Israeli enemy during this period.

He continued that the armed forces prepared all the means for victory in the October War and succeeded in implementing the war plan with utmost efficiency. His mission did not end with the end of the battle, but rather he resumed it again 15 years later, but in a different context and with a new goal, when he was appointed Consul General of Egypt in Israel in the late 1980s, until fate placed him face to face with those he fought.

He gave a speech to the students that the October victory is the victory of generations, and we will celebrate this victory generation after generation, and it will remain in the memory of the greatest victories in military history, which restored pride and dignity to the Egyptians and the Arab, he added that the people who achieved their victory can overcome any problem.