Nixon Reaffirms U.S. Commitment to Israel
(Continued from Page 1)
ment in principle not to permit
the military balance in the Middle
East to shift to the disadvantage
of Israel but declined to specify
whether or not that principle is be-
. ing implemented.
Nixon appeared on a live CBS
television interview, "A Conversa-
tion With President Nixon," con-
ducted by Dan Rather, White
House correspondent for CBS
News. Ranging over a wide spec-
trum of national and international
affairs, Rather asked Nixon
whether it was true that the U. S.
has agreed in principle to sell ad-
ditional Phantom jets to Israel,
according to reports circulating
this weekend. Nixon replied:
"We have made a decision of
implementing a decision that I
have long announced: that we will
not allow the military balance in
the Middle East to be shifted.
Now, the Soviet Union has been
sending in very significant arms
shipments to the UAR. In view
of these shipments, as that con-
tinues to escalate, we have had
to consider the requests of Israel
for planes in order to see that the
balance does not shift. We have
made a commitment in principle.
As far as implementing that prin-
ciple, however, this is not, of
course, the time to go into it."
Earlier during the hour-long in-
terview, Nixon indicated that in his
meeting with Soviet leaders in
May, the Middle East will be one
of the topics for discussion.
• • •
New USSR Stranglehold
on Egypt Seen in Airbase
LONDON (JTA)—East European
sources described as very reliable
have confirmed reports that the
Soviet Union is building a mili-
tary airbase near the Aswan High
Dam in Egypt for the exclusive
use of the Soviet air force. Ac-
cording to the sources, an agree-
ment for construction of the base
was signed by President Anwar
Sadat when he visited Moscow
last October. and construction is
proceeding rapidly. The base is
expected to be fully operational
by next Mav, coincidental with
President Nixon's summit visit to
Moscow. It will be manned en-
tirely by Russian personnel.
The immediate purpo4ie of the
air base, according to the informed
source, is to deter an Israeli re-
taliatory strike against the dam in
the likelihood of renewed hostili-
ties in the Middle East. The Aswan
High Dam was designed, built and
financed by the Soviet Union, after
the U. S. withdrew from a similar
project in the 1950s and is regard-
ed as the single most important
project that opened the door to
Soviet influence in Egypt. Israeli
Phantom Jets have the range to
reach the dam, and Israel is be-
lieved to have developed weapons
capable of breaching it. Destruc-
tion of the Aswan Dam, if permit-
ted by the Russians, would sub-
ject Egypt to disastrous floods and
constitute a major blow to Soviet
prestige. The Israelis are not con-
sidered likely to attack the dam
unless provoked by Egypt on Is-
raeli civilian centers, such as an
air raid on Tel Aviv.
East European sources said the
new Soviet airbase has other im-
portant military and political pur-
poses. It will be handy for aerial
reconnaissance over the Indian
Ocean. It can be used to put pres-
sure on the Sudan. which has been
drawing close to China; it will give
the Soviet Union a large measure
of control in the air over the Red
Sea; and will enable Moscow to
meet the challenge expanding Chi-
nese influence in Southern Yemen.
Finally, the a i r b a se will give
Moscow a stranglehold over Egypt,
which construction of the Aswan
Dam never did. The sources said
the base would be used by MIG-21s
and Tupelov 16 bombers. It will
be defended by SAM-3 surface-to-
air missiles. The same sources
also revealed that Egypt's Man-
sura Airbase west of Cairo is now
exclusively manned by Soviet
pilots and ground crews.
• • •
Israelis Assured Forces
Capable of Devastating
Egypt in Event of War
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli
military and political leaders as-
sured their countrymen as the
new year began that their armed
forces were capable of inflicting
devastating blows on Egypt should
the latter resume warfare in the
months ahead. These remarks
were made as reports proliferated
over the weekend that Israel would
be getting the additional U.S.
Phantom jets for which it has
a long-standing request.
The semi-official Cairo news-
paper, Al Abram, said that Presi-
dent Anwar Sadat called a series
of urgent consultations with his
senior military and civilian offi-
cials following confirmation that
the U.S. will resume supplying
Phantoms to Israel.
According to Al Abram, the Sa-
dat regime is considering whether
to renonunce its earlier stated in-
tention to give diplomacy another
chance to resolve the Middle East
conflict in view of the Phantom
deal:
The Cairo newspaper Al Ahbar
claimed that U.S. Secretary of
State William P. •Rogers made the
resumption of Phantom deliveries
-onditional on Israel's agreement
to a substantial withdrawal from
the Suez Canal. But a Cairo radio
commentator said the new Phan-
tom deal was a serious escalation
of the Middle East crisis.
Ambassador Itzhak Rabin
said there had been a distinct
improvement in Israel's rela-
tions with the United States in
recent weeks and predicted on •
the agenda of President Nixon's
summit talks with Soviet lead-
ers in Moscow next May.
Rabin arrived here on a private
visit to observe the "shloshim"
(30-day anniversary) of the death
of his father. He said that just
before leaving Washington, he met
with Assistant Secretary of State
for Near Eastern Affairs Joseph
J. Sisco. According to Rabin, such
a meeting is routine when the
Israeli ambassador returns home
on a private or official visit.
Rabin said the U.S. tends to dis-
miss
as unimportant Egyptian
President Anwar Sadat's belliger-
ent public statements and dead-
lines for resuming warfare against
Israel and pays more attention to
what Sadat says through diplo-
matic channels. The Israel diplo-
mat said that President Nixon
considers the Middle East conflict
co important that he may want to
discuss the situation with Israeli
leaders before he goes to Moscow.
He -said that at the moment it
lopeared both sides want to break
the deeadlock and resume political
activity in order to continue the
cease fire. Rabin said the U. S.
was encouraged by Israel's more
flexible attitude.
Foreign ministry sources in Jer-
usalem said they had no knowl-
edge to confirm reports that United
Nations mediator Gunnar V. Jar-
ring is coming to the Middle East.
Reports in the foreign press said
Dr. Jarring planned to visit Cairo
and Jerusalem early next year.
Ministry officials said the only
information available in Israel was
that Dr. Jarring would be in New
York Jan. 15 to meet with Israeli
and Egyptian representatives.
The U.S. State Department said
Tuesday that the U. S. remains
"available" to assist Israel and
Egypt to work out an interim
agreement on the Suez Canal but
could not say when negotiations
might begin.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
10—Flidar,-
January 7, 1972
_
Department spokesman Charles the Soviet Union was said to be
r
interested in keeping up tension
in the area and the terrorist or-
ganizations seem like a good
means for this end.
(In Washington, there were re-
longer act impartially in Mid East
negotiations.
(Continued on Page 11)
He had not comment on another
report that the senior Egyptian
diplomatic representative in Wash-
ington, Ashraf Ghorbal, is back in
Cairo with the latest U.S. proposals
for an interim settlement.
Premier Saeb Salam. of Leb-
anon announced a new crack-
APPAREL for MEN & BOYS
down on terrorists by Lebanese
authorities on Jan 1. He said his
government would no longer tol-
erate challenges to the coun-
24820 COOLIDGE AVENUE • OAK PARK, MICHIGAN 48237
try's law and sovereignty.
Telephone 547-8070
Salam spoke after two police-
Dexter Davison Shopping Plaza
men gunned down a terrorist dur-
ing a clash i a Beirut suburb
SEMI ANNUAL
Friday night. The dead man was
identified as a member of the
Syrian-backed Al Saiqa, a guer-
rilla organization loosely linked to
El Fatah.
According to some sources, the
shooting incident may prompt Leb-
MICHIGAN BANKARD • MASTER CHARGE
anon to follow the example of Jor-
dan and bar terrorists from popu-
lated areas. Ten terrorists were
reportedly arrested in a clash that
developed when several of them
attacked a suburban polite sta-
tion to free a comrade who had
been disarmed and detained earl-
ier for firing into the air to mark
the new year.
Reports circulating here that
Egypt may have decided on war-
fare by proxy rather than re-
same shooting on the Suez Canal
Values to $6.00
Reg. $18.00
were borne out by the semi-of-
ficial Cairo newspaper, Al Ah-
ram.
Van Neilsen
The paper, reporting on the visit
of El Fatah leader, Yasser Arafat,
to Egypt, said that he was work-
ing out a common plan of action
with Palestinian terrorist organ-
izations.
It is said that this was being done
at the recommendation of the So-
Special Group
. .•
viet Union. The latter had warned
Short Sleeve
Egypt not to venture into another
round of open warfare against
2 for $7.00
Israel and told its leaders that
Values to $8.00
Soviet troops would not support
such action. On the other hand,
Bray, at Wednesday's news brief-
ing, declined to comment on a
charge by Tass, the official Soviet
new agency, that the U.S. can no
Ii-
(72
t.he
10
S a le
• FARAN
• MALE
JEANS
1/ 2
2 OFF
BOYS
SHIRTS
$288
OYS
J BACKETS
BOYS
SPORT
COATS
2
MEN'S
ALPACA
SWEATERS
1/
2 OFF
$1 088
MEN'S
DRESS
SHIRTS
1A
1/
MEN'S
JACKETS
OFF
D RESS
S HIRTS
10 1A 111111//y
$4 88
406
,of
RENT-A-CAR- SPECIAL!
NEW 1972
NTIA
-00 PLUS 10' PER MILE
THIS RATE INCLUDES INSURANCE
Call
MIKE MILEN
354-1515.353-4700