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Purely Commentary
Vital Facts Not to Be Overlooked in Threatening
Middle East Atmosphere . . . Arab Belligerence and
USSR Involvement Remain Elements of Great Danger
By Philip
Slomovitz
Hope Springs Eternal . but Caution Vital in Threatened Middle East Atmosphere
All assurances to the contrary, that the
U.S. atomic fuel provisions for Egypt will
not be utilized to harm Israel, the spokes-
men for the Arab nations keep threatening
Israel's existence.
Thus, Al Ahram, the. semi-official Cairo
newspaper, threatened Israel with a nuclear
war, stating:
"Israeli leaders should realize that the
only option they have is to accept a just
and durable peace in the region. For if
they continue to reject a settlement, the
next war will not be like the previous ones.
The. next war will not be a war of rockets
only, but may assume nuclear dimensions.
Israel should be held responsible from now
on for the consequences of escalating the
conflict to a point that carries the t'ireat
of starting a third world war."
At the same time, the 'Islamic Foreign
Ministers Conference in Kuala Lumpur
resolved "to continue Jihad—the Moslem
holy war for the liberation of the Holy City
of Jerusalem" and resolved:
"The conference declared that the resto-
ration of Arab sovereignty over Jerusalem
constituted a basic and indispensable con-
dition for any solution in the Middle East,
and that Islamic countries refuse any at-
tempt to internationalize the Holy City of
Jerusalem."
This is an evident determination to re-
ject any concessions, even those now em-
anating from the Vatican, which acknowl-
edge Israel's role in the Holy City and call
for an international. body to supervise only
the holy places of Christians and Moslems.
It should be noted in this connection that
newsmen were told by Mohammed Said
Kamal, spokesman for the Palestine Liber-
ation Organization at the Kuala Lumpur
conference, that U.S. Secretary of State
Henry A. Kissinger was branded as mis-
representing the views of Arab states when
he said in Jerusalem: "It is our conviction
that, for the first time, that the Arab
states, even the more radical ones like
Syria, are talking about a continuing state
of Israel." Kamal was quoted by United
Press International as stating that "All Arab
countries, including Egypt and Syria, have
told us that they are not going to recognize
Israel."
Add to these evidences of continuing
Arab hatreds the London Sunday Times
report, citing Western intelligence sources,
that the Soviet KGB (secret police) and its
army counterpart, the GRU, are "training,
equipping and financing" the Popular Front
for the. Liberation of Palestine General
Command (PFGC) commanded by Ahmed
Jibril, and there is added cause for concern.
Let it be recorded that it was the PFGC
that claimed credit for the massacre of the
18 Israelis in Kiryat Shemona and three
Israeli women in Shamir.
The London Times additionally reported
that a Soviet arms pipeline, coursing from
the Polish ports to the Syrian harbor at
Latakia, is the conduit for Soviet-built sub-
machine guns, explosives, electronic range
finders, telescopes and field glasses. The
report added that Soviet support for Jibril,
who has been in the Soviet Union several
times for training, "dates back five years,
and he now has a base in Moscow as well
as supply and communications centers in
several East European capitals, including
Sofia and East Berlin. Many of his Pales-
tinian recruits have also gone through Soviet
sabotage and subversion courses run by
KGB and GRU officers."
The London Times expert also states:
"Soviet involvement with the PFLP Gen-
eral Command is kept at a highly secret
level by the KGB to avoid conflict with
official Russian policy of collaboration in
the Middle East. The aim of the operation
is to neutralize what the Russians call
`rightist elements' among 'the Palestine
Liberation Movement who, they consider,
are going too far and too fast in making
their peace with the Americans. The master-
minding of Jibril's organization is effected
directly by Soviet diplomats stationed in
the Middle East who are also KGB officers.
One of these is Yuri Ivanovich Starchinov,
a 35-year-old officer who joined the Soviet
Embassy in Lebanon as deputy military
attache three years ago."
Taking into consideration American in-
telligence testimony, reported by the Asso-
ciated Press, it has been established that
the Soviet Union has increased Syria's jet
fighter force by more than 60 planes in the
previous two months, shipments consisting
of MIG-23 'Flogger' planes—one of the most
advanced in the Soviet fighter arsenal-
UM-21s and SU-7s. The consignment in-
creased Syria's fighter strength by nearly
40 per cent. The• AP report states that
many of the planes are in storage or other-
wise grounded because of a shortage of
qualified Syrian pilots in the wake of the
October war. The report quoted Gen. An-
drew J. Goodpaster, U.S. commander in
Europe and administrator of American
military •aid to the Middle East, as telling
the House Foreign Affairs Committee, that
while Soviet arms deliveries to Egypt had
been cut back, the "aid program has be-
come even more generous in commitments
and deliveries to Syria and Iraq."
This summary does not provide a pretty
picture. The current appeal to reason pleads
for optimism, for hopefulness. It is antici-
pated anxiously, most urgently. But if the
life of Israel and the security of her people
are to be ascertained, the rumors as well
as the facts must be remembered. There
is no excuse for complacency. Therefore
caution, vigilance, determination to protect
the endangered must ever be in the minds
of those who would preserve peace, protect
life and strive for justice to the Jew and
to Israel.
No Absolute Safeguard to Stop Terrorists From Getting Nuclear Knowhow, Congressmen Told
By JOSEPH POLAKOFF
WASHINGTON (JTA) — A
battery of administration
officials appearing before two
subcommittees of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee
conceded that there were no
"absolute safeguards" to as-
sure that nuclear material
transfered by the U.S. to the
Mideast would be used ex-
clusively for peaceful pur-
poses.
In that connection, a State
Department official gave as-
surances to members of Con-
gress who have expressed
skepticism over President
Nixon's offer of reactors to
Egypt and Israel that the
U.S. will require stringent
controls on the storage of
nuclear materials by both
countries to prevent theft by
terrorists, sabotage or diver-
sion of such materials to
produce nuclear weapons.
Assistant Secretary of State
Linwood Holton asserted in
letters to members of the
Foreign Affairs Committee
that stringent controls will
be applied regarding dispo-
sition and storage of the
plutonium-operated reactors.
Administration witnesses
appeared before the subcom-
mittee on international or-
ganizations and movements
and the subcommittee on the
Near East and South Asia.
The lead-off witness, Fred
C. Ikle, director of the U.S.
Arms Control and Disarma-
ment Agency, agreed that
there is "no absolute safe-
guard" to prevent terrorists
or others from acquiring
both the knowledge and the
means to produce destructive
devices.
But Ikle declared that
Egypt could definitely ob-
tain the nuclear technology
and material from supplier
nations other than the U.S.
and that Israel "probably
also" could acquire them.
Under questioning by Rep.
2 Friday, July 19, 1974
—
Benjamin Rosenthal (D.-NY),
Ikles admitted that there is
"no absolute safeguard . . .
not even for reactors in this
country." He repeated that
statement when he was taken
over the same ground by
Rep. Lester Wolff (D.NY).
Concern in Congress over
the adequacy of safeguards
manifested itself as the Sen-
ate international finance sub-
committee opened hearings.
Sen. Adlai E. Stevenson
(D. Ill.), the subcommittee
chairman, pointed out in an
opening statement that the
question of adequate con-
trols must be examined be-
cause "we face the possibil-
ity of nuclear holocaust, in-
ternational blackmail and the
poisoning of the atmosphere."
Sen. William Proxmire (D.,
Wisc.), appearing as a wit-
ness, testified that the com-
bination of the nuclear test
by India and the U.S'. offers
to Egypt and Israel is "mor-
ally and militarily ominous."
Criticizing the administra-
tion's position on the agree-
ments, as have members in
both houses, Proxmire said
that the safeguard standards
of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA)
"may be totally inadequate."
Sen. Henry M. Jackson
(D. Wash.), also criticized
the administration, charged
IAEA's safeguards are in-
adequate and that it lacks
the resources to prevent use
of the nuelear materials be-
ing exported for destructive
devices. Agreements must
include inspections to make
them "rascal proof", he said.
Smarting from criticism
at the House hearings, John
Erlwine, general manager of
the Atomic Energy Commis-
sion, said "I believe" Egypt
would accept an agreement
that production of fuel for
its reactor would be outside
of Egypt. Sidney Sober, dep-
uty assistant secretary of
state for the Middle East,
testified, "We intend to seek
to buttress the IAEA safe-
guards with certain special
bilateral provisions," includ-
ing processing of nuclear
fuel outside of Israel and
Egypt.
Erlwine also said that 111
American type reactors that
are in operation or formally
programed for construction
abroad represent a capital in-
vestment of $33,000,000,000.
As in the House hearings
thus far, the expressions of
concern continue to be direct-
ed toward the agreement
with Egypt.
Israel apparently is not
considered a possible danger
spot either in the conversion
of its fuel or to be vulnerable
toward theft of materials by
Arab terrorists.
Egypt and Israel are to be
supplied with nuclear fuels
and technology to build
atomic power plants sched-
uled to go into operation in
the early 1980s. At the
moment, sentiment for and
against the Nixon adminis-
tration's offer is evenly
divided on Capitol Hill. Con-
gress is not likely to receive
the U.S. contracts with Egypt
and Israel for study before
the end of July.
Sen. Alan Cranston (D.
Calif.) said that a Senate
subcommittee on which he
serves intends to give "close,
critical scrutiny" to the ad-
ministration's proposal.
Cranston, a member of the
international finance subcom-
mittee, announced his sup-
port of a proposal by Senate
members of the Joint Com-
mittee on Atomic Energy to
give Congress veto power
over the nuclear aid offer.
According to Newsweek
magazine, Congress is ex-
pected to insist on a voice in
President Nixon's offer to
Egypt and Israel.
"First, a rush amendment
to the Atomic Energy Act
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS will probably mandate ccn-
gressional approval of the alarm in Israel.
nuclear reactor sales. Next,
The scientists conceded
the legislators may demand that the reactor would con-
strict obedience to the Inter- tribute greatly to Egypt's
national Atomic Energy nuclear capability but said
Agency (which has the right it would have been impossi-
to on-site inspection of all ble in any event to prevent
atomic installations). Con- such a technological develop-
gress might further insist ment.
that Egypt and Israel sign Israel Concerned at Nixon
the nuclear test-ban treaty— Offer of Nuclear Aid to Egypt
and even then approval of
NEW YORK (JTA) — Is-
the sale is not sure."
rael is greatly concerned
Sen. Stuart Symington (D. about President Nixon's of-
Mo.) declared in a nationwide fer of nuclear assistance to
telecast that President Egypt, Israeli Premier Yitz-
Nixon's "offer of a large
nuclear reactor to Egypt
could be a serious diplomatic
error.
There is a "possibility," he
said, that Congress might
reject the President's plan to
give Egypt the nuclear re-
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (JTA)
actor, "but we would like to
— A major war will break
hear all the evidence."
Speaking on ABC's "Issues out again in the Middle East
and Answers" program, Sym- in three to five years, the
ington also said, "To be time it would take for Israel
frank, I don't think he and the Arabs to restore their
(Nixon) has offered the Is- military capabilities, it was
raelis anything that they did predicted by Brig. Gen.
not have at least in theory. (Ret.) S.L.A. Marshall, his-
I don't know what his plans torian and military analyst.
'Marshall, who has been a
are in the way of giving
military consultant to Israel
them enriched uranium."
Symington is a member and occasionally to the Pen-
of the Senate Armed Ser- tagon, said it would take
vices and Foreign Relations another three to five years to
Committees and the Joint train replacements for the
Committee on Atomic young Israeli, Egyptian and
Syrian leaders killed in the
Energy.
Meanwhile, two senior Is- war. The same amount of
raeli scientists have indi- time would also be required
cated in a report to Premier by the Soviet Union and the
Yitzhak Rabin that the nu- United States to rebuild the
clear reactor the United military arsenals of their
States has offered Egypt client states, he added.
He observed that the Pal-
does not constitute a menace
estinian problem would' by
to Israel.
The scientists, Prof. Yis- then still remain unresolved
rael Dostrovsky, special ad- and the USSR would press
viser to the premier on for another war in the hope
nuclear energy, and Shal- of restoring absolute control
hevet Freier, director gen- of the Suez Canal to Egypt
eral of Israel's Atomic and unhindered Russian ac-
Energy Committee, were cess to the Indian Ocean.
asked by Rabin to study the
The 71-year-old analyst also
matter after President blamed Secretary of State
Nixon's offer of nuclear Henry A. Kissinger for tip-
knowhow to Egypt stirred ping off Egypt that Israeli
hak Rabin said in an inter-
view Sunday on 'the ABC-TV
program "Issues and An-
swers."
"Since we live in the Mid-
dle East, in an area of ten-
sion," Rabin said, "you can
never know what will be the
purposes which certain coun-
tries will use once they get
the technology of how to han-
dle nuclear energy."
Rabin would not answer
whether Israel could produce
an atomic weapon on short
notice.
S.L.A. Marshall Predicts Major
Mideast War in 3-5 Years; Hits
K issinger for `Tipoff' to Egypt
intelligence knew when the
war would begin.
As a result, Marshall stat-
ed, Egypt launched its at-
tack earlier in the day while
Israel was still preparing
for it.
Marshall made this state-
ment to newsmen before ad-
dressing the local Associa-
tion of U.S. Armies on his
recent tour of the Mideast
battleground. There was no
immediate comment from
Kissinger or his office in
Washington.
Marshall stated that news
of Egypt's plan to attack Is-
rael arrived in Jerusalem at
about 4:30 a.m. on Yom Kip-
pur, and to Premier Golda
Meir two hours later.
Mrs. Meir, he said, ruled
out a pre-emptive strike on
the grounds that Israel might
lose U.S. support but told a
few "friendly ambassadors
and an American general."
Kissinger was informed,
but in trying to restrain
Egypt tipped President An-
war Sadat that Israel knew
the attack was due that day.
As a result, Sadat ordered
the attack to be launched
at 2 p.m. instead of 6:40
p.m., Marshall said.