2 Friday, September 23, 1977 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Purely Commentary

General George Keegan's Warnings: Former Chief of
Air Force Intelligence, Who Aided Israel With His
'
Advice in 1973, Defines USSR and Arab Dangers in M.E.

By Philip
Slomovitz

In Anticipation of a Year Triggered by Many Tensions

Staff. On the first day that the '73 war broke out, George
Even the most optimistic must recognize that the corn- the Israeli side make it costly and risky for either side to
Brown, then the chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, met
ing months will be filled with so many tensions that real
be adventurous against the other.
with his entire staff and his chief intelligence adviser, who
strength and resolve will be needed to withstand the pains
"When you go south, the most striking change strate-
was myself.
that come from accumulating animosities.
gically that is happening is on the eastern front which is
"I said to him and the staff that day, this is going to be
Propaganda against Israel is piling up sky-high. The So-
now evolving.
the most intensive, most violent war in Middle East his-
viet antagonism is in evidence again. There is not much
"As a military professional, the first striking fact of life
tory. And the U.S., which is committed to the survival of
comfort from the White House and the State Department.
is that, were I Israeli, there is no conceivable way I could
Israel — there's no compromise on that, it is committed —
Arab enmities are not diminishing. The Israeli prime min-
ever tolerate the emplacement in the West Bank of a
is going to be faced with a crisis of unprecedented magni-
ister is a major target for attack by the sensational press.
large force of heavy Soviet equipment, armor and artil-
tude because at some point in that war, when Israel runs
In fact, Israel is not enjoying a good press anywhere.
lery.
out of butter, ammunition, guns and tanks, the whole
The situation is toughening up against the embattled Is-
"Israel is only eight to nine miles wide, and a few battal-
world is going to look to the U.S. to pull a miracle on
raelis.
ions can slice Israel in two in hours. There is probably
the fire. And that is going to mean a gigantic airlift.
While there is a small band of Arabs who have organiz-
nothing that can be done to prevent that if it were planned
"If we are not prepared, which we will not be if we
ed to challenge the PLO, even the Israeli Arabs are not suf-
carefully enough.
leave it up to Our political leaders, there is no way that the
fic/ently loyal to Israel to assure prevention of Fifth Col-
"But more important, the evidence that I was privileged
air - force is going to be able to comply.
umn manipulations. For example, a magazine titled "Pa- to examine has satisfied me beyond reasonable doubt that
"And it was Gen Brown, on his own initiative, at that
lestine Studies: A Quarterly on Palestinian Affairs and the
under Saudi leadership, -a large Eastern Front capability
point, who directed his air staff and his air commanders to
Arab-Israeli Conflict" is not only filled with articles attack-
to attack Israel across its narrow waist is slowly being
start moving ammunition, arms, supplies, and to pre-des-
ing Israel but contains also an essay by an Israeli Arab for evolved.
ignate F-4 squadrons of aircraft which would be turned
whom the Jewish state still is "Palestine" and who, in
"The character of this is as follows, as I was able
over to the Israelis.
spite of all the progressive steps in behalf of the Arabs in
to perceive:
"If George Brown had not taken that responsibility upon
Israel, does not have a word of caution against Israel's
"A 15-division front is slowly being evolved. -The Saudis
himself, knowing that the politicians would not make a de-
enemies or a kind word for Israel's right to exist.
apparently are financing the installation of a joint commu=
cision until it was too late, the U.S. could not have deliv-
Time magazine has been unfair in its treatment of nications system for the joint command of Syrian, Jorda-
ered the aircraft.
Begin. The Detroit morning newspaper seems to have nian and, very possibly, Iraqi and Saudi forces. Hundreds
"The second point is that it was the Secretary of State
adopted a policy of antagonism. It's tough all around.
of officers are being exchanged, today, between the Syrian
(Henry Kissinger) who stood in the way of preparing that
That's why there is the necessity, as in the years when high and Jordanian high commands and their military com-
airlift. It was the Secretary of State who opposed any prep-
Jews were battling against all destructive forces in the
mands, down to the battalion level. They are using this
arations to implement that airlift while some in the State
world in the era of Hitler and the British betrayals of their evolving command-communication system.
Department, through their press releases, deliberately
pledges to Jewry, once again to become a bit militant in
"Farther to the east, several gigantic depots have been
planted the suggestion that it was the Secretary of Defense
Israel's defense. The most militant step must be through built by Iraq, very close to the Jordan frontier, in which
(James Schlesinger) who was opposed to the mobilization
unity in Jewish ranks. It's time the libels against the Is- hundreds of tanks and possibly thousands of artillery
of an airlift.
raeli prime minister ended. Why Time should harp on the pieces and ammunition are being stockpiled, presumably
"The facts are just the reverse. It was Dr. Schlesinger
Deir Yassin tragedy when there are greater ones in the of- to arm and equip several Iraqi armored divisions, should
who, from the very, beginning, appreciated what was likely
fing is hard to understand.
the requirement for Iraq to move through Jordan ever
to happen and pressed repeatedly in the inner councils of
There are dangers strewn on Israel's paths and one set
come up.
government for the moving of that airlift decision.
of warnings issued by an important and responsible
"Nearby, the Saudis are building three of the largest
"So I think that a lot of the popular accounts are unfair
American military authority must not be ignored.
fighter-bomber air bases in all of the Middle East, close to
to the actuality. We were very fortunate indeed that the
General George Keegan, who was the head of U.S. Air the Jordanian border, which would provide a jumping-off
Force Intelligence at the time of the Yom Kippur War,
point for rapid airlift and/or tactical fighter-bomber rein- airlift moved when it did. Israel can never again afford to
was asked a number of questions vital to Israel's security forcement of an eastern front.
be placed in that position. And I hope that she is not."
The views just quoted are not pleasant: to read. In order
by the Jerusalem Post Washington correspondent. What-
"How quickly this frontal capability is evolving is diffi-
/
to declass Israel and to paint the leaders of the Jewish
ever hopes may have-been gleaned from Arab statements cult to judge, but I would say that within a few years, and
state as intransigent, all sorts of trial balloons have been
in recent weeks were negated by the American military ex- maybe sooner than that, this capability, if those govern-
floated and many rumors are circulating that the Arabs
ments can continue relating to each other as they cur-
Pert-
are offering peace: who is engineering the scheme of degr-
General Keegan had a specific warning about the role of rently are, will become one of the greatest realities facing
ading Israel's position in the world?
the USSR when he said:
Israel — and most assuredly an unacceptable one."
"First, we should have
No matter how unpleasant the truth, it had better be
There is genuine shock in the explanation that was pro-
known, and if there are dangers for Israel they will be dan-
no illusions about what it
vided by General Keegan on the role of former Secretary
gers for Jewry, and they had better be treated with re-
is the Soviet Union is striv-
of State Henry A. Kissinger and the guilt in delay of help
spect NOW.
from the U.S. for Israel during the Yom Kippur War. Here
ing to achieve in the
General Keegan may have rendered a greater service
is the Keegan explanation:
Middle East — an aggran-
than is realized. The facts must be known no matter how
"First and foremost, the one man who made the airlift
dizement of her position,
distasteful.
possible is the present chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
and an ability to control
the free world and
NATO's access to fuel
energy of that region.
"Second is that pro-
found change in Arab
strategy is now under
third of them _inhabit Deir the repairs rather than ei- monastery in the new city
JERUSALEM—By the
way, and we do not seem
es-Sultan, a mud-hut village
end of this year, a new
ther of the two parties in on Ethiopia Street, the Arch-
to have perceived it. It is
on the roof of the Church
dispute.
Christian study center will
bishop's Residence in the
not understood in the U.S.
of the Holy Sepulchre and
be added to the other 24 al-
Since additions would viol- Old City, a monastery by
I have seen intelligence,
the center of a legal con-
ready in existence in Je-
ate the status quo, officials the Jordan River, a convent
which very few Ameri-
troversy which began in Ot-
asserted that repairs means in Jericho and another mon-
rusalem. It could be a por-
GENERAL KEEGAN
cans have had access to,
toman times and is yet to
tent of better things to
"replacing" existing mate- astery in Bethany.
that persuades me_ that
be solved, with further
come for a community
rials with new ones, without
The Ethiopians inhabiting
court action expected soon.
any alterations. The Min- these places include nine
the first element of that strategy is that the feudal lead- which has had more than
The Turkish rulers ousted
istry of Religious Affairs nuns. Of the 60 persons, one
erships in the Arab world strikingly remain committed, its share of troubles during
the Ethiopians from the
commissions the Public nun and three monks are
Messianically, to the extermination of Israel as a nation 1,600 years here.
church 'itself, forcing them
According to Robert D.
Works Department for hermits. The hermit at
and as a people."
to share the roof with Egyp-
roughly IL10,000 in repairs Bethany eats only plants
The most vital question addressed to the American air Kaplan in Israel Digest, the
tian Copts. The Copts have
annually, officials reported. and has not spoken for 25
force authority was whether the concerns of Israel's lead- proposed institute will offer
held the keys to the two
Presently, the Israeli gov- years.
ers are justified and he gave this lengthy but vitally impor- graduate level courses, em-
phasizing the study of
chapels on the roof since a
ernment is contemplating
tant answer: -
One can request to have
"The concern of Prime Minister Begin, with whom I
plague in 1838 wiped out the
Ge'ez, an ancient African
changing the electrical sys- hermit status after 10 yeP-
spent many hours just a few weeks ago, the obsession that
Ethiopians, compelling new
tongue and a linguistic ve-
tem at Deir es-Sultan, in an Ethiopian monasti
I found at every Israeli level, not only with the Likud mem- hicle which promises to
monks to come from Abys-
which is in a critical state.
Being a hermit also in
bership but with the Labor membership as well, the active
sinia. The Ethiopians con-
shed light on early Ethio-
Deir es-Sultan is the only volves_permanent, partial
military leaders and many of the 'senior retired military,
tested the symbolic own-
pian Jewry and the inter-
one of five holy places con- fasting.
followed one constant theme. It is that a salient is being
action between Christian
ership of the keys.
trolled by the Ethiopians in
The community in Israel
prepared against Israel and that the danger is in the instal- and-Jewish thought in antiq-
the Turkish times which
Neither the British nor
lation of heavy Soviet long-range artillery pieces in the
uity.
they still control. The lost subsists mainly on income
the Jordanians were able to
from renting out a
south of Lebanon, which would hold Haifa under direct
Of the myriad of Chris-
solve the dispute. After the
ones included the grotto of received
few houses it owns near
threat.
tian communities in Jerusa-
Ethiopians stole back the
David
on
Mount
Zion
and
"It would also threaten the industrial center of Israel lem, the Black Ethiopians
Street. Also the
keys six years ago, the Is-
an altar in the Church of Ethiopia
and the oil refinery.
monks
and
nuns make
raeli courts appointed a spe-
the Nativity in Bethlehem.
"The second tactical element of this changing strategy are among the most strong-
ikons which are sold for
ly
rooted
in
biblical
beliefs,
cial
commission
to
study
Abba
Berhane,
who
has
has to do with the Golan, which I examined in the min-
the matter.
observing many command-
lived in Deir es-Sultan for IL100 and IL200 each.
utest detail.
ments laid down in the Pen-
Meanwhile, officials dis-
two decades, said: "We
Commenting on the com-
"Bearing in mind that for a number of years in the De=
closed there is a critical
were here before the Caliph munity's fortunes since the
partment of Defense I was one of this country's top ex- tateuch.
There are presently 60 re-
need for repairs at Deir es-
Omar. We were the light of reunification of Jerusalem,
perts in the area, I was struck by two considerations: if
ligious Coptic Christians
Sultan. Since making re-
the church, but now, noth- Sister E. Krestos Samra
both sides — Syria and Israel — are seriously interested in
from Ethiopia in Jerusa-
pairs signifies ownership, in
ing."
said: "Up until now. things
peace and stability, then the present division of the Golan
lem, all either permanent
the absence of a decision,
A number of other sites have been good, very
gives optimum assurance of that stability, for the simple
or temoprary residents. A
the government is making
have been acquired — the good."
reason that the new fortifications on the Syrian side:and

Bright Future Seen for Jerusalem's Christians

