NEWS
Threat In Gulf
Creates Security Need
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113riZri rIZIE) n:tr5
Marvin & Claire Tamaroff
152
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1990
Washington (JTA) — The
Bush administration is seek-
ing "new regional security
arrangements" that would
protect the Persian Gulf
against future invasions
from aggressors such as Ira-
qi President Saddam Hus-
sein, Secretary of State
James Baker told Congress
this week.
"I don't know any reason
we can't develop a regional
security structure that can
constrain this man or any
other leader who might have
the same ambitions and
desires. It worked in
Europe," Mr. Baker told the
House Foreign Affairs
Committee last week.
The secretary then said
the security structure would
not follow any particular
model, such as the North
Atlantic Treaty Organiza-
tion, which is credited with
preserving the peace in
Europe since World War II.
The United States is not
"calling for a NATO of the
Middle East," he told the
Senate Foreign Relations
Committee.
He also said such ar-
rangements could not be
worked out until after the
current crisis in the Gulf is
resolved.
Mr. Baker said there could
be some security benefit to
Israel in such a pact because
it could be used to deter any
Iraqi biological or chemical
weapons attack.
The secretary also assured
pro-Israel members of Con-
gress that the United States
remains committed to main-
taining Israel's qualitative
military edge in the Middle
East, even as it provides new
sophisticated weaponry to
Saudi Arabia.
When pressed on that con-
cern by Rep. Benjamin
Gilman (R-N.Y.), Mr. Baker
said, "We've not only given
thought to that, Mr. Gilman,
that's a commitment of the
United States that has ex-
isted as far as I can
remember, for the 10 years
that I have been in govern-
ment, and it's a commitment
we intend to honor."
On the current crisis, Mr.
Baker said there is no sign
that. Iraq's effort to unite
Arab public opinion against
Israel will succeed. "The
message is not selling," he
said.
Mr. Baker also termed as
"unacceptable" Iraq's pro-
posal to link resolution of
the Gulf crisis with an
Israeli withdrawal from the
West Bank and Gaza Strip,
and a Syrian and Israeli
withdrawal from Lebanon.
"While they relate to each
other and impinge upon each
other in some ways, they are
nevertheless two separate
issues and should be dealt
with separately," he said.
The secretary was asked
about Soviet Foreign Min-
ister Eduard Shevardnadze's
call Tuesday for an interna-
tional peace conference to
resolve the various Middle
East disputes.
Mr. Baker did not respond
directly, but observed,
"There's quite a bit of sup-
port out there around the
world for that."
The United States has
never ruled out the possibil-
"I don't know any
reason we can't
develop a regional
security structure."
— James Baker
ity• of such a conference, he
pointed out. But previously,
it told its European allies,
who support the idea of such
a conference, that it "would
make sense first to see if we
can't get some sort of a dia-
logue established between
Israelis and Palestinians."
Since such a dialogue
"offers the best chance" for
progress on the peace pro-
cess, the United States has
told its allies that "plans for
an international conference
should be put on the back
burner," he said.
But Mr. Baker also told
the lawmakers that "what
we have with respect to the
Persian Gulf crisis is an
international conference.
It's taking place in New
York in the (U.N.) Security
Council, and we've got five
unanimous Security Council
resolutions as to what
should be done."
Mr. Baker said that the
United States might
welcome a more active
Soviet role in the Mideast.
Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa)
suggested to Baker that one
way to resolve the Arab-
Israeli conflict would be to
declare any liberated
Kuwait the new Palestinian
homeland.
The secretary did not have
any direct response. But
Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.)
later said he would "hate to
see" Palestine Liberation
Organization leader Yasir
Arafat "with all of that oil."