Dayan Says Jordanians Have Fired on Israel Often Since Hussein-commando Agreement

Defense Minister Moshe Dayan reported to the Knesset (Parliament) yesterday that Jordan had opened fire on Israeli positions more than 30 times since last week’s agreement between King Hussein and the principal guerrilla groups operating from Jordanian soil. He said that the agreement, which made no mention of the cease-fire between Israel and Jordan, greatly aggravated the situation along the demarcation line giving the marauders virtually a free hand to act against Israel so long as they recognized the authority of the Hussein regime and obeyed Jordanian law. Gen. Dayan spoke in reply to an agenda motion presented by Gideon Hausner, of the independent Liberal faction, on the role of Iraqi troops stationed in Jordan since the June, 1967 war. He said the Iraqis should be considered part of the general framework of the Jordanian Army. Their main importance was in the creation of an “Eastern Command” headed by an Iraqi general and designed to defend Jordan from a possible Egyptian take-over attempt, but it did not absolve the Iraqis of guilt in aiding and training Arab commandos Gen. Dayan said. He rejected a proposal by Mr. Hausner to warn Iraq that it should not consider itself safe from reprisals because of its distance from Israel.