Mccloskey: Egypt Has No Right to Re-deploy Missiles; Action on Hostages Continues

A State Department official today disputed a Soviet claim that Egypt had “the full right” to re-deploy missiles in the standstill cease-fire zone without affecting the truce. Department spokesman Robert J. McCloskey said “standstill means standstill.” He said the Russian attitude did not agree with the terms of the cease-fire agreement which clearly limits military activities in the standstill zone to the maintenance of installations already there and the rotation of personnel. Mr. McCloskey referred to an article in Krasnuya Zvedzda, the Soviet Defense Ministry newspaper which claimed that the Egyptians had not introduced new missiles into the truce zone after the cease-fire went into effect. The article quoted an Egyptian memo reportedly given to the United States disputing the American and Israeli allegations of truce violations by Egypt. Mr. McCloskey described the memo as part of Egypt’s response to representations on the cease-fire by the U.S. He said the purpose of raising the question of violations with the UAR and Moscow was “to secure rectification of the matter.” He added, in an implied rebuke to the persistent questioning of newsmen, “If we are forced to continue this publicly there is a very good risk that we’ll get nowhere. I am not going to bleed the subject any further.”

Mr. McCloskey’s press briefing today was largely devoted, as it was yesterday, to the 300 hijack hostages held by Arab terrorists and efforts being made to secure their release. He announced that a meeting was being held in Berne today between the international committee of the International Red Cross and representatives of the U.S., Britain, West Germany, Switzerland and Israel. He described the meeting as another step in efforts by the IRC “to develop a consensus of the governments involved so that it can sensibly carry their views to the IRC representatives in Jordan” in negotiations with the guerrillas. He said the chief of the IRC mission in Amman. Andrei Rochet, had no difficulty making contact with representatives of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, although their leader Dr. George Habash, was not there. At one point Mr. McCloskey said Mr. Rochet was trying to make contact with “responsible Palestinians.”

He described the situation in Amman as tense but said the IRC told the U.S. Embassy there that the hostages were safe. He added, however that he was “hard put” to report the collective state of well being and that it was “quite clear” to him that the fedayeen were making distinctions between Jews and other hostages. Asked if religion was the issue, he said he wasn’t sure whether it has arisen in negotiations with the guerrillas but “clearly it has arisen regarding those held aboard the aircraft.” Mr. McCloskey reiterated U.S. opposition to any so-called piece-meal release of the hostages. “We understand this is (also) the objective of the Swiss, British and Germans. It is on that basis that the IRC is negotiating.” Mr. McCloskey said. He confirmed that six U.S. C-130 transport planes were standing by in Turkey to evacuate the hostages. Asked if they had received permission to land from the Jordanian government, he replied that the question has not yet arisen. The State Department spokesman announced that the new U.S. Ambassador to Jordan, L. Dean Brown, was on his way to Amman. There has been no U.S. Ambassador there since May.