Thant Deplores Attack on Israel-bound Tanker; Rogers Condemns Incident

Secretary General II Thant today deplored last Friday’s attack on the Israel-bound Liberian tanker Coral Sea in the Straits of Bab el-Mandab at the southern end of the Red Sea. In a statement released this morning he warned that such incidents “could all too easily become a serious threat to peaceful communications between nations” unless the international community condemns them at the outset. Thant also noted that “Such acts against civilian shipping are inadmissible.” Thant issued his statement after the attack on the Coral Sea was brought to his attention by Israel’s UN Ambassador Yosef Tekoah who met with the Secretary General yesterday. (In Washington, Secretary of State William P. Rogers said today the U.S. does not have all the facts relating to the incident but nevertheless considers it a “serious matter that deserves the condemnation of all responsible nations,” adding the U.S. “very much deplores the attack.”)