Buckley Warns U.S. May Not Be Able to Resist Soviets in Mid-east

In a speech to the National Press Club, Sen, James L. Buckley (Conservative, N.Y.) said that unless the U.S. develops new conventional weapons it will not have the capability to resist Soviet aggression in the Middle East or elsewhere. He told the group that the new Soviet MIG-23s recently delivered to Egypt and Syria ” can outshoot and out-maneuver anything the Israelis have.” He added that the U.S. is powerless to do anything because it has nothing in its arsenal that can challenge the latest MIG, He urged continued development of the F-14 Tomcat” which is the only aircraft competitive with the MIG which we are in a position to deliver to the Navy at a reasonably early date.”