18 Mirage Jets Returned from Egypt to Base Near Tripoli

The French government has reportedly been informed that the 18 Libyan Mirages last reported in Egypt have been returned to their original base near Tripoli, reliable sources said here today. The sources said that information to this effect has been obtained from both French and American sources.

The sources believe that Libyan President Muammar Qaddafi recalled the planes from their “courtesy visit” to Egypt as a result of French diplomatic pressure and in order not to jeopardize the future delivery of the 50 Mirages still to come under his 1970 arms agreement with France.

The French press claimed that American C-130 Hercules reconnaissance planes, one of which was attacked by Libyan Mirages on March 21, had obtained the first available evidence the planes were in Egypt. The U.S. Air Force has also supplied information on their return to Libya, the sources said.

The 50 outstanding Mirages are to be delivered to Libya by the end of 1974 unless France decides to halt deliveries. Government circles here denied reports in the Israeli press concerning negotiations for additional sales of French aeronautical material to Libya. These circles stressed that less than 20 of the 60 Libyan Mirages are operational and that several years will be needed for the Libyan Air Force to “digest” its original order.

The circles are not prepared to comment, however, on possible French Mirage sales to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Such negotiations are believed to have been in progress for several months now and a contract for the sale of 24 Mirages to Saudi Arabia could be announced May 15 when King Faisal of Saudi Arabia is due to arrive in France on an official visit. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are not covered by the self-imposed French embargo on arms sales to the Middle East. The embargo applies only to countries which actively engaged in the 1967 war namely, Israel, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.