France to ‘reexamine’ Its Arms Sales to Arabs, Especially to Libya

The French government announced today that it will “reexamine” its arms sales to the Arab countries, especially to Libya. This decision was taken following Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s admission last night that Libyan Mirages are stationed in Egypt, flown by Egyptian pilots and had participated in the Yom Kippur War fighting.

Political circles here believe that the French government’s decision to study the entire issue of arms sales to the Arabs was taken after a number of ministers pressed at today’s Cabinet session for an immediate halt to all deliveries of arms and spare parts to Libya. It is understood that the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense promised to present concrete recommendations on this subject at the next government session.

The France-Libyan contract for the sale of 110 Mirages contained an article forbidding Libya to hand over to any third country the French-made planes or to engage them in the Middle East conflict. France’s self-imposed embargo regulations specify that no arms can be sold or supplied to any country actively participating in the Middle East war.

ISRAELI CHARGES WERE DENIED

A few days after the Yom Kippur War broke out, Israel charged Libya with having engaged part of its Mirages in the fighting. The Israeli Ambassador in Paris, Asher Ben Natan, called a special press conference to say that Israel had shot down five Libyan Mirages and had captured two Egyptian pilots who had flown them. The two Egyptians, Ben Natan said, had told the Israelis that they had been trained under Libyan identities at a French air base near Dijon.

The following day, Oct. 10, 1973, French Information Minister Joseph Comiti said,. “The only Mirages used in the Middle East war are those belonging to Israel.” A few days later, Oct. 14, the Libyan government denied Israel’s charge, and the French Foreign Ministry released a report from the French military attache in Tel Aviv saying that “Israel has not submitted any evidence to its claims”. One month later, Libyan President Muammar Qaddafi officially denied the claim in an interview with the French newspaper “Le Monde.”

EGYPT STILL NEEDS THE MIRAGES

Last night the issue became a public scandal as Sadat accused the Libyans of wanting him to return the Mirages while he still “needs them.” In a letter addressed to the Libyan government, Sadat revealed that the Mirages were in Egypt at the time of the Yom Kippur War during which they were used by Egyptian pilots. Sadat added that the planes “are still needed as the war (with Israel) is not yet over and fighting could break out again at any moment.”

The French press throughout the day highlighted the Sadat report which came at a highly awkward moment for the French government–during Egyptian Foreign Minister Ismail Fahmy’s visit here and while Egypt and France plan to further strengthen their ties. Fahmy said today when questioned about the incident, that it was a “purely inter-Arab affair, unconnected with my visit in Paris.”