Sinai Accord Occupies Attention of Senate and House Committees

The second Egyptian-Israeli Sinai accord and U.S. commitments associated with it occupied the attention of the Senate Foreign Relations and the House Armed Services Committees yesterday. In addition, a military contract with Saudi Arabia of nearly $1.5 billion was before the Senate panel.

The Egyptian Ambassador, Ashraf Ghorbal, testified at the House meeting for about 90 minutes behind closed doors. The Congressmen reportedly were seeking more information on Egyptian-American understandings stemming from the accord, particularly U.S. military assistance to Cairo reportedly favored by the Administration once the Israeli withdrawal is completed. Ghorbal’s appearance was highly unusual Congressional observers said they could not remember a previous occasion when a foreign ambassador appeared before a committee of Congress. The committee heard Israel’s views last week from its Defense Minister, Shimon Peres, but at an informal breakfast meeting.

In the Senate committee, Sens. Clifford Case (R.NJ) and Jacob K. Javits (R.NY) proposed that Congress vote on secret U.S. undertakings to Egypt and Israel as well as on the stationing of 200 American technicians in Sinai. It is designed sources at the Capitol said, to help speed the Sinai accord to a Senate vote by incorporating in a resolution of approval information summarizing all the U.S. undertakings. At present the Administration does not seek a vote on anything except the technicians.

FORD WARNS CONGRESS NOT TO DELAY

Meanwhile, President Ford warned Congressional leaders today that the Sinai pact could be jeopardized by continued delay in approving the American technicians. White House press secretary Ron Nessen said the President told the Congressional leaders at a meeting this morning that “time is getting quite critical.” Nessen also said the President had emphasized at the meeting that the U.S. is only committed to studying the sale of long-range Pershing missiles to Israel and said he was willing to make available to Congress “all the pertinent information” on the terms of the Sinai accord worked out by Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger.

Notwithstanding Ford’s warning against delay the Senate Foreign Relations Committee made it clear today that there would be no vote on the American technicians until resolution of a dispute over publication of documents relating to U.S. assurances and commitments. The Committee has rejected the State Department’s plan to publish only summaries of the documents, large portions of which have already been leaked to the press. Nessen said today that “how much is to be made public is being negotiated.”

A major test, meanwhile, is soon to arise with the Administration having submitted to Congress for consideration a contract of $1.45 billion with Saudi Arabia for construction of an addition to a barracks and other facilities for two brigades at Al Batin. Congress has 20 days to object to it. The period expires Oct. 8. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is to look into details of this agreement that involves construction of hospitals, barracks, individual houses and maintenance plants.