Administration Renews Hint That Rejection of Awacs Sale Might Affect New U.s.-israeli Relations

The Reagan Administration continued to imply today that Congressional rejection of its proposal to sell Saudi Arabia AWACS and other sophisticated weapons might affect the new strategic cooperation agreement between Israel and the United States worked out during Premier Menachem Begin’s visit to Washington last week.

State Department spokesman Dean Fischer said that the Administration’s “operative” policy is a statement Secretary of State Alexander Haig made to reporters on his plane while returning home from Europe Monday.

This statement, according to Fischer, is that “the failure of the Senate to sustain the AWACS sale would be a major setback to U.S. policy in the Middle East.” He added that “it would have serious implications for overall policy in the area.”

But Fischer denied there was any “linkage” between the AWACS sale and the strategic agreement. He said the Haig statement did not contradict a statement by State Department Deputy spokesman Alan Romberg Monday that there was “no strict conditionality” between approval of the AWACS sale and implementation of the strategic cooperation agreement. However, Fischer noted that rejection of the AWACS sale would have implications for a “good many strategic considerations” in the Middle East.

HAIG-BEGIN MEETING

Fischer said Haig discussed the AWACS and the strategic cooperation with Begin when the two held a surprise meeting in New York shortly before the Premier left the country last night to return to Israel. But he said he could not divulge any details about the meeting. Haig asked for the meeting, postponing until today a scheduled State Department reception for West Berlin Mayor Richard von Weizsaecker.

The Department spokesman said the meeting was held to “review the results” of Begin’s 10-day visit to the U.S. and Haig’s four-day trip to Europe, including his meeting in Spain last Saturday with Crown Prince Fahd of Saudi Arabia. (Begin, who returned to Israel today, declined to discuss his meeting with Haig last night.)

EXPLAINS REACTION BY FAHD

At the same time Fischer denied that he had told reporters while briefing them in Europe that Fahd had raised no objections to the U.S.-Israeli strategic cooperation agreement. The Soudis had denounced this report.

Fischer said that he told reporters that Fahd had expressed support when Haig discussed U.S. efforts to enhance regional security in the Middle East. He said that Haig had also talked about the complementary Saudi efforts and the U.S.-Israeli agreement in the context of meeting the Soviet threat to the region.

Haig is expected to be closely questioned about these issues when he testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee tomorrow morning on general U.S. foreign policy. He is expected to make a strong statement in support of the AWACS sale, although the Committee’s official hearings on that issue are not expected till later this month. Haig is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York Sept. 21.