An Israeli diplomatic source said here Tuesday that according to information in the hands of Israelis, Egyptian ground-to-ground missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, do not yet carry such warheads. Recently, the American magazine, Aviation Week, reported the existence of such missiles in Egypt. Referring to the energy crisis and the Soviet role in the Middle East, the source indicated that Russia is behind the Arab move to use the oil as a political weapon. According to the source this implicates the Soviets in an attempt to try to control the oil resources in the Middle East as part of its global politics.
The source added that the role of the Soviet Union in the recent war was not at all “in the spirit of detente.” Pointing out the Russian’s advice to the Algerian President Houari Boumediene that the Arabs, if reaching the 1967 lines with Israel should go on, the source said this shows how “moderate” is the role of the Soviet Union in the Middle East and what plans it has regarding the survival of Israel. The source also said that the Arabs were prepared for a prolonged war in the hope that Israel would find itself without sufficient arms. Had not the U.S. come to the help of Israel, the source said, the war would have been much more costly for Israel, especially in terms of human life.
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