Ambassador George Bush, the US envoy to the United Nations, said today that he thought the UN was “off to a good start” in efforts to combat international terrorism. “The very fact that the UN showed its willingness to discuss (terrorism) is a plus factor.” Bush said at a press conference this afternoon. He added, however, “We still have a selling job to do.”
The American diplomat said the US didn’t expect to solve the Middle East question during the current session of the General Assembly or to engage in “name-calling matches.” He said the US sought agreement “on certain civilized norms of behavior” and to “preserve a climate in which some pragmatic solutions can be found.”
Commenting on today’s speech in the General Assembly by Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed H. el-Zayyat, Bush said “it might not have ploughed a lot of new ground” but “it articulated the formulations of his government’s policy.” (See separate story P. 3)
Commenting on the American veto of last month’s Security Council resolution calling for an end to military operations in the Middle East but ignoring terrorist provocation. Bush said the US “did the right thing at the right time” in vetoing “a totally imbalanced resolution.” He said the veto “increased our credibility by demonstrating we are not afraid to be Isolated.” He added, however, that the US is not about to engage in indiscriminate vetoing.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
