President Carter may discuss with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat during their talks in Cairo over the next three days that one of the two air bases in Sinai, built by Israel, be used as a U.S. military station in defense of the Persian Gulf oil fields, particularly those of Saudi Arabia.
White House sources denied a report to the effect that Carter had agreed with Israeli Premier Menachem Begin to discuss this matter with Sadat but it appeared that this element in defense of the oil fields would be discussed by the American and Egyptian chief executives.
The White House denial was seen as possibly taking into consideration the fact that it would be diplomatically improper for-Carter to agree with Begin on a military base that will be under Egyptian sovereignty in accordance with the provisions of the Egyptian-Israeli treaty being negotiated. Sources here said that Sadat, in September at Camp David, rejected such a proposal at that time but that was before the turmoil in Iran and that now the situation calls for another examination.
In New York yesterday, Begin indicated, in private conversations, that Carter had responded sympathetically to Begin’s suggestion that the Etzion base would be used as an American station. Etzion is two miles west of the pre-1967 Israeli border with Egypt. Under the Camp David frame works, Israel is to give up Etzion as well as the Eitam base in Sinai Both bases would be in a demilitarized zone to be controlled by the United Nations but which Egypt could use for civilian purposes.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is showing its support of Saudi Arabia, by speeding military supplies to its neighbor North Yemen which is under attack by pro-Marxist South Yemen, and sending the carrier Constellation to the Arabian Sea. Carter agreed to the military moves on the eve of his trip to Cairo. Administration officials said the deployment of the Constellation, which carries 80 planes and three support ships from the Philippines, provides a display of U.S. interest in the Persian Gulf region.
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