Identical Agreements for Sale by U.S. of Nuclear Reactors to Egypt, Israel Are Expected Soon

“Identical” agreements for the sale by the United States of two nuclear reactors to Egypt and another pair to Israel are not yet completed, but this will take place “in the near future,” the Ford Administration disclosed yesterday. Uncertainty, however, continued to prevail among some key members of Congress on the wisdom of the sales.

Meeting reporters after a two-hour closed-door session on the subject with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Alfred Atherton said he brought the Senators “up to date on the negotiations.”

Atherton said that President Ford has not yet seen the agreement which were initiated by President Nixon during his visit to the Middle East in 1974. Shortly after Atherton’s comments., a State Department spokesman said the agreement with Israel is “substantially” completed, while Egypt continues to deliberate. There were indications that Cairo is waiting for Israel’s approval before committing itself.

Atherton said that one of the principal factors in the negotiations are safeguards for the prevention of proliferation of materials that could he used in manufacturing atomic weapons. He promised that how the U.S. can enforce safe-guards “will be thoroughly aired at the time of the publication of the agreement.”

Atherton’s briefing seemed to indicate that the Administration is preparing the ground for certain approval by Congress once the agreements are submitted. However, three factors seemed to stand in the way of quick approval.

THREE HURDIES TO OVERCOME

One is that the present Congress may not have time to study the subject. It has decided to adjourn Oct. 2 because of the national elections a month later with all House seats and a third of the Senate’s up for election, besides the Presidency. In addition, after the White House submits the agreements, Congress has 60 days to consider it. That would take the measure beyond October 2.

Another factor is the degree of concern Israel has expressed on the sale to Egypt. Sen. Charles Percy (R.Ill.), who attended the briefing, said “my concern is Israel’s concern about Egypt having the capability” to produce atomic weapons. “This is a question that must be raised,” Percy said in an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “As I see it, Israel is not raising serious objections.” Percy said later that he was “not satisfied at all with the safeguard.”

Sen. Stuart Symington (D.Mo.), who is retiring from the Senate this year after long service on both the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, flatly opposed the sale to Egypt.

In an interview with the JTA when he left Atherton’s briefing, Symington said he is “very disturbed” about the sale to Egypt because “we are under great obligation to Israel.” He recalled his pledge in 1959 to the late Israeli Premer David Ben Gurion that “the one thing we have to do is to prevent Israel being destroyed.”

Symington’s amendment to the foreign aid legislation signed into law in June specifies that the U.S. must cut off military and economic assistance to any country that receives or delivers plutonium or enriched uranium for the bookmaking to another country. Legal experts at the Capital said that amendment would not apply to the sale of reactors as such.

ISRAEL SEES NO PROBLEM

Israeli sources said that the Israeli government is prepared to sign its agreement with the U.S. because as far as Israel is concerned “no problems” stand in the way of its completion. The agreement, these sources said, do not include any inspection by American or other foreign nationals of the atomic plants in operation now in Israel.

This was said to have been a stumbling block in the U.S. effort to get both Egypt and Israel to sign “identical” agreements. Egypt was reported to have held out for inspection of all nuclear plants in Israel regardless of their origin. The Israeli sources said that Israel is not jealous of what Egypt gets and Egypt should not be jealous of what Israel gets. The Israel-U.S. agreement is “a thing apart” from Israel’s present resources in nuclear energy, the sources said.