Time magazine, in a release to the news media, reported today that an unnamed “high Israeli diplomat” has “hinted” in a statement to the magazine that the government of Israel is gravely concerned about the outcome in Cambodia fearing that the fall of the new Cambodian regime world encourage the Russians to increase their activity in the Middle East. Time quoted the diplomat as saying: “If the U.S. lets (Cambodian Premier) Lon Nol down, the Russians will conclude that the Americans have gone soft. It will also be very bad news for us.” Time also reported that there is speculation Mr. Nixon intended some of his remarks in his speech to the nation on Thursday on Cambodia as a coded message to the Soviets regarding their increasingly active role in the Middle East conflict. According to Time, the speculation involves these words by the President: “Any government that chooses to use these actions as a pretext for harming relations with the United States will be doing so on its own responsibility and on its own initiative, and we will draw the appropriate conclusions.” Time did not say who is speculating about the intent of this statement but noted that “the Israelis, at least, hoped” that this was Nixon’s intention.
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