The Israeli and Egyptian military groups resumed work here this morning on implementing the Sinai agreement amid tight security following reports that Palestinian terrorists were on their way to Switzerland to try to stop the signing of the accords.
Reports of possible terrorist attempts to sabotage the agreement came from Vienna today where a state of alert was ordered at the airport following information from international police authorities that a group of Palestinian terrorists were trying to reach Geneva with forged passports, a spokesman at Schwechat Airport said. The spokesman said the police were on the lookout for four very young Palestinians but so far no trace of the alleged terrorists has been found.
Police have also been alerted at Amsterdam’s
Schipol Airport and border patrols throughout Holland were similarly alerted against a possible movement of Palestinian terrorists. Reports from Amsterdam said international police authorities have issued warnings to all European police forces about possible terrorist attempts to reach Geneva.
RACING AGAINST DEADLINE
The Israeli and Egyptian delegations resumed work this morning after having held a 14-hour night-long session earlier in a race against time to conclude its protocol within the 14-day time limit set by the disengagement agreement. The two delegations held an all-night session during which they tried to finalize the protocol and the annex documents. It is generally believed that the two sides have by now reached basic agreement and are currently putting the last touches to the implementation acts.
The head of the Israeli delegation, Mordechai Gazit, said when leaving the “Palais des Nations” building here this morning after the all night session that he hoped the protocol “will be initialed today still as provided for by the agreement.” It will probably be signed only after the U.S. Congress decides on the implementation of America’s participation in the disengagement process. Diplomatic sources say the disengagement will become operative two weeks after the signature.
TWO PARTS TO FINAL PROTOCOL
It is believed that the final protocol will consist of two parts: one public and one secret. This decision was taken after the Egyptian delegation adamantly refused to include in the protocol any articles which it thought liable to infringe on the sovereignty of its territory.
One of the basic points on which they refused to give way dealt with restrictions to be imposed on the Arab civilians in the buffer zone. Israel had asked that the 3000 Bedouins living in that area, Egyptian nationals, be prevented from carrying out sabotage or espionage missions. The articles in the protocol dealing with them will probably form part of a secret protocol.
Conference sources said that though the Egyptians discussed at length every point, often every word, in the proposed protocol, there was not much of a fight over Israel’s intention to initial the protocol now and sign it only after Congressional approval. These sources said that the Egyptian agreement on this point was reached after Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger personally approached Cairo and Jerusalem on this issue.
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