President Kennedy declared today at his regular press conference that the United States, acting either through the United Nations, or on its own, would take steps to prevent or put a stop to “aggression or preparations for aggression” in the Middle East.
He made the statement in reply to a question from a correspondent as to what the United States policy was in the area–in view of recent developments there–to protect the security of Israel and Jordan.
The President did not refer to the 1950 Tripartite declaration between the United States, Britain and France, by which the three countries pledged to halt any changes by force in the existing Israel-Arab borders but he in effect reaffirmed that policy as far as the United States was concerned. He said:
“We strongly oppose the use of force or the threat of force in the Middle East and we also seek to limit the spread of Communism in the Middle East which would of course destroy the independence of the people. This government has been and remains as strongly opposed to the use of force or the threat of force in the Near East.
“In the event of aggression or preparations for aggression, whether direct or indirect, we would support appropriate measures in the United Nations, or adopt courses of action on our own to prevent or put a stop to such aggression. This of course has been the policy of the United States for some time.”
THINKS BALANCE OF POWER HAS NOT CHANGED IN THE MIDDLE EAST
The President opened his reply by declaring that he did not think “the balance of military power has been changed in the Middle East in recent days. Obviously there are political changes in the Middle East which still do not show a precise pattern on which we are able to make any firm judgment,” he said.
He continued with the statement that the United States “supports economic, social, and political progress in the Middle East.” He then said: “We support the security of both Israel and her neighbors.”
He also said that the United States was seeking “to limit the Near East arms race which obviously takes resources from an area already poor and puts them into an increasing race which does not really bring any great security.” He then gave assurance that the United States, acting either through the United Nations, or on its own, would act to prevent aggression or put a stop to it if it broke out in the Middle East.
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