Kirkpatrick, U.S. to Act Against Illegal Actions by the Un, Such As Attempts to Bar Israel at Forums

Jeane Kirkpatrick, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, declared here today that the Reagan Administration plans to be “vigorous” in seeing to it that the UN and its specialized agencies live by their own rules and not “pervert” their regulations.

Kirkpatrick testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations where she and Elliott Abrams, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizational Affairs, defended the Administration’s request for some $673 million as the U.S. contribution to the UN for fiscal year 1982.

Rep. William Lehman (D. Fla.), who requested the hearing, noted that he had helped found the United Nations Association in south Florida some 20 years ago but today neither he nor most people in his area support the world organization. He said that if the UN keeps on its present path he will not vote for the funding.

Kirkpatrick said that the U.S. will make known its displeasure over illegal actions by the UN, such as attempts to bar Israel and other countries from their rightful place in UN forums. Abrams said that policy is already showing its effects. He said that only last week an Arab attempt to bar Israel from

the World Health Organization (WHO) annual conference in Geneva was not even brought to a vote after the U.S. made known its strong opposition and the Arab states realized they did not have the votes.

Kirkpatrick noted a similar incident three weeks ago at a meeting on the problem of refugees in Africa. She said Israel was not invited until the U.S. demanded that Israel be at the meeting. She said that an Arab attempt to expel Israel was rejected because the U.S. made known its opposition. Kirkpatrick said the U.S. is not defending Israel but making sure that Israel and all countries are treated the same way.

OUTLINES POSSIBLE ACTIONS

Asked by Rep. John Porter (R. III.) for more specific action to block anti-Israel moves, Kirkpatrick said that in addition to making known its position with “vigor,” the U.S. can also refuse to participate in forums where illegal moves have been made.

“We can state for the whole world our refusal to be a party to procedures that victimize” any country, she said. She said the U.S. will “vigilantly” check into any funds going to the Palestine Liberation Organization and that she will not meet anyone from the PLO because this is the policy of the Reagan Administration.

In response to other questions, Kirkpatrick said the UN was unable to come up with a multi-national force to patrol Sinai after Israel’s final withdrawal in April, 1982, because the U.S. would not have been able to get the votes in the Security Council. She said that when this became apparent after two weeks of efforts, the U.S. decided to seek to form a multi-national force outside the UN as President Carter promised in the Camp David accords.

Last week, representatives of Israel, Egypt and the U.S. met at the State Department to discuss the military aspects of Israel’s withdrawal. Another meeting is scheduled in Cairo and the political aspects will be discussed at a meeting in Washington at the end of this month.