Nixon Orders Full Study of Reports Dealing with Presence of Russian Pilots in Egypt

The White House disclosed today that President Nixon had ordered an immediate and full study of intelligence reports dealing with the presence of Russian pilots in Egypt. Ronald Zeigler, White House press secretary, hinted strongly that the United States might provide additional arms to Israel if the “strategic balance” of arms has been altered. Mr. Zeigler told newsmen that “President Nixon has ordered an immediate and full review and evaluation of all intelligence reports and the implication of them on the strategic balance in the Middle East.” Mr. Zeigler added that the latest reports regarding Russian operations in Egypt are “of course, of concern to the United States.” He recalled that when Nixon last month rejected Israel’s request for more Phantom jets “the President emphasized that the Israeli arms decision was an interim decision and the military level would be watched closely.”

A high ranking American diplomat warned today that an Israeli aerial victory over Russian pilots could lead to a new all-out war in the Middle East or a direct confrontation with the United States, neither of which the Soviet Union wants. The diplomat said there are real possibilities of Israeli victories over the Russian pilots. He noted that a superpower like Russia cannot afford to be defeated by a small country like Israel and would have to retaliate in a way that would make a renewed Arab-Israeli war or a confrontation with the U.S. inevitable. He stated the U.S. would continue to press for a political solution in the Middle East while making the world aware of its commitment to prevent a Soviet political or military take over of the area. The diplomat added that it would be an invitation to disaster if the world thought that “no more Vietnamese” meant that the U.S. was a “paper tiger” in the Mideast. Such notions, he said, would lure the Russians to “play the game of brinkmanship closer to the brink.”

FARBSTEIN URGES NIXON TO MAKE GOOD ON PLEDGE TO PRESERVE MIDEAST MILITARY BALANCE

Rep. Leonard Farbstein, Democrat of New York, sent a telegram to President Nixon today asking him to make good his pledge to “preserve the military balance in the Middle East” in the wake of the Israeli report on Soviet pilots. Mr. Farbstein, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that he felt now was the time to sell the 25 Phantom and 100 Sky hawk jets to Israel. Mr. Farbstein wrote: “Unless the U.S. determines to make available to Israel its military needs and publicly says so, the Soviets may very well be encouraged to widen the balance in favor of Nasser.”

An informed U.S. source said today that the Nixon Administration’s decision not to sell Israel more Phantom jets at this time was based on Israel’s qualitative superiority over the Arabs in the air, but that factor has been changed by the introduction of well-trained Russian pilots into the picture. Officials here consider the Soviet escalation of its military role in Egypt a direct slap at President Nixon. They noted that after refusing more jets to Israel, Mr. Nixon wrote Premier Alexei N. Kosygin urging Russian cooperating to restore the cease-fire and limit arms shipments to the Mideast. According to diplomatic sources in Washington the Arab governments have maintained an official silence on the Israeli disclosure but noted that, unofficially, Arab spokesmen commented that the Israeli claim was the “most significant” since the Six-Day War and has brought the possibility of an American-Soviet confrontation much closer.