Peace Treaty Writing Making Steady Progress, but End is Not in Sight

Writing the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty continues to be described as making “steady progress” but when it will be completed was not being confidently predicted today. Expectations that the treaty would be ready for initialing as early as tomorrow or Wednesday were widespread Friday after optimistically-phrased statements were made by members of the American, Egyptian and Israeli delegations. But since then, developments in Washington, Cairo and Jerusalem as well as in Iraq and Iran appear to have altered circumstances.

Taking note of reports that the Blair House conference is in its “final stages,” the conference’s official spokesman cautioned against acceptance of reports from “anonymous sources” predicting termination dates. “I have always refused to set a target date or a deadline for these negotiations,” the spokesman, George Sherman, of the State Department said. “We are all determined to get a treaty as soon as possible. Progress has been steady and progress continues. Obviously, there has to be more progress.” Sherman said that as a result of meetings among the three delegations yesterday, Egypt and Israel “have come close to completing the non-military annex.” He added that “with one or two exceptions which bear on language, that draft has been completed for reference to governments.” The military annex, he said, “is subject to intensive work.” He did not describe the state of the third annex which he said “will contain maps.”

These three annexes, he said, implement the treaty’s nine articles and preamble which “outline” the peace agreement. “All normalization details” between the two countries are contained in the an- nexes, he explained.

ISSUE OF SINAI OIL

Asked whether the issue of Sinai oil “remains to a large extent unresolved,” Sherman replied, “that’s correct.” He said that Israeli and Egyptian leaders discussed oil for two hours yesterday. U.S. Ambassador Alfred Atherton discussed it with the Israeli and Egyptian delegations Saturday. “The U.S. has put forward its own ideas on oil,” Sherman said.

The oil problem may be directly related to the turmoil in Iran which supplies Israel with about two-thirds of its oil. Two U.S. petroleum officials were reportedly in Mexico to deal with the matter of oil for Israel in the event the Iranian supply was cut off. Under the 1975 Sinai accord, the U.S. is committed to assure a steady supply of oil to Israel.

Sherman refused to discuss reports that linkage of the peace treaty with the West Bank-Gaza Strip situation continues to be a major unresolved issue and that the impact of Egypt’s treaties with other countries also is an obstacle. The latter factor would seem to include the Arab economic boycott of Israel and U.S. companies dealing with Israel.

When a reporter suggested that statements by Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan and Egyptian Ambassador Ashraf Ghorbal suggested that the treaty was on the “verge” of completion, Sherman replied that “none of the principals said on the verge.” Sherman pointed out that while Vance had said Friday that “almost all substantive issues have been resolved,” he also said work remains on the three annexes. Sherman’s statement seemed to contradict the reports that give the purported substance of the treaties and the maps.

Meanwhile, in another development, Jill Schukar, a special assistant to the chief State Department spokesman Hodding Carter, said that the U.S. officially told Taiwan that it will permit that government to buy F-5E warplanes from the U.S. but not F-4, F-15 or F-18 warplanes. She reiterated that the U.S. does not object to Israel selling its Kfir plane to Taiwan. Israel requires this approval because the plane has U.S. components. Earlier this year, however, Taiwan was reported to have said it did not want to buy the Kfir.