The Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned from a United Nations source this afternoon that the machinery to supervise the Middle East cease-fire will definitely not be UN machinery. According to the source, the cease-fire will be supervised by U.S. and Soviet troops. The source indicated that since the two superpowers have been supplying the Israelis and Arabs respectively with weapons, they feel they are in a position to impose this type of supervisory machinery.
An Israeli source told the JTA that he did not believe the U.S. would agree to accept the presence of Soviet troops in the Middle East and that Israel would not favor such an arrangement. This information was obtained as the Security Council, which was to have convened at noon today at the request of Egypt, postponed its session until 4 p.m.
NEW CEASE-FIRE RESOLUTION IN PREPARATION
There were unconfirmed reports that the Security Council will have before it a new resolution replacing yesterday’s in-place cease-fire with a cease-fire calling on both sides to return to the positions they occupied when war broke out Oct. 6. Another report said, however that the Soviet Union would demand a re-affirmation of yesterday’s cease-fire agreement and nullification of any changes of position that have occurred as a result of renewed fighting during the last 24 hours.
The JTA learned that consultations have been going on today on various levels including the U.S. and USSR. A UN spokesman said this morning that Secretary General Kurt Waldheim had received a request from Egypt early this morning for an emergency session of the Security Council. He said the request was made at 7:30 a.m. and the Council was set to convene at noon. The postponement to 4 p.m. was announced at 1:45 p.m.
The Council meeting was called for as the cease-fire between Israel and Egypt collapsed only a few hours after going into effect last night and fierce fighting was reported to have resumed. A UN spokesman said the Secretary General was notified of the acceptance of the cease-fire by both Israel and Egypt shortly before 1 p.m. yesterday and that Egypt had confirmed its acceptance in writing this morning.
He said that nothing has been heard from Syria since yesterday, adding that Waldheim’s office phoned the Syrian UN Mission yesterday and was told that the Syrian Ambassador was waiting for instructions from Damascus, As of noon today there was no word from the Syrian capital.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed H, el Zaayyat and the Egyptian UN Ambassador, Abdel Meguid, conferred with Waldheim at their request this morning. The Soviet Ambassador, Yacov A. Malik, also met with Waldheim, a UN spokesman said.
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