Riad: Egypt Prepared to Extend Truce; Insists Egypt Did Not Violate Truce Accord

Foreign Minister Mahmoud Riad of Egypt denied today that his country has in any way violated the Suez standstill cease-fire and said that his government was prepared to listen to “any proposals to extend it.” Mr. Riad was interviewed on the ABC television program. “Issues and Answers.” “When I say we did not violate any arrangements. I truly mean it.” the Egyptian diplomat said. He claimed that what United States intelligence photographs apparently consider a new missile site is really “a dummy position and not a true site.” He said those positions were shifted legally within the cease-fire zone and “these photos, very frankly, mean nothing and can prove nothing…If you take a photograph today, tomorrow the photo means nothing at all,” Mr. Riad asserted. Insisting that Egypt introduced no new missiles into the standstill zone since the truce went into effect on Aug. 7, Mr. Riad told his interviewers that Donald C. Bergus. the U.S. representative in Cairo, had claimed to him that new missiles had indeed been introduced but never raised the matter again after Mr. Riad told him to double check his facts. Mr. Riad said the Egyptian government had accepted the American peace initiative “simply because we want to achieve peace in the area.” He said the regime of President Anwar Sadat would continue the policies of the Nasser regime. He denied that extensive Soviet aid would turn Egypt into a Soviet satellite. “We are buying things and we are paying the price for what we are buying.” he said.