Secretary of State Dean Rusk said today, in a CBS television interview, that no decisions had been taken on sale of arms to Israel, and that the Administration now sees this matter as “part of the general stabilization of peace in that area.” He said that the President had pressed for limitation of arms shipments to the Middle East. There was a problem, he said, if outside sources shipped arms to the region, pointing out that munitions received by Egypt, Syria and Algeria created a problem not only for Israel but for other Arab countries.
Mr. Rusk made known that the question of arms for Israel has been kept under study and has not moved forward from its status of about two weeks ago when it was indicated that the issue was being examined. His indication today that the supply of arms to Israel was now tied to the question of regional peace was the first indication by the Administration that the supply of war materiel to Israel is being used as a lever in efforts to produce a settlement.
Commenting on the Soviet shipments of arms to Egypt. Mr. Rusk said he did not think it was reasonable to expect that the situation would have been left where it was at the termination of hostilities, when the Egyptian air force had been decimated. He said some resupply was to be expected. But he indicated that it was undesirable that the resupply be built up to a point where a new set of tensions and a “new round of hostilities” might result.
The Secretary stated he did not “attach too much military significance” to the presence of Soviet naval ships in Egyptian ports. He said the situation would be watched, but he pointed out that the United States has reached some point of understanding with the Soviet Union at the United Nations, and that, that indicated that the U. S. A. did not view the naval presence with great concern. He predicted that the Middle East issue would go back to the United Nations Security Council after the forthcoming Arab summit conference.
Mr. Rusk was asked about secret loans through the Export-Import Bank to finance arms for underdeveloped countries. He defended this policy, stating that the Government was mindful of whether transactions would precipitate arms races with neighbors. He said that some who opposed the U. S. selling arms to various countries were “passionate against our undertaking responsibilities for their defense.”
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