Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s interview in Newsweek this week was viewed by observers here today as an attempt to threaten or cajole the United States into reviewing its Middle East posture, Sadat is believed to feel that such a review is possible, even imminent, following his ouster of Soviet personnel from Egypt.
In his interview with senior editor Arnaud de Borchgrave, Sadat indicated that pressure might be brought to bear on US oil interests in the Mideast. He also professed himself ready to make a “peace arrangement”–but not a full-fledged peace treaty–with Israel provided Israel withdraws from all the administered territories. “I have never asked for a boycott.” he said, adding: “All I can tell you is that US interests will shortly become part of the battle for ‘he recovery of our land.”
Observers here noted wryly that while Sadat was fulsome in his encouragement of other Arab States to act against US interests. Egypt itself maintains scrupulously good relations with Standard Oil of Indiana, which has huge installations in his country. The observers also noted that a “peace arrangement” was proposed by the Soviets two years ago, and suggested that Sadat was seeking to counter balance the positive effect in the West of Israeli Premier Golda Meir’s Knesset speech of last Wednesday, in which she called on Sadat to negotiate directly with Israel.
Meanwhile, it is becoming increasingly clear in Jerusalem that Egypt strongly favors reactivation of the Jarring mission. Egypt has urged the five major powers to seek reactivation of Dr. Gunnar V. Jarring’s efforts. According to one unconfirmed report, Egypt has also asked United Nations Secretary General Kurt Waldheim, to whom Dr. Jarring reports, to restart the mission. Dr. Jarring was due back in New York tonight–to prepare a General Assembly report, as officially indicated, or to meet with the Mideast parties, as suspected, or both. Israeli sources have indicated they do not put much store in success for the mission as long as the intermediary insists on an Israeli withdrawal commitment in advance of direct talks.
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