Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger said today that “the security of the State of Israel remains an American objective.” Interviewed on CBS-TV “Face the Nation,” he also stated that the U.S. will not enter into any new commitments on the shipment of arms to the Middle East until the re-assessment ordered last month by President Ford is completed. The reassessment, which began two weeks ago will continue for another four weeks, Schlesinger remarked.
The Defense Secretary noted that up to April 1, the “termination point” of U.S. arms shipments to Israel, there was a very substantial shipment of arms which put Israel in a better position than she was in October 1973. He did not indicate whether the 1973 position was before or after the Yom Kippur War.
Schlesinger also stated that there is “deep concern” that there may be a renewal of conflict in the Middle East this summer but that according to latest intelligence reports things are a “little quieter now” in that area. He stressed that the reassessment by the U.S. of the Mideast applied to all the countries there, not just to Israel. He said the U.S. would reconsider “just where we are going” with regard to all Mideast states and all issues in the area.
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