Secret U.S. Egypt Talks on Help to Nasser’s Rocket Program Confirmed

Classified military talks between the United Arab Republic and the United States on assisting the Egyptian rocket program may be under way, a spokesman for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration said today. He added, however, that NASA itself has entered no such negotiations.

The State Department meanwhile sought to refute and dissuade publication of reliable reports which have appeared in recent days in highly reliable American scientific and trade Journals, pertaining to American-Egyptian rocket negotiations.

The NASA spokesman conceded that, a year ago, Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser opened the subject of training of Egyptian rocket technicians in the United States, and buying rockets and components here. But the matter was deferred, as far as NASA was concerned, and no action was taken, according to the Administration official.

Sources close to the State Department said the United States may have embarked on a highly secret move to gain influence with Nasser and sidetrack the Soviet Union by agreeing to help Nasser’s rocket research.

Rep. Seymour Helpern, New York Republican, today made known that he opposed any American assistance to Nasser “until he terminates his Soviet military acquisitions” and proves himself devoted to peace by ending hostility toward Israel. “Until then,” said Rep. Halpern, “any thought of a NASA-to-Nasser agreement is absurd and contrary to the national security interests of the United States. When you buy a dictator like Nasser, he does not stay bought.”

Rep. Halpern is co-sponsor of the Keating-Halpern amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act, which would sever aid, subject to Presidential discretion, to nations like the UAR that acquire Soviet arms with their own funds.