State Department Reaffirms U.S. Determination to Maintain Mideast Arms Balance

The State Department today reaffirmed the United States determination to maintain a balance of power in the Middle East in the face of the Soviet Union’s offer of arms to the Arabs. Carl Bartch, State Department press officer, said that the U.S. had repeatedly tried to get the Soviet Union to agree to Mideast arms limitation talks, and had been repeatedly rebuked. He said President Nixon’s statement last month, offering to “provide arms to friendly states as the need arises.” is still the official administration Middle East arms policy.

The Soviet Union yesterday condemned “Israeli aggression” in the Middle East and promised “the necessary support to the Arab states in strengthening their ability to uphold their security and their just interests.” The promise was contained in a brief statement issued by Tass, the official Soviet news agency. It did not specify the type of aid that would be supplied to the Arabs but observers believe that President Gamal Abdel Nasser is likely to receive the late-model Soviet Mig-23 fighters, a plane he has been seeking to counteract American Phantom Jets supplied to Israel.

The Tass statement said, “The Soviet Union will render the necessary support to the Arab states in strengthening their ability to uphold their security, their just interests. It also said that “The policy of the Soviet Union is aimed to establish peace again in the area of the Middle East, to make national strife and wars a thing of the past. And our country will not weaken its efforts in this direction.” Observers felt the statement indicated Moscow’s continuing desire for a peaceful Mideast settlement and that the weapons supplied the Arabs would be more defensive than offensive in nature.