State Dept. Says Times Report on New Rogers’ Letter ‘wrong’ ‘unauthorized’

The published contents of Secretary of State William P. Rogers’ most recent message to Egyptian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Riad was criticized by the State Department today as “importantly wrong…unauthorized and edited.” Thus, said Department spokesman Robert J. McCloskey,” I am strongly inclined to believe that no authorized or responsible American official is involved” in leaking it to the press. The report, in today’s New York Times, said that Rogers had advised Riad that Israel was expected to submit new and “substantive” ideas for a peace settlement after the cease-fire was extended; that the United States continues to adhere to the Rogers plan of Dec. 9, 1969, calling for almost total Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab territories; that “the United States is prepared to make an all-out effort to help the parties reach a settlement this year”; that the Jarring talks could not succeed under deadline pressure; that Egypt’s decision not to call for a special Security Council meeting was “wise, constructive and in the interest of the United Arab Republic”; that the Arabs were not at a military disadvantage, and that the U.S. had not promised Israel to veto any anti-Israeli United Nations measure. The Times report, which was dated “Washington” and which was unsigned, was said by the writer to have been “shown to the New York Times on condition that the source remain secret.” He added that “the wording of the memorandum strengthened indications in diplomatic quarters that the United States did not look unkindly on possible American and Soviet participation in a military buffer force in the Middle East.”

Asked by newsmen today if the portions published were correct, McCloskey replied, “No, not entirely.” In addition, he said, parts were “out of context” and other parts were “omitted.” The published parts represented “unauthorized use of a private message,” he declared, adding: “I say this more in sorrow than in anger. We have tried steadfastly to keep things in private channels, and we will continue to do so.” Some material carried in the first edition of the Times was deleted from later editions. It included purported references by Rogers to Big Four participation in the determination of an honorable peace. The quoted reference to the Big Four was “importantly wrong” and “out of context,” McCloskey asserted. “We maintain and continue to maintain that the Security Council is the only body for a settlement. The Big Four as a unit has no decision-making authority. It is an important consultative group.” The basis for a settlement, he emphasized, was “set forth in the Security Council Resolution (No. 242 of Nov. 22, 1967).” A State Department source further told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the published material treated the Rogers letter in “bowdlerized fashion.” He emphasized that “we don’t make these things public.” The source contended that the material had been given to Times correspondent Raymond H. Anderson in Cairo by Egyptians.