El Fatah, the Palestinian terrorist organization, said yesterday that it would renew its warfare against King Hussein of Jordan in an effort to topple his regime. El Fatah made the threat as the monarch left Washington following his meetings with President Nixon and leading administration officials.
On Friday, a spokesman for the Fatah-sponsored Palestine Liberation Organization called on all Arab states which rejected Hussein’s federation plan to disqualify the King from speaking for Palestinian or any other Arabs. Israeli sources said today that the new terrorist threats against the Hussein regime were not particularly significant inasmuch as El Fatah itself faces a crisis.
El Fatah escalated its verbal warfare against Hussein following the King’s proposal last month to establish a “united Arab kingdom.” In a statement Thursday in Washington, Hussein suggested that Jerusalem be the capital of both Israel and “the Palestinian portion of Jordan” as “a unified open city.” His remark to newsmen appeared to be a reversal of Hussein’s previous opposition to sharing the Holy City with Israel.
No Match For Israeli Phantoms
Meanwhile, according to authoritative sources, the US has agreed to sell Jordan 22-24 supersonic F-5 jets to modernize the Jordanian Air Force that is presently obsolete. US government analysts said delivery of the planes over the next two years would not disturb the military balance in the Middle East. There has been no comment on the reported deal from Israeli sources.
The American aircraft reportedly to be sold to Jordan are well suited for operations against terrorist concentrations but are no match for the F-4 Phantoms of Israel’s Air Force. The F-5s cost $1.5 million each, have a maximum speed of 1100 m.p.h., an operational radius of 200 miles and carry a 7000 pound payload.
The Phantoms, which cost $4.5 million each, carry nearly 16,000 pounds of bombs, can fly at 1700 m.p.h. and have a combat radius of about 900 miles. The F-5, however, is reportedly capable of out maneuvering the MIG-21s of the Syrian and Egyptian Air Forces. It is probably the most sophisticated aircraft the Jordanian Air Force is capable of absorbing at this time. Even with 24 F-5s it will be outnumbered by the air forces of Israel, Syria, Egypt and Iraq.
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