News Brief

The deliveries of TU-16s to Egypt was disclosed by the State Department last Thursday. The disclosure came on the heels of an assertion by the State Department earlier in the week that Soviet arms shipments to Egypt had slowed down perceptibly in recent months and that the Middle East balance of power therefore remained unchanged. The disclosure preceded a speech yesterday by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in which he said that Egypt has decided to resume warfare against Israel. The US described the TU-16 as a reconnaissance bomber but would not discuss its capabilities.

US RESPONSIBLE FOR MIDEAST IMPASSE

Premier Golda Meir blamed US policy-makers, particularly Secretary of State William P. Rogers, for “mistakes” which have led to the present Middle East impasse and the threat of future hostilities. She said American foreign policy-makers were impatient for an interim Suez accord and were pressuring Israel to make moves that would undermine its security in order to enhance President Sadat’s prestige. Mrs. Meir spoke at a luncheon of the Israel Bar Association here on Friday. She said the latest mistake by Rogers was to say that the Mideast military balance had not shifted against Israel despite the massive flow of Soviet arms to the Arab countries.

Mrs. Meir stressed that the balance was not just between Israel and Egypt but between Israel and the whole Arab world that would join Egypt in a new war against Israel. Mrs. Meir stated that US intelligence was no less effective than Israeli intelligence and knew well what goes on in Egypt. She said she regretted the present conflict in relations with the US but said Israel had no choice but to take a tough stand even with its greatest friend “because we are convinced we are right.”