Tripartite Talks on Sinai Force

The United States, Egypt and Israel began three days of talks at the State Department today aimed at establishing a multi-national peacekeeping force for Sinai which now appears certain to include U.S. troops. But State Department spokesman David Passage refused to go into details.

The Reagan Administration conceded over the weekend that it would be unable to get the United Nations Security Council to approve such a force, required by the terms of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. The Soviet Union could be expected to veto the attempt because of its opposition to the Camp David agreements.

“We have concluded that it would not be possible to get a UN force,” Passage said, “and we will now proceed with our plans for an alternative multi-national force.” The Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement requires the U.S. to put together a force if a UN contingent cannot be established by the time Israel completes its withdrawal from Sinai in April, 1982.

WILL CONSULT WITH OTHER COUNTRIES

Passage said the U.S. will begin consultations with other countries but he refused to indicate which countries are being contacted. It has been widely reported that the U.S. will now have to put up half of the 2500 troops. The others might come from such countries as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, Peru and Fiji.

So far there has been little public reaction from Congress about the possible use of American troops to patrol Sinai. Passage said that consultations have started with Congress on the creation of the multinational force.

The heads of the three delegations meeting at the State Department are Col. Thomas Tienka of the U.S., Maj. Gen. Avraham Tamir of Israel, and Admiral Mohsen Hamdi of Egypt.