U.S. Clarifies Stand on Inviting Israel to Join Middle East Defense

Reports that invitations allegedly extended by the Big Powers to Israel and the Arab states to join in a Middle Eastern defense alliance are being withdrawn were denied here today by the State Department.

No invitations have been issued to these countries and therefore they cannot be withdrawn, Michael McDermott, State Department press chief, said. He added that such invitations cannot be issued until details of the Middle Eastern command have been formulated.

Mr. McDermott emphasized that the Egyptian rejection of the Middle East command proposals of the United States, Britain, France, and Turkey did not affect plans to go ahead with the formulation of a Middle East defense organization. He made known that the intention is to first set up a structure and then to issue invitations. He also revealed that discussions and the exchange of ideas are continuing with all Middle Eastern countries.

The State Department issued a statement which said “it is the intention of the United States, in collaboration with the United Kingdom, France, Turkey, New Zealand, Australia, and the Union of South Africa, to proceed with the establishment of the Middle Eastern command. Details regarding the command structure,” the statement said, “have yet to be worked out and we hope that discussions regarding this will be able to proceed in the very near future. Such discussions would, of course, have to include the important question of the relationship between the Middle Eastern command and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

“It is not possible at this time to be more specific with relation to the organization of the command or about precise definition of the area it will cover. The governments (of the Big Powers) are continuing the discussion regarding the establishment of the command. We expect to keep the Middle Eastern countries informed about what’s going on.”