The United States submitted to the Security Council today the draft of a resolution intended to help ease the tensions along the Israel-Arab borders through the following actions:
1. Putting upon Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold the responsibility for making an “urgent” survey of the manner in which the four Arab signatories to the armistice agreements and Israel are complying with those pacts. Mr. Hammarskjold, under this resolution, would be requested to report back to the Council within one month.
2. Both Israel and the Arab governments will be asked to: withdraw their forces from the armistice demarcation lines; give “full freedom of movement” to UN observers along demarcation lines, in the demilitarized zones, and in the “defensive areas;” help establish “local arrangements for the prevention of incidents and the prompt detection of any violations of the armistice agreements.”
The resolution as it stands now has the formal backing of the United States only, and is the first measure of this kind presented by Washington without the open cosponsorship of Britain and France since the issuance of the Tripartite Declaration in May, 1950.
The resolution, however, according to U.S. sources, had been discussed at length with the two allies, Britain and France, as well as with Mr. Hammarskjold. These sources declared that they hope for unanimous adoption of the resolution by the Council, indicating that thus far they had not been apprised of opposition by the Soviet Union.
There are a number of points in the resolution that gave observers here the feeling that the proposed measure may point to some new way of handling the Israel-Arab situation. For one thing, it seems to shift major responsibility for peace in the area from Maj. Gen. E.L.M. Burns, UN truce chief, to the shoulders of Mr. Hammarskjold himself.
The draft speaks of freedom of movement for UN observers in “defensive areas” which would give the observers the opportunity to check on reports that troops are being massed in the area from Maj. Gen, E.L.M. Burns, UN truce chief, to the shoulders of Mr. Hammarskjold himself.
The draft speaks of freedom of movement for UN observers in “defensive areas” which would give the observers the opportunity to check on reports that troops are being massed in the region. The draft resolution also speaks of giving the UN observers a possible role in detection of violations, giving some diplomats here the idea that UN observers might be ordered to try to detect possible aggressions before they start.
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