U.S. Will Take Different Role at the Camp David Summit Talks

The United States will take “a different role” at the summit at Comp David than in previous meetings with Middle East leaders, a top American spokesman said today. Seeking to explain what “a full partner” role by the United States means in the conference beginning Sept. 5 that will bring together Israeli Premier Menachem Begin, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and President Carter, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance’s chief spokesman, Hodding Carter, said:

“What has changed is the President’s presence with Begin and Sadat we have obviously become a different kind of participant simply because it is a different kind of meeting than we have had in the past.”

Carter made his comment in a discussion with reporters at the State Department who sought an explanation of Vance’s agreement with Sadat in Alexandria that the U.S. would be “a full partner” at Camp David–a role that Sadat apparently believes would bring U.S. pressure on Israel to withdraw from occupied territories.

The spokesman’s comments followed an hour-long meeting at the White House between Carter and Vance who also met later with the National Security Council. Vance left the White House without meeting reporters.

Presidential News Secretary Jody Powell said that “the President is pleased” by Vance’s reports of the “positive attitudes” on the part of Sadat and Begin. “No one underestimates the difficulties they face in the upcoming meeting,” he said.

URGES QUIET, INTENSE DISCUSSIONS

Powell refused to discuss the comments Tuesday by a top Administration official that the summit was prompted in part by “the drift towards war.” Powell said, “I am not going to be involved in commenting on things like that.” At the State Department, spokesman Carter also refused to discuss a report attributed to intelligence sources by two major U.S. television networks that Egypt was building up its military forces.

In the current period before the summit, Powell advised that “intense, quiet discussions are necessary.” He suggested that all officials should not “talk in too much detail.” He, too, would not define “a full partner” role for the U.S. at Camp David. In a brief interview, National Security Council Chairman Zbigniew Brzezinski said the U.S. would “now and then make constructive suggestions” at the summit but would not provide an American plan for a settlement.