The Security Council was expected to vote this evening to extend the mandate of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) in Sinai for nine months in a compromise between the 12-month extension requested by Secretary General Kurt Waldheim and the six months proposed by the Soviet Union. The UNEF mandate expires tomorrow night.
Sources here explained that the Soviets objected to a 12-month extension because of their opposition to the Camp David agreements. They do not want UN troops to be deployed along the new lines that will be drawn when the Israeli withdrawal from Sinai begins under the accords reached between Israel and Egypt at Camp David, the sources said. Such a re-deployment would be automatic as long as the new mandate is in effect, thereby giving further UN weight to the Camp David agreements.
The Soviets apparently prefer to have the new UNEF mandate expire before the re-deployment, thereby requiring Israel and Egypt to apply for another extension, the sources explained.
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