‘washington Post’ Reports U.s., Egypt Moving Toward Resumed Ties

The Washington Post reported today that the United States and Egypt have tentatively agreed to resume diplomatic relations and will announce it simultaneously early next year. The Post’s United Nations correspondent, Robert H. Estabrook, attributed the information to “an Arab source” and said that American officials have acknowledge that talks had been in progress. “While they did not confirm the details, they said an early resumption of diplomatic ties ‘is not impossible,'” Mr. Estabrook reported.

“Other Western diplomats said Egyptian President Nasser had broached the matter most recently to President-elect Nixon’s special envoy, former Pennsylvania Gov. William W. Scranton, while the latter was in Cairo two weeks ago,” Mr. Estabrook wrote. “Whether Scranton committed Nixon is still in question. The Arab source said Scranton carried Nixon’s approval for the resumption.” According to the Washington Post, Gov. Scranton told Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Undersecretary Nicholas deB. Katzenbach that Col. Nasser had brought up the subject. The paper said however that top Administration sources saw little chance of a resumption of relations with Egypt during the final weeks of the Johnson Administration and knew of no such plans by Nixon.