Weinberger Denies Wanting to ‘redirect’ U.S. Mideast Policy

Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger denied today that he wanted to “redirect” U.S. policy from Israel to the Arab countries and rejected charges that he was anti-Israel or anti-Semitic.

At the same time, interviewed on ABC-TV’s “This Week With David Brinkley” program, Weinberger stressed the “desirability of increasing the number of friends we have in the Middle East.”

Following Weinberger’s recent visit to Jordan, a “senior official,” who many believe was Weinberger himself, talked about a desire to “redirect” U.S. military policy from Israel to moderate Arab states.

But the Defense Secretary said today that neither he nor anyone in his party used that word and that he did not favor lessening the U.S. commitment to Israel. He added that none of the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Oman or Jordan, the three countries he visited on his Middle East trip, had asked the U.S. to lessen that commitment.

“We can have more friends than one (in the Middle East) without lessening our commitment to Israel,” Weinberger stressed. Asked about charges that he is anti-Israel or anti-Semitic, he replied “No” on both counts.

SAYS HE IS NOT ANTI-ISRAEL

“I am not anti-Israel and obviously I am not anti-Semitic,” Weinberger said. While he did not explain what he meant by “obviously,” he may have been alluding to the fact that his paternal grandfather was Jewish.

Weinberger said that although Israeli Premier Menachem Begin has accused him of being anti-Israel, he does not believe this view is held by many in the Israeli government. He said he had good relations with the former Israeli Ambassador to Washington, Ephraim Evron, and has good relations with the new Israeli envoy, Moshe Arens. Weinberger observed that he has never visited Israel but has accepted an invitation to go there and looks forward to doing so shortly.

DENY JORDAN HAS REQUESTED U.S. ARMS

Both Weinberger and King Hussein of Jordan, who was interviewed from Amman on the same program, maintained that Jordan has not yet asked for F-16 jet fighters or Hawk anti-aircraft missiles from the U.S. It was reported here over the weekend that the Administration plans to delay submitting such requests to Congress until after the November Congressional elections.

Weinberger said that while he and Hussein discussed arms during his visit to Amman, there was little discussion of F-16s. He said he was chiefly trying to convince the Jordanians, who have signed on agreement to purchase SAM-8 mobile missiles from the Soviet Union, that Moscow was “not a very desireable source” of weaponry.

Hussein stressed on the program, however, that his agreement with the Soviets was completed before he visited Washington last November and that it will go through.

While Weinberger maintained that neither the Administration nor Congress has yet approved the sale of weapons to Jordan, he seemed to indicate that he supported the sale of mobile Hawk anti-aircraft missiles. He said that while in Jordan he visited the Hawk missile installations which were sold to Jordan earlier and which were fixed in place at the demand of Congress so as not to threaten Israel. He said he believes that “immobile anti-aircraft missiles are not effective.”

JORDAN TO ASK FOR ARMS AT UPCOMING MEETING

Hussein stressed that Jordan needs mobile missiles to meet threats from across its borders, a reference to both Israel and Syria. He said there has been heavy arms supplies to the Middle East from both East and West while Jordan has “slipped behind.” He maintained that Jordan needs to be strong to “restore our ability to play a constructive role.” He said Jordan’s weapons requests to the U.S. will be made at the upcoming meeting of the U.S.-Jordan Joint Military Commission.