White House Says State Department, Waldheim Are Responsible for Having PLO at Carter’s Appearance at

The White House today put responsibility on the State Department and United Nations Secretary General Kurt Waldheim for the attendance tomorrow of the Palestine Liberation Organization UN observers at President Carter’s address at the world body and a reception following. Presidential Press Secretary Jody Powell also declared that “no political significance” is attached to the presence of the PLO.

PLO representatives were invited by Waldheim as one of the observer delegations at the UN following consultations with the State Department. At a hearing before the House International Relations Committee this morning. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance said in discussing other matters that he was involved in the Department’s decision that it was up to Waldheim to decide on the PLO presence.

Several governments that are not UN members have observer missions at the UN. These include states like Vietnam, North and South Korea, Monaco, Switzerland and the Vatican. The PLO is not a state or a government but has been given observer status as has the Southwest Africa People’s Organization which opposes South African rule in southwest Africa known as Namibia.

CARTER NOT INVOLVED IN DECISION

The President was “not even involved.” Powell, said in the State Department decision to tell Waldheim the U.S. would not be in the position of telling him whom he might invite to the two functions under UN auspices. Asked whether Carter would “see” PLO representatives at the UN or elsewhere. Powell replied, “There are absolutely no plans” for the President to “meet with the PLO or any other delegate or observer or member.”

He said Carter has made no plans to see anyone in particular at the reception “to which the Secretary General invited those he saw fit.” Powell added. “There is no more than meets the eye in terms of contact or signal.”

Despite disclaimers at the White House and State Department on the PLO presence tomorrow, reporters reflected deep skepticism that the U.S. did not willingly approve the decision formally made by Waldheim. There was a feeling that had the U.S. said “no” on the nongovernmental organizations being represented but that it would accept the missions of nonmember UN states like Switzerland and the Vatican, it is doubtful that Waldheim would have issued the invitations to the PLO.

One reporter asked State Department spokesman Frederick Brown whether he was “serious” in saying the departmental gesture to Waldheim reflected no political significance. Brown replied “The White House was very specific on that point this morning and I will be equally specific, namely, there is absolutely no political significance tomorrow or to the attendance at the speech itself–absolutely no political significance.” He also denied that the U.S. is now in a process of changing its policy not to contact the PLO. “That’s correct, not in the process,” Brown said.

BAN ON PHOTOS AT RECEPTION

In New York, Chaim Herzog, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, took a dim view of the invitations. “Of course we are not pleased to see the PLO invited this time or any other time to the UN.” At the same time, the Israel Mission to the UN is awaiting instructions from Jerusalem whether to attend the reception for Carter tomorrow night. Tuvia Saar, a Mission spokesman, said today. He added, however, that the Israel UN delegation will attend Carter’s address.

Meanwhile, a UN spokesman confirmed today that the White House had requested that newspaper photographers and television cameras be banned from the reception where all those present, including the PLO representatives, are expected to be individually greeted and shake hands with Carter.

Arthur J. Levine, acting chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, sent a telegram to Carter expressing “concern” over the invitation to the PLO. He asserted that “Even as we recognize that your presence at the reception denotes no change in the clearly enunciated policy of this and previous Administrations of refusing to recognize or deal with the PLO. we can only feel discomfort and chagrin that our President should find himself at a social function to which this destructive and murderous force should be honored with an invitation.”

Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, president of the American Jewish Congress, said it is “regrettable.” that Carter “should permit himself to be placed in the position of personally greeting a representative of the PLO. We honor President Carter’s active search for peace in the Middle East. But we respectfully suggest that lending dignity to the PLO can only be harmful to this cause and detrimental to American interests.” Since this is merely a social occasion, we trust that the President’s act represents no change in the well established policy of the United States–most recently reaffirmed by Secretary Vance–not to recognize or deal with the PLO.”