Rogers: U.S. Still Rejects Imposed Mideast Solution; Calls for Reasonable Discussion Among Parties

Secretary of State William P. Rogers said today that the U.S. still rejects an imposed solution in the Middle East, continues to regard the status quo there as unstable and undesirable for all parties concerned, and does not alter its policies in response to advertisements in newspapers.

Rogers’ remarks, in reply to questions at a State Department press conference, were in part an allusion to recent advertisements by the Standard Oil Co. of California calling for a more pro-Arab stance by the U.S. in the Middle East to ensure the continued flow of oil.

The Secretary of State said that the only way a decision will be reached in the region and progress advanced is if there is “sensible and reasonable discussion” among the parties.” He said that somewhere along the line “the urgency of reason will prevail” though on nation will get everything it wants. He said the U.S. would give “every diplomatic support” to efforts to get discussions moving in the Middle East and expressed hope that UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim’s visit’ to the region later this month will further that objective.

Asked if the U.S. can wait for the situation to work out in view of the energy problem, Rogers said the U.S. is not going to wait but reiterated that it could not impose solutions on nations. Rogers did not reply directly to a question by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about reports that the U.S. has been prodding Israel to come up with fresh plans for negotiations and whether the U.S. has changed its Mideast policy or its application in any ways.

SCORES TERRORIST ACTIVITIES

Rogers said that the U.S. and all parties concerned were convinced that renewed warfare would not solve the Middle East problem but would create new ones. He also said that terrorist activities, blowing up airplanes and machine-gunning people at airports “is idiotic and makes no sense at all.” He made no reference to Israel’s Aug. 10 interception of a Lebanese airliner for which it was unanimously condemned by the UN Security Council.

While Rogers rejected pressure from oil companies to alter U.S. Middle East policies, other government officials have admitted in public state- ments recently that oil affects U.S. policy in that region.

Joseph J. Sisco, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, said on a television interview earlier this month that “there is increasing concern in our country over the energy question and I think it foolhardy to believe this is not a factor” in Mideast policy. John Love, director of Present Nixon’s Office of Energy Policy, said on the NBC-TV “Meet the Press” program Aug. 12 that the U.S. will have to give Arab countries greater incentive to increase oil production.

Rogers said that the U.S. recognized the importance of the energy problem and thought that progress ultimately will be made. “If my instincts are right, then I think it is possible that efforts will be made to find ways to have sensible, reasonable discussions about the future of the area, but I would not want anyone to think that I had any indications that were clear enough to be very optimistic about it,” he said.