Andrew Young, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, come under fire from the State Department today for acting without authorization in meeting with a Palestine Liberation Organization represent tative in New York last month. The Department said that Secretary of State Cyrus Vance spoke with Young by telephone today and “expressed his displeasure over the incident and the manner in which it happened.”
This was announced as Department spokesman Tom Reston read a statement apologizing for saying yesterday that Young did not know that Zehadi Labib Terzi, the PLO observer at the UN, would be present when he went to the apartment of Kuwait Ambassador Abdolla Yaccoub Bishara. In going to Bishara’s apartment, Reston said today, “Ambassador Young knew that Mr. Terzi would probably be there while they discussed the question of postponing the Security Council vote scheduled for July 31 on the Kuwaiti resolution.
The resolution calls for recognition of Palestinian self-determination and the creation of a Palestinian state. It was reported earlier that the Security Council, in postponing action on the resolution until Aug. 23, was acting at the request of the U.S., Kuwait and the PLO.
“In holding this discussion with Mr. Terzi, Ambassador Young acted on his own initiative and without authorization,” the State Department statement said. “Ambassador Young explained this situation to Ambassador (Yehuda) Blum (of Israel) yesterday.”
The statement stressed that “This development does not change our policy regarding the PLO and we have so informed the Israeli government.” Reston said that Vance discussed Young’s action with him by telephone today before the Secretary received an official Israeli protest over the incident. The protest was lodged by Israeli Ambassador Ephraim Evron by telephone to the State Department.
OTHER DIFFERENCES IN THE TWO VERSIONS
Reston said that other differences in the version given yesterday and today is that the meeting between Young and Terzi was between 15 and 30 minutes not 15 minutes and that more than amenities were exchanged. He said that as Young was leaving the Syrian Ambassador to the UN Hamoud el-Chouff, arrived and in that case only cordialities were-exchanged. In addition, Reston also said the meeting was July 23, not July 26, as reported earlier. The presence of Young’s son at the meeting was not clarified.
Reston said he did not know when Vance first became aware of the meeting. He said that except for Vance’s expression of displeasure, no action would be taken against Young. “The Secretary believes that Young is an able representative of the U.S.,” Reston said.
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