Jeane Kirkpatrick, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, indicated last night that should the Saudis introduce Crown Prince Fahd’s eightpoint plan at the United Nations, the United States will vote against it. She pointed out that President Reagan “made it quiet clear that we are fully committed to the Camp David accords,” and said that the President’s view will be “reflected” at the UN should the Saudis seek a UN involvement in their plan.
Kirkpatrick, addressing some 2,000 people at the Dialogue Center here as guest of the Dialogue Forum Series, repeatedly stressed the Reagan Administration’s commitment to the Camp David accords. She claimed that continued accusations that the Administration is not fully behind the Camp David process can only do harm to the process itself and may originate with the enemies of Camp David.
She said that the U.S. is committed to Israel “as an ally as well as a friend.” Israel’s security and survival, she contended, is dependent on the development of stability in the region, and this is the goal of American policy in the Mideast.
The American envoy, who answered questions by the program’s moderator, Rabbi William Berkowitz, spiritual leader of Congregation Bnai Jeshurun and president of the Jewish National Fund, said that the U.S. is “justified” in “cultivating” good relations with Saudi Arabia for purposes of “re-enforcing and building a regional stability in the area.”
SAUDIS AND U.S. HAVE ‘SHARED INTERESTS’
She said the U.S. views the Saudis as “moderate” in the context of their relations to the Soviet Union. “The Saudis are not friendly to our enemies,” the Soviets, she said, pointing to the shared interests of Saudi Arabia and the U.S.
Kirkpatrick also said that terrorism is a “very important threat” to freedom and democracy. She said there is “an international network of terrorism,” which includes the Soviet Union, Libya and the Palestine Liberation Organization. The purpose of this “international network,” she said is to destroy the free democratic societies through revolution.
She said that Israel faces “terrorist provocations in the West Bank,” which make life virtually “unbearable,” and therefore forces the Israeli government to apply strict measures in dealing with the population there.
Asked to assess the U.S. relations with the UN, Kirkpatrick termed them “a big problem.” She contended the relations are “so unsatisfactory, it simply has to change.” She said the U.S. pays about 25 percent of the UN budget — about $1 billion a year. In addition, she said, the U.S. supports the UN specialized agencies. This support will be curtailed in cases of “waste, or when the agency violates fundamental values and commitments,” she said. She did not elaborate.
DISTURBED AT FALLOUT FROM AWACS DEBATE
Kirkpatrick said, in response to another question, that she was “deeply disturbed” at “implications” during the AWACS debate that it was inappropriate for the American Jewish community to oppose the sale of sophisticated aircraft and other weapons to Saudi Arabia. She said it is “entirely appropriate” for American Jews, or any other group, to support or oppose any positions they want.
Kirkpatrick said that she and Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Yehuda Blum, have developed a close working relationship. “We also became friends,” she said, adding: “I have a high regard for him.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
