President Carter reaffirmed today that the United States will not seek to impose a solution to the Middle East conflict. Answering questions at a press conference, Carter stressed that the U.S. will work to help Israel and the Arab states reach a solution. “but it has got to be done primarily by those countries involved.”
The President called Secretary of State Cyrus Vance’s visit to the Mideast “very successful” and noted that Vance was able to obtain the views first-hand of the various parties involved. He said after the leaders of Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia meet with him in Washington, “I hope I will have a clear picture of the role the American government” will be able “to play” in the Mideast. Carter said that Israeli Premier Yitzhak Rabin will lead off the visits March 12. A report from Israel today said it would be March 7-8.
The President refused to comment about reports that the Central Intelligence Agency paid millions of dollars to King Hussein of Jordan, noting that some of the reports about CIA payoffs were “erroneous.” He said after reviewing information about CIA payoffs he had found nothing illegal or improper.
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.
