The United States has now become “the most influential outside power in the Near East” by achieving friendlier relations with Egypt, the Department of State has officially reported to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The Committee today published the Executive Department claim that American policy in the Arab-Israel area “has shown positive achievement.” The Department alleged that, “in the United Arab Republic and in other area states, Soviet influence has reached its lowest point in many years.”
The Department stated that, “by preserving its impartiality among the Arab states, the United States has been able to play a useful role not only in the Yemen dispute but also in the Arab-Israel dispute.”
A strong defense was made of the acquisition by Egypt of Soviet arms and the need for continued American economic assistance to the Nasser regime. The State Department claimed that Egypt was behaving responsibly and cooperating with the United Nations to preserve peace. The policy of cooperation with Nasser, said the Department, “is beginning to bear fruit.”
The Department denied charges by Bushrod Howard, spokesman for the former Kingdom of Yemen, that the United States Government financed anti-Israel, pro-Arab organizational activities. “There is no factual basis for Mr. Howard’s charge that U.S. officials support an anti-Israel organization,” it, said in its report to the Senate committee. It was denied that the United States supports any activities in the Near East favoring the Arabs that may “trespass on the interests of other friendly governments.”
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.
