U.S. AID TO ARABS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27073, 23 June 1953, Page 9

U.S. AID TO ARABS

Move To Combat Communism

(Rec. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 21. The united States has decided to offer separate arms and aid agreements to the Arab governments in a move to bolster the Middle East against Communism, according to the Associated Press.

United States Ambassadors will be instructed as soon as Congress makes the funds available to notify the Arab nations of America’s willingness to begin such negotiations. This new approach towards the Middle East defence problem reflects the State Departments belief that it will be impossible to link the Arab governments to an Allied Middle East defence alliance in the near future. United States officials emphasise that the proposed separate military aid agreements are looked upon only as a stop-gap move and not as a substitute for a formal Middle East Pact, which will remain the long-term objective.

,To qua J lf y for the gift of American weapons the participating Arab nations will be required to sign pledges that he .y b® ck the Western countries in the East-West struggle. The Associated Press says that the countries rep<?fte d to be interested in such deals with the United States include Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Syria,, the Lebanon, and Jordan.