Hammarskjold Begins Middle East Talks

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28450, 3 December 1957, Page 15

Hammarskjold Begins Middle East Talks

(Rec. 11 p.m.) AMMAN, December 2. Strict security, precautions were in force today as the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Dag Hammarskjold, continued his discussions with the ■Jordanian Foreign Minister, Mr Samir Rifai, on Israeli-Jordan border tension.

After a two-hour meeting yesterday, a brief statement was issued stating merely that the agenda was limited to specific problems connected with the United Nations truce supervision organisation.

The emergency talks, following a series of clashes during the last week, were precipitated by Jordan's announcement that she was withdrawing recognition of Colonel Byron Leary, the acting United Nations chief truce supervisor, on the ground of his alleged “partiality” to Israel. The discussions particularly concern the question- of the demilitarised Israeli enclave of Mount Scoupus, in Jordanian territory outside Jerusalem, which the Jordanians allege Israel is fortifying. Last night a Jordanian Government spokesman denied Israeli allegations that the Jordanians had fired across the truce lines earlier in the day. Israel reported two shooting incidents along the frontier. One Israeli guard was reported to be wounded. The Israeli Cabinet met to assess the Government’s attitude on border tensions in the light of the coming visit of Mr Hammarskjold. An Israeli military spokesman said a group of infiltrators from Jordan penetrated the Adulam

development area in the Souln Judean foothills this morning, opened fire on the watchman and threw hand grenades. The watch-1 man returned the fire, and the infiltrators returned across the border. Later in the day, the spokesman continued, Jordanians opened fire on labourers in an olive grove near Ramat Rachel, south of Jerusalem, near the headquarters of the United Nations truce supervisory organisation. No casualties were reported in this incident. Troops for Syria The Egyptian armed forces magazine reported today that Egypt’s national guard units—commandos—have reached Syria “in complete secrecy.” The magazine said: “Only now can the armed forces announce the great secret.” It said the guards had taken up positions, but these, as well as the number of men involved, was “a strict military secret.” Egypt first sent troops to Sy”ia in September, at the height of the Turkish border tension, to bolster Syria’s defences.