Sadat adamant on withdrawal

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32604, 12 May 1971, Page 17

Sadat adamant on withdrawal

Ot -Z.P.a -lUuter—Copgrioht) CAIRO, May 11. President Anwar Sadat said today that Egypt would go to war if the present political efforts failed to settle the Arab-Israeli conflict peacefully.

He told a joint meeting of the National Assembly and his Cabinet that he was aware the price for liberation of occupied 'Arab territories entailed immense sacrifices and hard times, but Egypt would not settle for less than full Israeli withdrawal from Arab territories.

Referring to last week’s talks with the United States Secretary of State (Mr William Rogers) and the Assistant Secretary of State (Mr Joseph Sisco) yesterday. President Sadat emphasised that Egypt could not offer any new concessions and was not prepared to amend its terms for the re-opening of the Suez Canal.

"We are not prepared to concede one inch of occupied Arab territories or bargain on the rights of the Palestinians,” he said.

President Sadat offered to re-open the Suez Canal in exchange for partial Israeli withdrawal and the crossing

of Egyptian forces to the East Bank.

In an obvious reference to the dismissal of Mr Aly Sabry, his vice-president, earlier this month. President Sadat said there was no room for internal struggle because Egyptians were all part of one big family. "We can differ and argue with each other, but should never permit struggle within our ranks,” he said. Mr Sabry, a member of the original Army junta which overthrew the monarchy in Egypt in 1952, opposed Egypt's entry into the new federation with Libya and Syria and attacked President Sadat at a meeting of leaders of the Arab Socialist Union —Egypt's only political organisation. Earlier, the Foreign Minister (Mr Mahmoud Riad) reported to the meeting on the political contacts and latest developments in the Middle East crisis.