$3,200m foreign aid bill

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32634, 16 June 1971, Page 17

$3,200m foreign aid bill

fN.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright?

WASHINGTON, June 14.

The United States Defence Secretary (Mr Melvin Laird) today testified in support of President Nixon’s $3,200 million foreign aid bill, about $2,000 million of which is for military aid.

Mr Laird told a Congres-1 sional committee that he felt chances had improved that, any future war in Europe , would be fought with con- i ventional rather than nuclear ' weapons. ' “Now, a conventional ex- , change is more of a possibility than in the 19605,” he said. ‘ Mr Laird said that he felt i the decision by European ■ members of N.A.T.O. to i strengthen their military I forces over a five-year period ; was “a movement in the right ] : direction." He said, "I want a bigger . step," but said that senators i who supported demands for i ; a unilateral reduction of : ■ American, forces in Europe ' should recognise that there i had been movement by the < Europeans in playing a greater role in their own de- i ■ fence, < On the Middle East, he said i that the Soviet Union had ; i supplied Egypt with more

than $2,700 million worth of weapons since 1967. He agreed with an estimate that the most recent supplies of sophisticated weapons including MiG23 jet fighters were worth more than $5OO million, and said that he would have a more precise estimate at a later date. Aid for Cambodia Mr Laird also told the committee that the United States would have to continue largescale military aid to Cambodia, saying that the next 12 months were a crucial period in the country’s future. Although the Cambodian Army had grown, a large number of troops still lacked the proper military training, he said. He also predicted that the United States would have to continue military aid at present levels to Laos if fighting against the Communists there did not end soon and if no agreement were forthcoming guaranteeing Laotian neutrality.