VIEW OF M.E. Another war ‘inevitable’

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32776, 29 November 1971, Page 15

VIEW OF M.E. Another war ‘inevitable ’

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

DAMASCUS, November 28.

The Syrian President (Mr Hafez Assad) has said that there can be no negotiations between Arabs and Israelis and that another war in the Middle East is “inevitable and certain,” United Press International reported.

In Cairo, the defence council of the 17-nation Arab League met to decide how best to mobilise the military and economic resources of 110 million Arabs for any struggle to regain occupied territory from Israel. Israel has a population of less than three million.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister (Mr Mahmoud Riad) flew to New York yesterday for the United Nations General Assembly debate on the Middle East, after telling ambassadors in Cairo that Israel was seeking a pretext to launch a pre-emptive strike against Egypt.

The United States announced on Friday that the debate would begin on December 3. There has been no reaction yet from Israel. The Prime Minister (Mrs Golda Meir) is scheduled to meet the day before in Washington with President Nixon to discuss the worsening crisis.

Informed sources said that Mrs Meir would press Mr Nixon to approve delivery of the additional Phantom jet fighters Israel maintains are needed to restore the balance of power in the Middle East as the result of Soviet arms shipments to the Egyptians. Mr Assad’s prediction came in a speech read for him yesterday by Vice-Presi-dent Mahmoud Ayyoubi to a conference of Arab scientists in the Syrian capital. "The only wav for the Arabs to regain their lands is by armed struggle,” Mr Assad said. “The battle between the Arabs and Israel is inevitable and certain.” He said that Egypt and Libya, linked with Syria in the Federation of Arab Republics, agreed with him. “The people of the federation have decided there could be no reconciliation, and no negotiations with the (Israeli) enemy,” President Assad said. “We will not let go of a single inch of our occupied lands.” At the same time, the semiofficial Middle East News agency reported that President Anwar Sadat has decided to concentrate more on military matters and delegated his authority in other matters to his aides. President Sadat, who has said the Middle East conflict must be resolved this year, recently assumed personal command of the 800,000-man Egyptian Armed Forces.