Secret contacts over M.E.

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33425, 5 January 1974, Page 11

Secret contacts over M.E.

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) CAIRO, January 4. Egypt and the United States have been con-i ducting behind - thescenes contacts while negotiations continue in Geneva on the disengagement of Israeli and Egyptian forces, “Al Ahram” reported today. The authoritative Cairo newspaper said messages were exchanged this week between Mr Ismail Fahmy, Egypt’s Foreign Minister, and the United States Secretary of State (Dr Henry Kissinger). The contents of the messages were not disclosed, but they are reported to have dealt with the Geneva military talks and steps for the second round of political negotiations. Mr Fahmy will leave for Moscow soon to confer with ithe Soviet Foreign Minister i(Mr Andrei Gromyko) at the same time as the Israeli Defence Minister (General Moshe Dayan) has talks in Washington. These diplomatic moves are taking place when the Geneva talks on disengaging opposing forces

around the Suez Canal are reported to have reached an important stage. The Soviet Union and the United States are co-sponsors of the Middle East peace conference, which began two weeks ago. The Geneva talks are due to be resumed today, but tension was reported to be mounting along the cease-fire lines.

Cairo newspapers carried front page stories today quoting reports from Tel Aviv that Egyptian and Israeli forces had exchanged tank, artillery, mortar and small arms fire on the Suez Canal front.

There was no official Egyptian reaction to the Israeli reports, but in Qantara, Sinai, yesterday, BrigadierGeneral Abdel Qawi Ezzat, the sector commander, said that the Israelis opened artillery and mortar fire east of Isinailia on Wednesday.

The Egyptians returned the! I fire, he said. A United Nations spokes-: 'man in Cairo said Egyptian forces advanced about 200 yards in an area south-east lofIof Qantara on Tuesday and ' took up a new position. But many observers doubt whether such apparent ceasefire breaches would have any impact on the Geneva talks. Before flying to the United States yesterday. General Dayan said that the “wild” Egyptian shooting was liable to endanger the cease-fire, and said that for the cease- ; fire to continue it had to be ■observed by both sides. General Dayan’s warning came after an Israeli military communique which accused the Egyptians of firing anti-tank missiles during clashes which lasted for two I hours.

Later, Israel Radio reported that Israel had sent a note to the United Nations Security Council accusing Egypt of creating a deliberate atmosphere of military confrontation on the front in order to improve its positions in the field. The radio said the Israeli note accused the Egyptians of firing even while convoys were attempting to get through to Egypt’s encircled Third Army. Israel also lodged a complaint against Lebanon yesterday at the Security Council.

It accused Lebanon of giving free reign to the Arab guerrilla organisations there, it said the attack on the British Jewish Zionist leader, Mr Joseph Sieff, earlier this week, had been made by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which operated from Lebanon. Informed sources in Tel Aviv said General Dayan took with him a programme under which Israel would withdraw from its salient

[west of the Suez Canal — established during the October war — while still allowing an Egyptian presence on the east side. Israel insists, however, that Egypt must reciprocate by withdrawing some of the thousands of soldiers and hundreds of tanks it landed on the east side during the war.

It has also advocated the reopening of the Suez Canal, and the resettlement of “ghost” towns and villages damaged or destroyed during the fighting, claiming that there is less danger of war breaking out again if towns |or international traffic are in the way.

Any agreement would also probably contain provision for another buffer zone, patrolled by United Nations forces.

If an agreement were reached, it could be signed by the full peace conference, tentatively scheduled to meet at the United Nation’s centre in Geneva on January 21 — the same day as the new Israeli Parliament reconvenes after the Israeli General Election. The chairman of the disengagement talks, LieutenantGeneral Ensio Siilasvuo. ■ who commands the United Nations Forces supervising the cease-fire, visited Cairo and Tel Aviv this week to raise the question of truce violations.

Egyptian and Israeli delegations are keeping in close touch with their Governments.

In Paris. President Pompidou of France has said he is pessimistic over prospects for a lasting peace in the Middle East. “I believe that results for a military disengagement on the Suez Canal front will be achieved,’ 1 he said. “I even

believe that a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt and other neighbours is not excluded.”

But he added: “What makes me pessimistic is that such agreements will neither be recognised nor accepted by the populations of the countries concerned. They are likely to appear more as a sort of prolonged armistice than a definitive peace.”