OIL EMBARGO U.S. warning on continuation

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33454, 8 February 1974, Page 9

OIL EMBARGO U.S. warning on continuation

i'.V.Z. Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, February 7. Any continuation of the Arab oil embargo against the United States can only be construed as blackmail and affect United States policy in the Middle East, according to the American Secretary of State (Dr Henry Kissinger). Dr Kissinger told the annual joint luncheon of the Harvard-Princeton-Yale clubs yesterday: “I had been led to expect that progress on Israeli-Arab negotiations would lead to lifting of the oil embargo.” He noted that the United States had helped bring about the ceasefire and disengagement of troops between Israel and Egypt.

■ Dr Kissinger was personally involved in those negotiations during several extensive tours throughout the Middle East. ' “To maintain an embargo

now under these conditions must be construed as a form of blackmail and it would be highly inappropriate and cannot but affect the attitude with which we would have i to pursue our diplomacy,” Dr Kissinger said. [ “If, now, pressure tactics are continued, it can only be (construed as blackmail . . .” he said. Dr Kissinger said that (there was no intention to use the conference of oil-consum-ing nations, which will open on Monday, for a confrontajtion against Arab or other (oil-producing nations. He said that the oil conI sumers’ conference was

[necessary “because they have ja common problem of a very (large size, that is manageable (by co-operative effort only, and that will surely lead to (the ruin of everybody if it is (attempted to be settled on a (unilateral basis.” i Dr Kissinger was sharply I critical of any efforts to reach I bilateral solutions to the (energy crisis. “If every nation adopts a policy of begigaring its neighbours, a colllapse of the world economi' will be inevitable and the whole structure of co-opera-

five world relationships that has developed since the (Second World) War will be in jeopardy,” he said.