American move a gesture for Arabs — envoy

Press, 27 December 1979, Page 6

American move a gesture for Arabs — envoy

NZPA-Reuter Jeddah An American move to, boost its military' presence in the Middle East was a ges- , ture aimed at expressing friendship toward Arab coun- •' tries, the American Ambassador in Riyadh (Mr John! West) has been reported as saying. “We have been criticised ( in the past for not supporting our friends in the ! region,” he said in an inter-1 view with the English-J language daily, “Arab News." ( The ambassador was re-|i ferring to what he said was : criticism of American failure ( to take swift measures to ( counteract events in the Horn ( of Africa last year. i Ethiopian forces supplied < ■with Soviet weapons and < backed by Cuban troops t fought a successful campaign against secessionists in the i province of Eritrea and drove t

forces of neighbouring Somalia out of the Ogaden region, populated mainly by ethnic Somalis. Both Ethiopia and Somalia have stretches of coastline .commanding the southern entrance to the Red Sea. j Early this year the United States dispatched a squadron of Fl 5 fighters to Saudi ! Arabia and the Sudan to demonstrate American support. “The American military presence in warm waters indicates our interest in the developments of this region." I the ambassador said. He reiterated his country s denial of alleged plans to occupy Middle East oilfields, describing these reports as ridiculous, adding that the Carter Administration had no desire for military intervention in the area. “President Carter himself rules out such a move,” the ambassador said.