Support for Sinai force

Press, 30 May 1981, Page 1

Support for Sinai force

1A Wellington A Labour government would accept an invitation to join the American-sponsored peace-keeping force in the Sinai, said the Shadow Minis-, ter of Defence, Mr M. A. Connelly, yesterday. . He said his comments related strictly to the use of a force for the sole purpose of. facilitating the smooth handover of the Sinai by Israel to Egypt next April. The Government is thought to be resisting American efforts to draw it into a commitment to supply troops tc help police the Sinai desert as a buffer zone between Egyptian and Israeli forces. According to Government sources, the attitude of the Muldoon Administration is (hat it wants nothing to de with a unit put in place ir the Sinai which is not sponsored by the United Nations. ■ The reason for the Government's stand ;was said by these sources to be the burgeoning New Zealand trad< with' Arabic countries suci. as Syria, Saudi Arabia, Al-

geria and Morocco, as well as its substantial trade with Iran.

The Government’s attitude •is' believed to have been conveyed to the Reagan Administration in Washington by the Ambassador to the United' States (Mr Frank Gill). The Iranian diplomat accredited to Wellington does not think there is any prospect of an Iranian black mark against New Zealand if its troops join the proposed peace-keeping force. The charge d’affaires and interim resident in Canberra, Mr Java Yarjani, is in Wellington for the opening of Parliament.

He said participation in the proposed force was a matter of New Zealand’s own policy.- “It does not involve us,” he said. But he felt the whole issue of the Middle East could not be solved as long as the Palestinian issue was ignored. He did not think the proposed force would help in finding peace.