Air support may be N.Z.’s role in Sinai

Press, 26 November 1981, Page 1

Air support may be N.Z.’s role in Sinai

NZPA political correspondent Invercargill

The Royal New Zealand Air Force seems likely to provide New Zealand’s contribution to the Sinai peace-keeping force.

The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) said yesterday that although details had yet to be finalised, the R.N.Z.A.F. would probably join the Royal Australian Air Force in a joint Anzac unit based on helicopters. The unit would be mainly Australian and would have a communications rather than a combat role. The likely shape of New Zealand’s contribution to the multi-national force was outlined by Mr Muldoon after he had confirmed that the Government would definitely join the United States-spon-sored force. The Government’s deojsion to proceed follows up the confirmation this week by Australia, Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Italy to join countries already committed to the force. A decision in principle in favour of the force was made by the Cabinet last month. Mr Muldoon said, “We think that after experience over many generations we can operate best with Australians and this will literally be an Anzac contribution.’’

He said that the helicopters might be provided by the ..United States or by Australia. A third option was that the R.N.Z.A.F. would provide helicopters along with Australia.

The force is likely to start its Sinai role in April. There is no time limit on how long it will stay there. Mr Muldoon's formal

statement on the decision to join the force was carefully worded in an attempt to avoid offending Arab nations which have opposed the force. Mr Muldoon said that the force was a necessary means of maintaining peace in the Sinai after the Israeli withdrawal from the region. “I want to make that quite clear. New Zealand’s readiness to share in this multinational effort should not be seen as either an endorsement of a particular approach to the quest for peace in the Middle East or as prejudicing the principles on which New Zealand’s evenhanded approach to the Middle East question has long been based.” Those principles included support for United Nations resolutions, the recognition of the right of every nation in the region to live in peace within secure and recognised borders, and "recognition of the rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people, including the right of selfdetermination”. New Zealand would have preferred to see the force

organised by the United Nations but the attitude of the Soviet Union had prevented that. But the decisions by the European Economic Community nations and Australia to join

the force had satisfied the concern that the force should be balanced and multinational. The Israeli Ambassador to

New Zealand, Mr Yaakov Morris, said that the formation of the force was an expression of confidence by the West in the Camp David peace agreements between Israel and Egypt. The force was the most effective way of ensuring that the Straits of Tiran, at the northern end of the Red Sea, were not blockaded as they had been in 1956 and 1967.

The force'would consist of three infantry battalions, an observer group, a logistics group, and small naval and air contingents. It would be lightly armed and would not intervene against any side violating the Israel-Egypt peace agreement but would try to overcome any difficulties by persuasion. Because of the United States’ participation, Israel believed that there would be a greater guarantee that the Sinai would not again become a battlefield or the scene of a blockade. The leader of the Social Credit political league (Mr Beetham) said that the United States should give New Zealand an “iron-clad guarantee” to cover any losses in trade if New Zealand joined the force.

The United States should also withdraw its 6 per cent levy on New Zealand lamb before New Zealand took part in the mission.

U.S. pressure on Israel, page 9.