Jets sent to Iraq

Press, 9 November 1983, Page 8

Jets sent to Iraq

NZPA Paris The five Super Etendard fighter bombers destined for Iraz had been delivered to that country on October 8, the French Foreign Minister, Mr Claude Cheysson, told the Senate yesterday.

It was the first time that the date had been revealed. Until now French officials had made ambiguous statements that did not indicate that the planes had been delivered.

Mr Cheysson specified that the five planes had been sold rather than lent to Iraq, as some French newspapers had reported. He explained that the secrecy of French officials had been due “to the buyer, who did not want the arrival of those weapons publicised right away.” “Many countries in the (Gulf) region” had urged France not to yield to Iran by delaying the delivery, he said. Iran has threatened to interfere with traffic of oil tankers if Iraq received the potent planes, capable of hitting Iran’s tanker-loading terminal or shipping from afar with Exocet missiles.

In Washington the United States Energy Secretary said that. the Reagan Administration was preparing a contingency plan for use in case Iran followed through on its threat. Donald Hodel said that the “response-mechanism,” prompted by increased tension in the Iran-Iraq conflict, had been designed to keep the Government ready to assess quickly and make public the impact such a disruption would have on oil prices and supplies. A key aim of the plan was to discourage' panicbuying of petrol and other oil products which could worsen or even create a shortage. It also had suggested ways the Government might use its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to cope with an energy emergency. Mr Hodel declined to give more details.