News Conference on the Middle East
(March 21, 1970)
MIDEAST POLICY
On Monday the Secretary of State, as you have already
been informed, will make a statement on the administration's Mideast
policy, with particular reference to two requests by the Israeli Government,
one for economic assistance, and the other for military assistance.
The Secretary of State will have a press conference at that time in
which he will answer any of the questions you may have on the specifics
of that decision.
I would like to, at this preliminary point, indicate
the basic factor that led to that decision, and also the factors that
will guide us as we make decisions in this area in the future. As far
as the military portion of the decision is concerned, I would describe
it as essentially an interim decision. Our goal in the Mideast, or goals,
I should say, in broad terms, are four.
First, to have a cease-fire; second, to reduce the
flow of arms into the area; third, to achieve a political settlement;
and fourth, to accomplish to the greatest extent possible, a balance
between the forces in that area which will contribute to peace from
a military standpoint and not to disturb that balance.
The decision that the Secretary will announce on Monday
is one based on our present appraisal of the balance of power in the
Mideast.
In recent days there have been disturbing reports that
the Soviet Union, by deliveries of new [surface-to-air] missiles, SA-3's,
to the U.A.R. and through the insertion of military personnel, may be
taking actions which could change that balance. It is too early to say
whether that is the case. We are watching the situation closely.
If the U.S.S.R., by its military assistance programs
to Israel's neighbors, does essentially change the balance, then the
United States would take action to deal with that situation. The Secretary
of State will cover this matter in greater detail in his statement.
It is our hope that in our negotiations with the Soviet
Union, bilaterally, and in the Four-Power talks, that we can convince
all the major powers to stop escalating the arms race in the Mideast,
to work together for a cease-fire, and to achieve, of course, a political
settlement.
Apart from the recent reports, there have been some
developments in the Mideast in our bilateral discussions with the Soviet
Union that have been, I would say, modestly encouraging, and we trust
that that trend, rather than this latest trend, will be the one that
will prevail.
But the Secretary of State's statement on both the
economic and military assistance program, as I have indicated, is based
on the decision which was made on our analysis of the present balance
in the Mideast, one that we believe should be maintained in the interest
of peace and of a settlement.
ECONOMIC AND MILITARY REQUESTS BY ISRAEL
Q. Mr. President, in what you had to say about the
Middle East and the decisions to be announced by the Secretary of State
Monday, there seemed to be the clear implication that the decision is
against sending the additional arms to Israel. Could you go so far as
to say whether or not that interpretation is on the right track?
THE PRESIDENT. Well, Mr. Horner [Garnett D. Horner,
Washington Evening Star], I am not going to preempt what the Secretary
of State is going to say. But let me also indicate that the Secretary
of State's statement will cover the whole area of a major economic proposal--request-that
was made by the Government of Israel, and also the area of military
requests that are made by the Government of Israel.
I would think that it would be unwise to anticipate
or speculate in advance what the Secretary of State is going to say
on these various things.
What I am simply saying is this: that insofar as the
military portion of the decision is concerned, that portion is based
on the fact situation as we see it at this time, and that will be constantly
reappraised as the fact situation changes.
That is why I refer to it as essentially an interim
decision rather than one that looks forward over a period of say 2 years,
3 years, or 4 years, because the fact situation does change.
Sources: Public Papers of the President |