Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VIII, Public Diplomacy, 1969–1972

108. Circular Message From the United States Information Agency to all Principal USIS Posts and the Embassy in the Soviet Union¹

USIA–15396/Info Guide No. 70–46

Washington, September 17, 1970

SUBJECT

• Middle East Standstill Violations²

1. United States continues to feel that, despite violations, it would be best for all to get negotiations underway since only hope for peace in Middle East rests in common understandings between Arab nations and Israel.

2. Nevertheless, VOA, Wireless File and our field officers are to continue to emphasize Soviet duplicity in standstill violations.

3. Although both sides have committed violations of standstill, violations are substantively different. Soviet Union-UAR have constructed new missile sites and moved missilery nearer Canal while Israel has conducted reconnaisance flights over a prohibited area. On Egyptian side new sites have been constructed for SA2 missiles, sites formerly under construction have been completed and missilery has been moved closer to Canal. These violations started immediately upon advent of Cease-Fire-Standstill and have steadily continued. It is known that Soviet personnel participate directly in missile movements and in management of Egyptian defense system.

4. As regards comparison with Cuban crisis,³ missilery in that episode was offensive, exclusively Soviet controlled and constituted direct threat to United States . . . factors not present today in Middle East. Linkage between these two situations relates to duplicity of Soviet regime, which showed in each case that it cannot be trusted. It is worth noting that Gromyko was Soviet Foreign Minister who lied to President Kennedy and is Foreign Minister today . . . and that Soviet Ambassador to United States then and now is Anatoliy Dobrynin.

5. Hijackings, however tragic, are to be treated as essentially side show.⁴ They are serious irritant, of course, but have little potential to affect historic course of events as compared to military aspects of Arab-Israeli conflict. Inform Branch posts.

Shakespeare

1. Source: National Archives, RG 306, Director’s Subject Files, 1968–1972, Entry A1–42, Box 15, Policy and Plans (IOP)—General 1970. Confidential; Immediate. Drafted by Shakespeare; cleared by H. Harvey (I/S–O) at 5:55 p.m.; approved by Bunce. Sent via telegram. A typed notation in the top right-hand corner of the message reads: “Noted I/S.”
2. See footnote 4, Document 105.
3. Reference is to the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
4. Presumable reference to the September 6 hijackings of multiple airliners. For additional information, see Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. XXIV, Middle East Region and Arabian Peninsula, 1969–1972; Jordan, September 1970, Documents 199–248 and ibid., vol. E–1, Documents on Global Issues, 1969–1972, Documents 45–77.