281. Telegram From the Consulate General at Jerusalem to the Department of State1
89.Burns has given me following details regarding his visit Cairo September 14.
Burns spent some hours with Gohar discussing implementation Security Council resolution of September 8.2 Gohar said Egyptians willing withdraw their forces from frontier thus creating neutral zone, provided Israelis did same. However he maintains opposition to erection physical barrier along demarcation line. Egypt might agree to establishment barbed-wire fences to limited extent in certain strategic places but continuous barrier was out of question. In view Gohar’s consistently negative attitude this matter Burns addressed letter to Egyptian Minister of War pointing out that proposals [Page 477] must be accepted as whole in order comply with resolution. (He left copy this letter with Embassy Cairo.)3Burns described Gohar as almost completely useless as representative for such discussions and expressed regret his continued connection with subject.
Owing Jewish holidays Burns has not yet taken up question September 8 resolution with Israelis but intends do so early next week. He anticipates they will firmly oppose proposal for withdrawal motorized patrols from immediate vicinity DL. However he considers it barely possible they might consent do so in unlikely event Egyptians accept barrier.Burns has concluded that only Nasser is in position face up to decision regarding latter. He was therefore thinking of requesting appointment see Nasser in near future.
Burns discussed with Gohar dangers implicit in maintaining Palestinian soldiers in forward positions Gaza strip (Contel 834). Gohar merely counters with some nonsensical argument to effect that while these soldiers are indeed Palestinians “a soldier obeys orders regardless of his place of origin.” In voicing his disagreement with foregoing thesis,Burns said he pointed out to Gohar that should further incidents occur through lack effective Egyptian control of troops Israeli retaliation would be most likely. He did not plan to be issuing a warning, but merely expressing a fact.
Burns said that so far as he is aware Egyptians had never withdrawn Palestinian troops from area. However their officers including non-commissioned officers are Egyptians. Palestinian soldiers are evidently considered as regular troops “trained and disciplined.” Consequently present situation with respect this point does not to his knowledge represent deterioration from earlier practice. In Burns’ opinion decision to send “suicide squads” into Israel was taken by Egyptians primarily as means retaliation for Israeli attack on Egyptian position August 22.
To sum up situation as to this date Burns evidently made no progress at Cairo unless of course his letter to Minister of War should evoke more favorable response than is now to be anticipated. Moreover he is not optimistic regarding attitude either party toward Security Council resolution. He expressed opinion parties will remain indifferent to resolution unless great powers can exert some efficacious form of pressure or persuasion. If they cannot he foresees [Page 478] renewal of cycle of incidents and reprisals as most probable development.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/9–1755. Confidential; Priority. Received at 9:02 a.m. Repeated priority to Cairo, Tel Aviv, London, Paris, and Amman. Passed to USUN.↩
- For a summary of the resolution, see Document 262.↩
- The Embassy in Cairo transmitted its summary of Burns’ conversation with Gohar to the Department in telegram 490, September 17, not printed. (Department of State, Central Files, 674.84a/9–1755) The Embassy also sent the Department the text of Burns’ letter of September 15 to the Egyptian Minister of War under cover of despatch 325, September 20, not printed. (Ibid., 674.84A/9–2055)↩
- Not printed. (Ibid., 674.84A/9–955)↩