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Beirul, Lebanon:
As
J
arrived he.re in Beirut, events
~
significan! of the accelera-
ting trend in the world were
fitting into an ominous pattern.
f
feel it importan!
lO
give
OUT
readers a quick appraisal of the
state of the world, as of
NOW,'
and
where we are heading.
Here is a quick synopsis:
The non-aligned nations were just
concluding their fourth summit con–
ference in AJgiers. Attending were
kings, presidents and prime minis–
ters from 76 countries. Outstanding
among them were Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi of India, Presiden!
Sadat of Egypt, Emperor Haile Se–
lassie of Ethiopia, King Hussein of
Jordan, Fidel Castro of Cuba, Presi–
dent Tito of Yugoslavia.
The significant thing about the
conference is not what it accom–
plished - which was virtually nil.
What
was
significant was, as usual
when heads of state from severa!
nations get together with the pur–
ported purpose of seeking peace
and mutual understanding, this con–
ference was dominated with back–
stage bickering and fighting for
selfish advantage.
The other significan! factor is that
the one thing most could agree on
was criticism or condemnation of
the United States, and of Israel. For
those who recognize the true an–
cestry and identity of these targets
for criticism, its occurrence carries
significance.
One head of state who had
planned to attend this conference
was significantly absent. He made
far bigger headlines than the confer–
ence. At his invitation, I had called
to see him just three weeks be–
fare. This was Presiden! Salvador
Allende of Chile (South America).
The day J arrived in Chile's capi–
tal , Santiago, to see the presiden!,
was a Friday, which happened to be
a national holiday. The next day the
presiden! was fully occupied with
overturning his own government,
firing his entire cabinet and ap-
'This appraisal was wriuen less than three weeks
before 1he ou1break of !he October Mideas1 war.
PLAIN TRUTH January 1974
Personal from
STATE OF THE WORLD NOW,
AS SEEN FROM MIDDLE EAST.
AFRICA, SOUTH AMERICA
pointing new cabinet members. My
conference with him was tentatively
scheduled for Monday. Emergency
happenings involved with the crisis
in rus embattled government caused
bim to leave the city. He got word to
me, asking if, under the circum–
stances, be could meet with me by
proxy, asking the chief of protocol
to represent bim in a meeting with
me.
President AIJende was important
in the present world trouble, be–
cause he was the only Marxist (com–
munist) wbo had ever been elected
as a head of state by a democratic
election. He had, not, however, re–
ceived a majority vote. There were
more than two candidates. He re–
ceived a mere plurality of about a
third of the entire vote in the elec–
tion of September, 1970.
A large and crucial strike by truck
drivers was in progress while I was
there. Presiden! Allende was defi–
nitely planning to attend the non–
a ligned summit conference in Al–
giers. But the crisis in his govern–
ment grew more intense, and he was
unable to attend.
Tben, just as the conference at
Algiers was ending, a military coup
toppled bis government and he was
shot to death. Sorne reports said one
of bis own palace guards shot
him.
Otbers strongly hinted one of the
attacking military junta killed him.
Take your pick. There was consid–
erable gunfire in the palace where
I
had a meeting with Dr. Allende by
proxy only three weeks before.
Well , that's a start of significant
events occurring as we were enter–
ing Beirut. Others were:
- The conference of non-aligned
countries at Algiers was marred by
another event lypical of the world
state
TODA
v - the kidnapping and
skyjacking episode of Saudi Ara–
bian embassy officials in París, by
Palestinian guerrillas.
- Bombing and killing still rife in
North l reland and Britain.
- King Faisal of Saudi Arabia
was lhreatening lo use oil as a politi–
cal
weapon lo force the U. S. to re–
duce its support of Israel. This was
coming in the midst of the super–
serious
ENERGY CRISIS.
Saudi Arabia
is the only country that could stave
off the energy crisis. They produce
sorne 8 mill ion barreis of oil per
day. They
can
up this to 20 million
per day in the years just ahead - IF
King Faisa l will - and nothing
sbort of this can save the crisis in the
West. 1 knew King Faisal's prede–
cessor and half-brother, King Saud,
wben he was Crown Prince Emir,
and 1 knew Sheik Hafiz Wabba of
Saudi Arabia well - meeting him
(Continued on page 15)