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by
Mark Armstrong
SECRETARY OFSTATI!" Kissínger puts signetureto Slnei sgreement
as /$r8eH
Prime Mlnl$ter Rebin looks on.
--IEftt:ISAtEM:-
€!.immáng-a
round-the><:lock fluny ofshuttle
ftights by U.S. Se=tary of
State Henry Kissinger, Israel
and Egypt have initialed a new
aocord on separatíon of forces
in the Sinai
The
interim agree–
ment. signed Scptember
1,
is
tbe fi.rst
in
a planned series of
steps designed to bring about a
defusíng ofthe Middlc East tin–
derbox.
us.
Promlses
tbe
Key
FoUowíng the breakdown of
negotiations toward an interim ·
agreement between Israel and
Egypt last March, tbe format
for the settlement took oo an
enúrely new dimensíon.
As
it finaUy evolved, the
agreement has tumed iniO an
intricate tbree-way deal in
wbidl the United States
has as–
sumed the responsibility for
maoy of the concessions to
Israel
in
exchange for the return
of Egyptian terrítory in tbe
Sinai.
This new approach agitated
many of the membe1'5 of the
lsraeli Knesset (Parliament)
and much of the populaúoo of
Israel as weU during the recent
"wrap-up" round of the
Kiss–
inger shuttle diplomacy.
Gívillc Up
Too M•do?
Many lsraeli.s are charging
that the interim agreement
amounts to nothing more than
an economic dcal with thc U.S.
and, as it now staods, it cannot
be coosidered a step 10ward real
peace with the Arab world.
•
--some bavc arsued--tbat-giving
up
the strategic Milla and Gidi
passes
wiJI
pose a threat 10 the
oational security of Israel.
Othm resented lsraef being
forced to gívc up the Abu
Rodeis oiiJields, whicb bave
been supplying nearly
50%
of
lsrael's oil oeeds. StiU othel'5
poiot out that it will cost Israel a
vast amount to build a new de–
fense líne west of tl¡e ooe they
nowmaintain..
However, Prime Minister Ra–
bio has aoswcrs to aU of these
criticisms. First, he maintains
thiu caUíng the withdrawal from
tbe strategic Sinai passes a
tbreat 10 oatíonal security
is
a
misreprcsentation of the situ–
ation. EvC<o though Israel
will
be withdrawing from' the passcs
themsclves. Egyptian
troops
wiJI
not be allowed 10 advaoce in10
them. lnstead, this vital arca
will become pan of the United
Nations buffer zone, and elec–
tronic surveillance stations
manned by American civilian
personnel will be operating in
tbe passes - pending all-impor·
tant Congrcssíonal approval, of
coursc.
As
far
as
tbe return of the
Abu Rodeis oilfields
is
con–
cerned,
Israel will rely on the
United States to supply the
means of obtaining oil else–
wbere. Washington has repon–
edly promised Israel betweeo
225 aod 3 biUion dollal'$ in eco–
oomic aid over the coming year.
Israel is expected to spend
70%
of the aid on armamcnt.s and
about
20%
to compeosate for
WEEK ENDINO SEPTEM
BER
20.
197S
tbe loss of Abu Rodeis oll .
Opponents of the accord in
Israel are callíng
this
grant an
American bnbe to enlice Israel
into complying witb the agree–
ment. Many officials are openly
stating . fears that this monu–
mental amount of economic aid
will prompt Israel to expect an
eveo more substantial
amounl
in the years to come.
Presiden! Sadat
is
also facing
mucb opposition from otber
Arab counlries wbo feel that
their causes are being sold out
by the separate interím agree–
ment. Sadat has lried
to
calm
this opposition by making pub–
liG sorne assurances 'be has re–
ceived from President Ford,
namely that the United States
will do everylhing possible to
secure a new interim agreement
betweeo Syria and Israel before
the end of tbis
year
and that the
U.S. reco&nJZCS the "aspiratíoos
" of tb'e Palestínian peóple."
Israel
has
agreed 10 negotiate
with Syria
at
sorne point
in
the
future, but has at the same time
made plain that only a very
small step on the Golan Heights
ls possible within the context of
an interim agreement. Yassir
Atafat. leader of the Palestinian
Liberatioo Organiation.
has
threateoed "violent upheavals"
if the brael-Egypt accord is not
followed by similar moves oo
Jordan
's
west baok and on the
Golao Heíghts.
(Conrlnued on page 4, coL 1)
The advanced age
(78
this
month) and failín$ bealth of
Pope Paul VI - Supreme Poo–
til!'
of the
650
millioo-member
Roman Catholic Cburcb- bave
prompted widespread specula–
tion
in
Catholic circles about
the comlng papal succession.
Vatican specialists acknowl–
edge that the oext
pope~lecúng
conclave
wiJI
be the ID0$1 im·
portant and encounter perhaps
the most difficulty of any
con–
clave in the last
400
yeal'5. l ts
decision
wiJI
affect botb Catho–
·lics
aod noo-Catholics alike.
Pope Paul - now
in
bis 13th
year as pontiff - is said to' be
suJfering from an britis, per·
nicious anemia, and possibly
eyen leukemia, though no one
outside bis closcst circle lmows
the exact state ofbis bealth.
SYDNEY: Ever since the
Whitlam labour govcrnmeot
lil'5t carne to power in 1972.
Australia's defense policy has
been based oo tbe assumption
that there
will
be no
m.ilitary
threat
10
peace in Australia's re–
gion for at least the next 10 to
1
S
years. However, the tierce
6~hting
and bloodshed in'
T1mor - only
700
kilometel'5 10
the north of Darwin and gco–
graphically parl of the bighly.
seositive Indooesian archi–
pelago - bas cxposed the ín–
credible naJveté on whicb thc:
government's defense poücy
has
been based.
For wbatever the outcome of
the Timorcse revolution, tbe ra·
tionale for tbe govemment's de–
fence policy has been forever
destroyed. Timor has effectively
demonstrated jusi how quicldy
wnr, or the threat of war, c:an
come to Australia's dool'5tep.
The fighting in Ponuguese
Timor involves three politícal
factioos - the Timor Demo–
cratic Union (UDT) whicb
favors independeoce and con–
únued linlcs with Portugal, the
Revoluúooary Front for an
lo·
deptndent East T'IDlot (Fretilin)
which wants total indcpen–
dence, aod the Apodeti whicb is
in favorofjoining Indonesia.
The figbúng begao follo'l'in&
the
sta~ing
of a coup by the
UDT on August 11.
1t
was
quickly followed !Sy widespread
kiUing and desuuction. Within
the first ten days bundreds of
people were either killed or
wounded while hundreds of
othe1'5 were forced to seek ref–
uge outside tbe colony. By Au-
Rumors of bis possibluesig–
oation pe1'5ist. thougb sorne
ob–
setvel'5 feel be would oot step
down
unlcss
cornpletely inca–
pacitated. The only pontilf
in
hístory to volunwily resign
Wllli
Pope Celesúne V in 1294. Nev–
erthclcss, Valican oflicials pri–
vately admit tbat the Cbair of
Peter may soon become vacant.
one way
or
another.
·
ElectiJig
the
New Pope
Upon the death or resigna–
tion of
a
pope, the dean of the
College of Cardinals publicly
announces the vacancy. Cardi·
nals and other designated elec–
tors from aU areas of the globe
are summoned to Romc to par–
ticipate, aloog with cardinals
residen! in Rome. in a solcmn
conclave to clect the oew
gust 22 tbe Ponuguese admitted
they had lost control of the situ–
atioo and called for inter–
national assistance in helpi.ng
refugees
to
escape.
Australia immediately sent
sbips - inctuding two destroy–
ers - to Datwin on standby in
case they were oeeded.
Reports from Lisbon. Ponu-
gal, indicated that 6ghting in
East Timor has beco very in–
tense,
with monar shells naining
down on the capital, Dili. The
warring political panies have
also reponedly kept up
a
con–
tinua! CJ'OS$-lite
10
'tbe city's
strects.
Willlndonesia lnterveoe!
Wbatever the ouu:ome, the
fighling has serious implications
for both Australia and In–
donesia.
First there is
a
strong possi–
bility of direct lndonesian
m.ili–
tary
interveotion
in
East Timor.
Ponugal sharcs the island of
Timor witb Indonesia. The ln–
donesian govcrnmcnt has con–
sistently wamed that while it
(Continued on pagt 4, col. 4)
Bisbop of Rome. Th0$e vot–
ing in the next conclave may
oumber in excess of 140. Pope
Paul has enlarged tbe member–
ship of the electoral body to
in–
elude- in addition to cardinals
under 80 years of age - the
palriarchs of the Eastcm Rite
churches and
15
or so elected
representatives of tbe world's
bishops.
The secret conclave
IS
held in
a sealed-off portion of the Vati–
can
Palace, with eiCCIOI'$ re–
maining in seclusion unti.l a
choice is made. By dlurcb law,
the conclave may begin on the
15th
da
y after the pope's death
or resignation and must begin
no later
than
tbe 18th day.
Voúng takes place in the
his–
torie
Sisún~
Chape
l.
Four secret
(Continwd on pagt S, col. 1)
3