ISRAEL & SINAI PENINSULA: U.S. STATE SECRETARY ROGERS CONTINUES TOUR OF MIDDLE EAST.

Record ID: 222949

  • Title: ISRAEL & SINAI PENINSULA: U.S. STATE SECRETARY ROGERS CONTINUES TOUR OF MIDDLE EAST.
  • Date: 7th May 1971
  • Summary: 1. AV FROM Aircraft in which Rogers is travelling--Straits of Tiran 0.16 2. MV INT Aircraft Rogers seated in cockpit 0.24 3. AV Straits of tiran. 0.38 Initials BB/0255 LD/AH/BB/0300 TELERECORDING Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 22nd May 1971 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ISRAEL & SINAI PENINSULA
  • City:
  • Country: Egypt
  • Reuters ID: LVA4IZCIO6T9PTV45WPGV0KIV0SD
  • Story Text: United States Secretary of State William Rogers--in Israel for two days of talks with Government leaders as part of his tour of the Middle East--today (Friday) flew over one of the most controversial points in the Arab/Israeli conflict: the narrow Straits of Tiran and Sharm-el-Sheikh at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula. It was the Egyptians closure of the Tiran straits in 1967 which was one of the most immediate causes of the June war.

    On the flight--in his own U.S. Air Force Jetliner--Mr. Rogers was accompanied by Israeli Chief of Staff Haim Bar Lev and Head of Military Intelligence General Aharon Yariv. After the trip, the Secretary made it quite clear that they had not flown over occupied territory itself, but steered a course over the centre of the Gulf of Akaba and banked off at the coast of Sharm el-Sheikh. Mr. Rogers also said afterwards: "I wanted to see the area for myself. This was an opportunity....Certainly form the point of view of the terrain I have a better understanding than I did of the area."
    A pool correspondent who went on the flight ported that General bar Lev had explained in detail why Israel considered territorial continuity of Eilat and Sharm as vital to ensuring Israel control of free navigation, while General Yariv twice pointed out the importance of Eilat as Israel's major oil port, and of Sharm el-Sheikh as essential to her security in the Red Sea.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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