Evening star., 1951-11-11
Middle East Aid
Limited 10 Those
Joining Setup
Western Big Three
And Turkey Present
Plans for Command
By the Associated Press

FAN1o, NOV. lU.-1ne western
Big Three and Turkey laid down
the blueprint for a Middle East
defense command today and tolo
the countries of that area they
will have to join to get help in de-
Tending themselves against ar
aggreSsor.
A dissenting response came
from Abdel Rehman Azzam Pasha
secretary general Of the Arat
League. which loosely binds the
regions Arab nations. He said In
a statement:
II have never believed that the
defense of this area can be forced
on its people and be practically
possible without their voluntary
cooperation and good will, and this
can only be realized when the de-
cisions of the Arab League are
taken into serious consideration
and the national aspirations OF
the peoples of this area are met
and adequately safeguarded."
Only Turkey Cooperating.
So far, Egypt and most OF the
other nations have. for various
reasons. turned up their noses at
the whole scheme to insulate that
strategic region of 10 million per-
sons and more than a million
square miles against the threat
OF Communist aggression.
Only Turkey. who Joined the
United States Britain and France
today in statement that they
would set UP Middle East Com
mand. is actively engaged among
the Middle East countries in link
ing her security problems with
those of the Western world.
The issue of whether the Arab
states will join is bitter. Egypt
for one. has said fatty she will
not. Egypt insists the Arat
worlds own regional alliance, the
Arab League. is adequate to pre-.
vent a Communist aggressor from
overrunning the Middle East.
Some other Arab nations. no.
tably Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon
seem more agreeable to the idea
that the Middle East defense.
should be under the wing of the
bigger. stronger Atlantic commu.
nifty.
Israel on Tightrope.
Israel still is trying to walk the
tightrope of neutrality because
millions of Jews live on both side.
OF the cold war front.
Despite this stand-offishness or
the part of the states TERRITORIAL,
involved. the Big Three and Tur.
Key declared that both a com.
mand headquarters and a defens,
ilaison organization will bt
formed.
Defense Of the Middle East.
said the joint statement, "is vita
to the free world and its defense
against outside aggression can be
secured only by cooperation of al
interested states"
The statement said the Middle
East Commands continuing OBJ.
1ective" would be to improve the
defenses so the Middle East ma.
tions themselves could take owe,
more and more of the "peace-time
role" OF defending themselves.
Conditions on Arms Aid.
The command will be set up ts
assist and support" only those
states willing to join in. The same
condition was placed on the ship.
ment of arms and equipment t.
states in the area willing to joir
in its defense"
There was no hint in the state.
ment as to when the command
might be put into operation, OF
where it would be located. II
was believed. however. that it.
first seat would be either in Tur.
key or on the British governed
island of Cyprus.
A special meeting of members
of the Arab League in Paris to.
night to try to work out a common
policy toward the new Middle East
Command was called off without
explanation.
It was learned that Iraq's elder
statesman and premier, Nuri A
Said Pasha. was attempting tt
persuade his colleagues to jGr
the command.
Australia. New Zealand, anc
South Africa have supported the
four-poWer statement and have
promised to help put the Middle
East Command into business.