Evening star., 1955-11-10
Afehoniston Is forget
For Soviet Attention

ftentIOn
spirit Of cooperation with
countries made backward "be-
cause Of the imperialist domir1a.
ton Of the West"
Arms to Afghans
Now the Soviet bloc appears
to be offering arms to Afghan
Iistan, and an Afghan military
delegation is soon due in Conn
munist Czechoslovakia to see
what the Czechs have to offer.
II the Afghan deal goes
lthrough-in view Of the coup-
ltry's current bitter dispute with
Pakistan it is likely to do SOFT
will be of a piece with the Soviet
bloc offers Of arms at cut rates
to Egypt, Syria and Saudi
Arabia.
Arms to the Arabs threaten .
new Arab-Israel war. Arms to
IAfghanistan could mean con-
flict, or at the least explosive
tension, with Pakistan over the
future Of the Z million Pathans
|tribesmen in Pakistan's north
west frontier province.
On the other flank Of the
Vests defenses, there has been
ICominform interference in
Frances troubles in North
Africa. Thus far Western OBJ
servers can pin down nothing
more specific than a food OF
ICominform propaganda to North
Africa and the offer Of CoEa-
munist help to extremists there.
May Establish Link =
There would seem to be little
real connection between the ris-
ing storm clouds in the Middle
East and the situations existing
in French North Africa. But
Soviet policy eventually may
establish the connection In the
broad offensive to capture o
permanent bridgehead among
the vast areas backward people.
Egypt presents a possible con-
meeting link. Newly in possess
lsion of Red arms. Egypt makes
Imenacing noises in the direction
Iof Israel and carries on a tor
rent of propaganda in North
Africa for Arab liberation" "
Russian offers of arms to the
Middle Eastern countries have
conceded with the signing of
biiateral military pacts, Egypt
Saudi Arabia and Egypt-Syria,
providing for unified commands.
Iand pooled expenses. :
These pacts take the place Of
the Arab League defense pact Of
1949 which followed the Pales-s
tine war and was ratified by all
states of the league except Libya
and the Yemen.
BIackmail Idea /
With this offensive, the Rus
slams appear to have persuaded
the Arabs that they might force
certain concessions out Of the
West = and particularly the
United States-by a sort Of
blackmail. The idea seems Inn
Iplicit in broadcasts like this by
the official Cairo radio:
20, Arabs! The United States
does not want to offer aid which
lis not backed by influence. She
does not want to loan funds
without interests in the form Of
colonization. There Is one
thing which may iustifiably
brighten the United States each
time the aid Of Russia to the
Arabs increases. It is the possi-
Ibility Of increased hostility to-.
ward America by the Arabs,
What should we do? Russia Is
courteous, helpful and co-opera-
tive toward us while you. the
United States. shun us. let us
down and prevent aid from
reaching US. Logical is the old
Egyptian saying: Help me and
II will help you.' which is the
basis Of international politics., :,
Some American sources say
there is a possibility that the
changing military picture in the
Middle East is less dangerous
than it seems on the surface.
They cite the amount Of training
the Arabs would require in the
use of the arms. and Israel's
present superiority in fighting
potential. But others point out
that this oyerlooks two things.
First. there Is a possibility Of
ISrael's taking the bull by the
horns and launching a preventive
war before the Arabs get too
strong. Second. by the time the
dust settled and the West could
sense the danger, it might be too
late to do anything about it.