PRESS
DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Public Statements [c]

October 16, 1973

No. 384

REMARKS OF
THE HONORABLE HENRY A. KISSINGER
SECRETARY OF STATE
ON BEING NOTIFIED OF THE
AWARD OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

OCTOBER 16, 1973

file

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I don't have a formal statement. I thought I would make a few informal observations.

Nothing that has happened to me in public life has moved me more than this Award, which represents a recognition of the central purpose of the President's foreign policy which is the achievement of a lasting peace.

I am grateful to the President for having given me this opportunity and also for creating the conditions which made it possible to bring the negotiations on Viet-Nam to a successful conclusion.

When I shall receive the Award, together with my old colleague in the search for peace in Viet-Nam, Le Duc Tho, I hope that that occasion will at last mark the end, or symbolize the end, of the anguish and the suffering that Viet-Nam has meant for so many millions of people around the world — and that both at home and abroad it will mark the beginning of a period of reconciliation.

The news of this Award reached me while I was chairing a meeting at the White House in which we were discussing means to speed peace in the Middle East. Nothing could underline so much that the search for peace is never ended. And nothing could have given us a greater impetus to work with even more energy and more dedication to end the hostilities that are now going on in the Middle East, and to move from there rapidly to bringing about a just and decent and lasting peace in the Middle East.

But beyond all these immediate crises, perhaps the most important goal any Administration can set itself is to work for a world in which the Award will become irrelevant, because peace will have become so normal and so much taken for granted that no awards for it will have to be given.

Thank you very much.

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01 162/10Z OCT 73

FM SECSTATE WASHDC

TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS IMMEDIATE

AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT IMMEDIATE

USDEL SALT TWO IMMEDIATE

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E.O. 11652: N/A

TAGS: PFOR

SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT PRESS BRIEFING

INFORM CONSULS

KUWAIT POUCH MUSCAT, DOHA

EXCERPT FROM DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN'S PRESS BRIEFING

OCTOBER 16, 1973:

QUOTE: Q. DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT ON PRESIDENT SADAT'S

SPEECH TODAY, PARTICULARLY THE PROPOSALS HE MAKES FOR

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SETTLEMENT?

A. NOTHING OTHER THAN WE ARE, AND HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE VIEWS OF THE EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT IN THIS RESPECT, AND WE HAVE PRESENTED TO THEM OUR VIEWS ALSO. I WOULD NOT BE PREPARED TO GO BEYOND THAT.

Q. COULD YOU GO BEYOND IT JUST TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY DISCUSSED, DR. KISSINGER DISCUSSED IT WITH MINISTER EBAN?

A. I DON'T THINK I COULD LITERALLY ANSWER THAT. HE HASN'T SEEN MR. EBAN SINCE LATE LAST WEEK, SO THAT IT WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE -- MY INCLINATION IS TO SAY NO, IN TERMS OF THE WAY THE FORMULATION WAS ADVANCED BY PRESIDENT SADAT PUBLICLY. I'D HAVE TO SAY THAT KNOWING THAT IN GENERAL THIS WAS AN

EGYPTIAN DESIRE, THAT IN GENERAL TERMS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED WITH THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT.

TO STOP THE FIGHTING? UNDERLINE "SERIOUS."

A. YES, INDEED THERE IS. WE STILL ARE FIRMLY OF THE BELIEF THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE GREAT POWERS TO FIND A MEANS TO END THE WAR AND THE MEANS, AT THE SAME TIME, TO BRING ABOUT A DURABLE PEACE IN THE AREA. CERTAINLY THERE IS THAT WILL ON OUR PART, AND WE MAKE ASSUMPTIONS THAT THE WILL EXISTS AMONG OTHERS, ALSO.

Q. MR. LAIRD SAID THIS MORNING THAT THERE IS IN EFFECT A SITUATION OF CONFRONTATION WITH THE SOVIET UNION, AND THAT THE SOVIET UNION IS NOT PERFORMING AS IF THERE WERE A DETENTE. DOES THE STATE DEPARTMENT SHARE VIEW?

A. I HAVE NO ACCOUNTING, MYSELF, OF REMARKS MADE BY MR. LAIRD TODAY, SO I AM IN NO POSITION TO COMMENT ON WHAT HE SAID, OR IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID. SO FAR AS THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION ARE CONCERNED, I WANT ONLY TO SAY THAT WE CONTINUE IN SERIOUS CONTACT WITH THEM. I WOULD EXPECT THAT THAT WILL GO ON. I DO NOT WANT TO BE DRIVEN TO MAKING, AS I SAID YESTERDAY, DECLAMATORY STATEMENTS THAT TOUCH UPON THE BROADER ISSUES IN THE OVER-ALL

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET
UNION.

Q. CAN YOU ENLIGHTEN US ABOUT A REPORT FROM NEW YORK THAT SEVERAL ARAB FOREIGN MINISTERS HAVE ASKED TO COME TO WASHINGTON TO SEE THE PRESIDENT AND PRESUMABLY THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND WHAT THE STATUS OF THAT IS? WAS THERE A REQUEST, A FEELER, AN ACCEPTANCE, A REJECTION?

A. THIS FIRST CAME UP TOWARD THE END OF LAST WEEK, AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, INITIALLY IN THE MEETING THAT THE SECRETARY HELD WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF SAUDI ARABIA. I DO EXPECT THAT THE MINISTERS OF SAUDI ARABIA, ALGERIA, KUWAIT, AND MOROCCO ARE COMING DOWN TO WASHINGTON TOMORROW AND WILL MEET WITH THE PRESIDENT, AND I WOULD ASSUME THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD BE PRESENT. IT WAS AT THEIR REQUEST.

Q. CAN YOU AT LEAST COMMENT ON WHAT THE FEELING IS HERE ON MR. BREZHNEV'S STATEMENT YESTERDAY AND MR. KOSYGIN'S STATEMENT YESTERDAY, BOTH ON THE MIDDLE EAST, AND BOTH PLEDGING SOVIET SUPPORT FOR ARAB EFFORTS TO TAKE OVER THE OCCUPIED TERRITORY?

A. FRANKLY, I'M NOT TOO AWARE OF THE REMARKS OF PREMIER KOSYGIN, BUT WE DID EXAMINE THE COMMUNIQUE BETWEEN MESSRS BREZHNEV AND BOUMEDIENNE, AND, FOR THE RECORD, WE HAVE DECIDED WE HAVE NO COMMENT ON IT.

TECHNICIANS GONE BACK INTO SYRIA OR EGYPT WITH THE AIR LIFT THAT YOU DETAILED YESTERDAY?

A. I'M FRANK TO SAY I HAVE NO INFORMATION IN THAT REGARD THAT I WOULD BE CONFIDENT IN USING.

Q. DO YOU KNOW WHETHER THERE ARE SOVIET ADVISERS FIGHTING ALONGSIDE SYRIAN FORCES?

A. NO, I HAVE NO INFORMATION IN THAT RESPECT.

Q. CAN YOU TELL US IF TECHNICIANS HAVE GONE BACK IN AT ALL

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WITH SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT HAS BEEN SHIPPED?

A. LET ME SAY, ON BACKGROUND, I WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THAT OPEN AS A POSSIBILITY GIVEN PERHAPS THE NATURE OF SOME OF THE SPECIFIC ITEMS.

Q. IS THE UNITED STATES SENDING IN INCREASED NUMBERS OF TECHNICIANS TO ISRAEL?

A. I FRANKLY DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. WE HAVE NOT INTRODUCED ANY AMERICAN MILITARY FORCES OR PERSONNEL INTO THE FIGHTING. WHETHER THERE ARE TECHNICIANS REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN OF THE EQUIPMENT AND TO COORDINATE THE DELIVERY OF THE EQUIPMENT I SIMPLY HAVE TO LEAVE OPEN. YOU MIGHT CHECK AT THE PENTAGON.

Q. HAS THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT BEEN INFORMED BY THE OIL COMPANIES ABOUT THE ARABS TELLING THEM THAT THEY WERE GOING TO CUT OIL PRODUCTION TEN PERCENT THE FIRST MONTH, FIVE PERCENT IN SUCCEEDING MONTHS IF THE UNITED STATES OVERTLY RESUPPLIED ISRAEL?

A. WELL, I CAN'T SAY YES OR NO AND BE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN. THE CONTACTS THAT OIL COMPANIES HAVE IN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT CAN BE QUITE VARIED. I THINK WHAT IS IMPORTANT, HOWEVER, IS WHAT I SAID YESTERDAY, THAT IN THE OFFICIAL CHANNEL WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THREATS THAT FORECAST A CUT-OFF IN THE SUPPLY OF OIL.

Q. WOULD IT BE A MATTER OF CONCERN TO THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IF IT WERE TO BE LEARNED THAT AMERICAN EQUIPMENT FURNISHED TO THE JORDANIANS WAS BEING USED OPPOSING AMERICAN EQUIPMENT FURNISHED TO THE ISRAELIS? WOULD THIS BE A MATTER OF CONCERN? AND WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THESE AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE? DO WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL, OR WITH JORDAN, WE'LL SAY, OR WITH ISRAEL, OR ANY COUNTRY, THAT AMERICAN EQUIPMENT IS NOT TO BE USED IN SOME SITUATION IN WHICH IT WILL OPPOSE TROOPS OF OTHER NATIONS WITH AMERICAN EQUIPMENT?

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EQUIPMENT IS SUPPLIED TO ANOTHER COUNTRY THERE IS THE
SO-CALLED "IN-USE CLAUSE." NOW, THAT DIRECTS ITSELF
MAINLY AT THE TRANSFER OF THAT EQUIPMENT TO A THIRD COUNTRY.
I DON'T, MYSELF, KNOW IT TO BE A FACT THAT THERE IS A
STIPULATION THAT WOULD RESTRICT ITS USE IN A COMBAT THAT
THAT NATION WHICH RECEIVED THE EQUIPMENT WAS INVOLVED IN.

THIS EQUIPMENT, AGAIN SPEAKING GENERALLY, IS DESIGNED BY
THE TERMS OF THOSE WHO OBTAIN IT FOR THEIR SELF-DEFENSE,
SO I THINK YOU WOULD GET INTO A NO-END DISCUSSION AS TO
HOW THE NATION ITSELF WOULD DEFINE ITS SELF-DEFENSE.

SO IF JORDAN WERE PARTICIPATING IN THE CONFLICT AND USING
WEAPONS OR EQUIPMENT SUPPLIED BY THE UNITED STATES I'M NOT
SURE THAT THERE WOULD BE ANY LEGAL RECOURSE AVAILABLE TO
US, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY, AS I'VE SAID HERE ON A NUMBER OF
OCCASIONS, REGRET THAT JORDAN OR ANY OF THE OTHER COUNTRIES
IN THE AREA HAVE JOINED THE CONFLICT, AS I HAVE SAID A
COUPLE OF TIMES HERE, IN A WAY THAT WILL ENLARGE AND PRO-
LONG THE WAR.

Q. YOU CHARACTERIZED THE SOVIET AIRLIFT, I THINK, AS MASSIVE. HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE IT TODAY, 24 HOURS LATER?

A. IT'S CONTINUING AT ROUGHLY THE PACE I DESCRIBED TO YOU HERE YESTERDAY.

Q. YOU HAVE SAID THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS NOT INTRODUCED ANY MILITARY FORCES OR PERSONNEL INTO THE FIGHTING.
YESTERDAY THE PRESIDENT CITED TWO EXAMPLES FOR MID-EAST
POLICY: LEBANON WITH UNITED STATES AND MARINES; AND JORDAN,
WHEN HE MOBILIZED MILITARY FORCES- AND THE SECRETARY, I
THINK, WAS QUOTED LAST NIGHT AS SAYING THAT IF THE
RUSSIANS WERE TO SEND MILITARY FORCES INTO THE AREA THE
UNITED STATES THEN MIGHT CONSIDER IT.

COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE POLICY IS REGARDING THE USE OF
AMERICAN MILITARY FORCES IN THE MIDDLE EAST?

A. I WILL STAND ON WHAT I SAID HERE YESTERDAY WITH

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RESPECT TO THE REMARKS MADE BY THE PRESIDENT, SO FAR AS
THE REMARKS MADE BY THE SECRETARY LAST NIGHT, QUITE
INFORMALLY, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, TO SOMEONE AT A PURELY
SOCIAL OCCASION, I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD.

AND LET ME GO ON BACKGROUND HERE TO TELL YOU THAT WE ARE
NOT INTENDING TO INTRODUCE AMERICAN FORCES INTO THIS
CONFLICT. WE ARE TRYING TO FIND THE MEANS TO BRING IT TO
AN END.

Q. YESTERDAY WHEN YOU ANNOUNCED THE AMERICAN RESUPPLY
OPERATION, YOU LINKED IT DIRECTLY TO THE SOVIET MASSIVE
AIRLIFT. CAN WE CORRECTLY IMPLY FROM THAT THAT IF THE
SOVIETS WERE TO STOP THEIR AIRLIFT, THE AMERICAN RESUPPLY
OPERATION WOULD ALSO STOP IMMEDIATELY?

A. IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT I SAID IT WAS, "YOU
ARE CORRECT, DIRECTLY LINKED IN LARGE MEASURE," I SAID,
"BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF OURS THAT HAVE
NECESSITATED THIS RESUPPLY EFFORT; ONE OF THEM BEING
THAT IT WAS OUR CONCERN THAT THIS MASSIVE AIRLIFT OF THE
SOVIET UNION WAS GOING TO OVERTURN THE BALANCE -- "
THE MILITARY BALANCE IN THE AREA. END QUOTE. KISSINGER

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This Copy For

NEWS CONFERENCE

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AT THE WHITE HOUSE

WITH JERRY WARREN

AT 12:15 P.M. EDT

OCTOBER 16, 1973

TUESDAY

MR. WARREN: I have a statement by the President to read to you, but before I do that, Dr. Kissinger met with the President this morning for an hour, prior to Dr. Kissinger's going into a meeting on the Middle East, a meeting of the Washington Special Action Group. That meeting also lasted for about an hour. Dr. Kissinger then returned to the State Department where I think he is issuing a statement, if he has not done so, he will be doing so shortly.

The President called Dr. Kissinger to congratulate him when the President learned of the announcement regarding the Nobel Peace Prize. I will now read a statement --

Q Can you give us a time frame on this? Did the President learn before Dr. Kissinger and so forth?

MR. WARREN: No, it was approximately the same time. Dr. Kissinger was in the meeting on the Middle East when he learned.

Q Here?

MR. WARREN: Yes, that was here.

Q How was he informed?

MR. WARREN: By the National Security Council staff.

Q The Action group meeting he was in.

MR. WARREN: Yes, and the President was informed by Ron Ziegler.

Q The meeting with the President, was that on the Middle East, too?

MR. WARREN: Yes, it was.

Q The NSC staff informed Dr. Kissinger so he knew about it by the time the President called him and Ron saw the wires?

MR. WARREN: That is right, and Dr. Kissinger was back at the State Department when the President called him.

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