Published June 1970 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd Russia-The Growing Middle East Threat The Soviet Union's growing military involvement in the Middle East has already seriously endangered the balance of power there and has made the need for direct Arab Israeli talks even more imperative. Since March, the number of Soviet technicians in Egypt has more than tripled-from approximately 3,000 at that time to about 10,000 currently. By year's end, State Department authorities report that 20,000 Russians will be in Egypt. At the same time, the number of Soviet pilots flying MIG-21s in the area has also increased. Estimates are that up to 200 Russians have been manning aircraft over the Nile heartland. Similarly, other Soviet technicians are installing SAM-3 surface-to-air missiles. By early September, it is reported that 480 missiles will have been located at 62 sites. Russia's interest in the Middle East dates from 1955 when Egypt bought Soviet supplied arms from Czechoslovakia. A year later, when the Soviet Union agreed to finance Egypt's Aswan Dam, Russian advisers began pouring into the region. Although about $1.5 billion in Soviet aid was sent to Egypt over the next twelve years, it was not until after that six-day June war of 1967 that Russia's military commitment to Egypt became blatantly displayed. Immediately after Egypt's defeat, the Soviet Union resupplied it with another $1 billion in military hardware. In response to all of this, our policy has been one of extreme caution. As part of $1.2 billion in aid which the United States has given Israel since 1948, we agreed to sell it 50 F -4 Phantom jets in December, 1968. Presently, these planes are still in the process of being delivered. Israel, however, has made a request for 25 more of these aircraft along with one hundred A-4 Skyhawk jets. This request, initially refused, is presently being reconsidered by our State Department. The need in this volatile situation is for the Arabs and Israelis to have direct talks in order to reach a peace settlement they can both accept. The danger is that the Soviet Union's entry into the region not only may have exacerbated the arms race with the United States, but also, in the process, may have upset the delicate power balance in the area, thus making any direct negotiations between the Arabs and Israelis even more remote. JUN 3 1970