UNITED NATIONS: Syria accepted on Monday [Jan 16] Secretary-General U Thant’s appeal for an emergency meeting of the Israel-Syria Mixed Armistice Commission to consider outbreak of violence on the border between the two countries.

Syria’s UN Ambassador J. Tonah presented a letter to Mr Thant stating that his Government accepted “without any condition” the proposal of Gen Odd Bull, Chief of Staff of the UN Truce Supervision Organisation, for the extraordinary session. Meanwhile, Britain appealed to Israel and Syria today to show “moderation” in their border relations and urged them to co-operate with the United Nations mediators.

A Foreign Office spokesman said the British Government welcomed U Thant’s initiatives and supported his appeal to both sides to restrain their forces. “We have been in informal contacts with both Governments and have urged restraint on each side,” he concluded.

Israeli and Jordanian forces exchanged automatic weapons fire across the border near Ben Shemen today [Jan 17], some 15 miles southeast of Tel Aviv.

The firings took place between Jordanian forces and an Israeli motorised border patrol and lasted for more than half an hour.

[Meanwhile, as reported by our special representative in London,] fresh proposals on India’s nuclear defence against China without creating a joint Soviet-American nuclear umbrella are expected to be placed before Premier Kosygin when the Soviet leader visits Britain next month at Premier Wilson’s invitation.

In the view of reliable British observers, who claim that Britain has played a key role in narrowing Soviet-American differences on the proposed treaty to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, there is now better appreciation in Moscow of giving India some sort of nuclear protection.

Despite this apparent change in the Soviet attitude towards nuclear defence of India, the Anglo-American idea of a joint nuclear umbrella over India and some other countries remains an anathema to the Soviet leaders.

Published in Dawn January 18th, 2017