WASHINGTON: Dr Henry Kissinger, US Secretary of State, said today [Oct 12] that the Middle East conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbours could lead to a risk of showdown between the two nuclear Super Powers. Dr Kissinger also said that, despite its gravity, the Arab-Israeli war had not endangered the policy of détente between the United States and Soviet Union. But he added despite several unfortunate moves, the Soviet Union had not … shown a sufficiently irresponsible attitude for the United States to revise its policy towards Moscow.

In Warsaw, visiting Soviet Defence Minister Andrei Grechko has said that the Warsaw Pact States must maintain fighting readiness following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Marshal Grechko told a meeting … marking the 30th anniversary of the Polish People’s army that “influential circles in the imperialist countries” were demanding an armaments race and higher military budgets for war preparations. “These forces, by their short-sighted policy, have caused the outbreak of war in the Middle East. The Arab people had to take arms again to repel the aggressive attack by Israel and defend their national independence by their just struggle.”

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2023