PARIS: The United States, Britain, France and Turkey today [Nov 10] announced their plans to establish the four-Power Middle East Defence Command and promised military aid to any other country which joins it. The Command will primarily be concerned with defence planning and will advise and train forces placed at its disposal. The text of the declaration has been circulated to Arab countries and “Israel”. Leaders of Arab delegations to the UN General Assembly were meeting tonight to discuss the Four-Power decision.

Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, who originally were to have signed the declaration, have decided to withhold their signature for “constitutional and technical reasons”. But they have made it clear that they are in full support of speedy realisation of the Mid-East project because of the need to protect the lines of communication through the Suez.

The Big Three Western States and Turkey made their announcement in a joint statement of principles roughly outlining their plans and reasons for proceeding with them despite strenuous objections of Egypt and other Arab States. …

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2026