The Nome Nugget

President Not Expected To Use U.S. Armed Forces In The Middle East Without Congress' Approval

WASHINGTON, (AP)— Secretary Dulles said Tuesday he thought President Eisenhower would not expect to use American armed forces in the Middle East without congressional approval unless a sudden emergency made it impractical to go to Congress.

The Secretary of State told a news conference the administration does not foresee any such emergency, and does not have any plan to ask Congress for standby authority to use American troops in the Middle East.

The significance of his statement was that it established the principle that if a crisis requiring the use of U.S. forces was anticipated the President would go to Congress for authority to use them.

Dulles also established publicly the possibility the administration might use American forces in the Middle East in an emergency without the formal authorization by Congress.

Every time he spoke of the possibility of going to Congress, he specified: time would not permit this if an unforeseen emergency suddenly arose.

Dulles also told his news conference U.S. policy on the sale of arms to Israel remains what it was when he explained it to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee a month ago—that is, no sale of substantial quantities of weapons at this time. This means that Israel's request has neither been turned down nor approved.

He believes the problems of continuing to station U.S. military forces in Iceland can be worked out although the Icelandic parliament last week called for the withdrawal of foreign troops. Dulles said the parliament's resolution was simply an expression, of an understandable desire to reduce foreign troops to a minimum.