Aid in Time

Six months ago the West felt welcome and secure in Libya, that huge 680,000-square-mile expanse of African desert between Tunisia and Egypt. Frail old King Idris was a firm friend of the West. So was young (35), balding Prime Minister Mustafa ben Halim. In exchange for a $10.5 million annual subsidy, Libya allowed the British to maintain a major air base near Tobruk, and when Premier Nasser forced the British out of the Suez Canal, the British also moved in an armored division. So far, the U.S. has contributed $12 million in Point Four aid and for maintenance of the huge Wheelus Field air base near Tripoli. Wheelus Field, with its long runways, its 11,000 officers and men, is a key airfield in SAC's ring around Moscow.

But last week the West was worried.

The difference was the partnership that is becoming increasingly familiar in the Middle East--Egypt backed by Soviet Russia. Egypt's Nasser began the offensive.

Help from Cairo. Last summer he sent an old friend and fellow "Free Officer," Major General Ahmed Hassan el Faki, as an ambassador to spread the word of Egypt's pan-Arabism. Neighboring Libya was a part of Mussolini's empire until

Montgomery liberated it, got its independence under U.N. sponsorship in 1951.

Among native Libyans there is only one doctor and one engineer (the Prime Minister, who holds a degree from Alexandria University). Libya's only important export is dried esparto grass (used in making paper money); its per capita income is a wretched $35 a year. El Faki helpfully installed 500 Egyptian schoolteachers, sent out and paid by the Egyptian government, supplied Egyptians for every level of officialdom. Two members of the Supreme Court were Egyptians, so was the commander of the small army. Last week El Faki could boast that 1,800 Egyptians are working in Libya today and drawing paychecks from both countries.

Almost simultaneously with Nasser's deal for Communist arms, Libya agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Russia, negotiating the deal in Cairo with no notice to Western powers. Short, bland Russian Ambassador Nikolai Generalov, under the sponsorship of El Faki, wasted no time in making capital.

Offer from Moscow, Russia, he said, would be glad to extend a generous loan for Libya's development, with no strings attached, would send specialized engineers to build whatever Libyans wanted--hospitals, schools, harbors, dams. Prime Minister Ben Halim hustled over to U.S. Ambassador John Tappin and told him frankly that, though he personally saw his country's future linked with the West, it would be very hard for Libya to refuse such aid, unless the West could offer to match it. While Ben Halim stalled off his answer, Tappin rushed off to Washington to plead for more aid.

Last week Prime Minister Ben Halim went before a secret session of the Parliament and announced that Russia's offer would be rejected. In Washington U.S. officials were closemouthed, but admitted that several million dollars more in U.S. economic aid would soon be forthcoming. It would be cheap at the price.

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