September 23, 1970

fighting continues, Amman, despite cease‐fire; Majali reimposes curfew because of continued shooting and looting of Amman mkt; repts Govt forces halted invaders at outskirts of Irbid, reclaimed Salt and control all pockets of resistance in Amman and Zerqa; guerrillas rept holding Zerqa, which they claim is 80% destroyed; rept Jordanian Army opened fire on Amman refugee camps in attempt to destroy them before guerrilla forces from north, backed by Syrian tanks, reach city; Arafat appeals by radio to Arab leaders meeting in Cairo to move meeting to Amman to view massacre against Palestinian people; repts 20,000 dead and wounded in Amman; describes Hussein's cease‐fire order as deception and says that fighting never stopped; estimates number of 'martyrs' at 8,000; describes situation in Amman; no evidence exists to indicate that guerrilla tanks moved beyond positions protecting Irbid, where they almost destroyed Jordanian 40th div in 3 days of fighting; shelling reptdly continues in Mafraq area and guerrillas say arty is hitting positions in area from Salt to Irbid despite fact that all cities are 'liberated;' Jordanian Air Force planes reptdly strike Irbid area several times in their 2d appearance in 2 days; earlier, they reptdly mistakenly hit noncombatant Iraqi troops, killing 2; inactivity of Jordanian Air Force linked to fact that it is largely manned by Palestinians; repts that armored units south of Syrian border belong to Palestine Liberation Army noted but Beirut Le Soir (pub) repts that Syrian 28th Armored Div defeated Jordanian 40th Armored Brigade northeast of Ramtha on Sept 20; Le Soir repts 28th was under Syrian control and did not get air cover because Defense Min Assad did not back intervention; Syrian Foreign Min charges US is using disproved allegations of Syrian intervention as pretext for US intervention

UAR Min Heykal says meeting of Arab mins will not be traditional Arab summit, news conf; hints at growing anger against Hussein and mil regime for pressing attacks against guerrillas; warns against any US intervention; Arab leaders conf in attempt to find way to contain crisis and preclude any possibility of foreign intervention; presence of Jordanian delegation headed by Daoud, which did not participate, noted; al‐Attassi does not take part in 1st conf; al‐Nimeiry reptdly confs with Hussein by radio in apparent attempt to persuade him to come to Cairo; Arab leaders postpone meeting and send 4‐member delegation to Amman to conf with Hussein and Arafat in apparent attempt to persuade them to join talks; delegation includes al‐Nimeiry, Tunisian Premier Ladgham, Kuwaiti Min al‐Salem and Sadek; Palestine Liberation Orgn says guerrillas will never stop fighting until Hussein regime is overthrown; accuses Hussein of having invited US mil intervention under guise of med aid; says Palestinians are demanding that Arab countries act to prevent any US intervention and take all necessary measures to strike at US interests in Arab world

Sen, 73‐0, approves broad and tough dean air bill; bill, Natl Air Quality Standards Act, provides that '75 model autos achieve 90% reduction of '70 standards for emissions with possible 1‐yr extension for compliance, that newly constructed pollution sources use latest pollution control equipment and that awarding of Govt contracts to cos not in compliance with standards be prohibited; provides for civil penalties of up to $10,000 daily for violation of implementation plan and up to $25,000 daily and 2 yrs in prison for criminal penalties; authorizes HEW Dept to prohibit all emissions of hazardous substances not covered by quality standards; provides for authority to issue abatement orders and adopt pollution control technology; Sen Griffith's opposition to '75 deadline and Gen Motors pres Cole's lr to Muskie criticizing bill's deadline detailed

Nixon's proposal to authorize prompt Fed intervention in cases of bombing on univ or coll campuses comes 1 day after HR Judiciary subcom adds stiff antibombing provisions to Adm's anticrime bill before sending it to full com; subcom proposal will extend death penalty to cases where terrorist bombings result in fatalities; it will also provide Fed controls over sale of explosives in interstate commerce; Celler says that com will add Nixon's proposal to Sen passed bill designed to crack down on organized crime

press confs,City Hall