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DATE:1
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National Intelligence Daily (Cable)
Thursday
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Top Of-cre*
USSR-IRAQ-tRAN: Commentary on French Aircraft Salt
A Soviet television commentator on Tuesdayne Iranian reaciion lo the trported delivery to Iraq ol live French Super Etendard aircraft could le.id lo the invotvemeni of other countries in lhe war. He claimed that the "greatest danger" is (rial the US would use such an escalation as an excusermedhe commeniator repeated lhe USSR'* long standing appealegotiated aelllement ana said tho Soviets are "resolutely against" outside military Inter feronc^.r
hese remarks, although not especially authoritative, ore Moscow's flrsi responso lo Ihe reported delivery ol Ihe aircraft and Tehran's threat lo close ihe Persian Gull. His fecus on Ihe possibility of Us military mvoi/ement suggests concernossible increased US military presence in the region. For the Soviets,rospect probably outweigh* ihe potential benefits of lhe temporary disrupllon ol Western economies thoi_may follow an Interrupllon In oil expotls C'om Ihe Persian Gulf,
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