Wily King

While the Syrians stewed in their isolation, Jordan's King Hussein was playing his own kind of game. Off he went to Moscow to confer with Soviet offi cials, who offered him both military and economic assistance "in principle" but mentioned no specifics. That was just fine with the King; he preferred not to sign anything and to keep the promises general. Thus, without obligating himself to the Russians, he can use their offers of help to show Washington and London that he has other places to go if they do not give him what he wants. As for the Israelis, Hussein told the Russians that he is willing to make contact with them through a third party and do some good old-fashioned horse trading--a proposal that Israel had already rejected as insufficient.

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