World IN BRIEF : ISRAEL : Shamir Accuses U.S. of Promise to Arabs

Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir said in an interview that he is convinced the United States had promised the Arab states it would refuse Israel’s request for $10 billion in loan guarantees. Despite denials by the State Department, Shamir told the Jerusalem Post he had “no doubt” that Washington had promised to turn down the loan guarantees to bring the Arabs into peace talks. Israel requested the loan guarantees to help settle Jews from the former Soviet Union. Washington asked that Israel first halt its building of settlements in occupied territories.