ABSTRACT
When it was agreed at the Leeds Castle Conference that Alfred Atherton should visit Egypt, Hodding Carter, spokesman for the State Department, gave out statements setting the tone for the visit. On 25 July, he announced that the United States would be having talks with both Israel and Egypt in the coming month, and that Vance was hopeful that this meeting would take place. He added that it had not yet been decided where they would be held, but suggested that Sinai was one of the venues being considered. The impression the United States was trying to give was that a meeting would be held soon since both Egypt and Israel had assured them that they were keen on reaching a settlement of the Middle East conflict as early as possible.
