U.S. recalls Habib to work out the next step

Press, 29 May 1981, Page 9

U.S. recalls Habib to work out the next step

NZPA-Reuter Washington The American special envoy. Philip Habib, returned to the United States yesterday for consultations with President Ronald Reagan after an inconclusive threeweek Middle East shuttle aimed at defusing the Lebanon missile crisis. The White House announced Mr Habib’s recall earlier, but Administration officials refused to call his mission a success or failure. Mr Reagan said Mr Habib had done “a remarkable job” and that Israel and Syria were “on the verge of war and that has not happened in these weeks.”

Mr Reagan and the State Department said Mr Habib would return to the region, probably late next week, to continue his talks with Arab and Israeli leaders. American officials seemed optimistic about Saudi Arabia’s efforts to make the issue of Syrian anti-aircraft missiles in Lebanon part of a broader diplomatic bid to resolve Lebanon’s main internal problems. The Saudi efforts, including the return of the Saudi Ambassador to Beirut after a two-year absence, will continue while Mr Habib and Mr Reagan review the situation.

Officials said the Administration hoped the Saudis were trying to defuse the crisis over the Syrian missiles rather than to settle the complex dispute in Lebanon between Muslims and Christians. Despite Mr Habib’s talks in Riyadh, they were

still not sure what the Saudis were trying to achieve or ■what. progress they had made.

One official said the Saudi Arabian role was one of good offices, and emphasised that the situation in the region remained dangerous and difficult.

But a high-ranking State Department official said the Administration had no reason to believe that any of the parties, including Syria and Israel, would take, provocative steps during the few days Mr Habib was expected to be in Washington. A White House spokesman said Mr Reagan and Mr Habib would meet as soon as possible, but gave no indication of what direction the Administration’s efforts would take if Mr Habib returned to the Middle East next week.

Mr Reagan said he thought it was “time for consultations. time for us to have a talk and then he’ll go back.” In Jerusalem, Israeli officals said that Mr Habib had made no significaant progress.. “There has been no progress worth mentioning,” one said.

The Israeli Prime Minister (Mr Menachem Begin) said that Saudi Arabia had so far been unsuccessful in its attempts to convince Syria to adopt a more conciliatory stand.

Syria was “in a so very warlike mood,” he said. The Syrians “have been making extreme statements and have called up tens of

thousands of reserve soldiers.” Saudi Arabia has said it wants a full settlement of conflicts in Lebanon and attention should not be focused on “such artificial issues” as the missile crisis. Meanwhile a four-man

British television crew held in Lebanon has been freed. The Thames Television team were filming for “TV Eye” when they were detained by Arab soldiers earlier this week. The crew has resumed filming.