P.L.O. leader pins hopes on diplomacy

Press, 28 June 1983, Page 10

P.L.O. leader pins hopes on diplomacy

NZPA-Reuter Tunis Yasser Arafat’s prospects of retaining control of the Palestinian guerrilla movement hinged yesterday on Arab efforts to mediate in his row with Syria. Mr Arafat, expelled from Damascus after accusing Syria of giving military support to rebels challenging his leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, is planning visits to Arab States that could help to mediate in the dispute. Arab diplomatic sources said that, after being persuaded that an Arab summit meeting or special meeting of Foreign Ministers would be counter-productive, Mr Arafat has pinned his hopes on “quiet diplomacy” to bring about a softer line by Syria. His main hopes in mediation appeared to lie with Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, whose Foreign Ministers have all been in Damascus in recent days. The P.L.O. chief, who has been cut off by Syria from his loyal troops in Lebanon,

was expected to travel first to Algeria, whose Foreign Minister, Mr Ahmed Taleb Ibrahimi, returned from Damascus yesterday. Failure to mediate a solution could place Arab leaders in a quandary. They could face the choice of backing Mr Arafat but at the risk of bringing about an irrevocable split in the P.L.O. and further dividing the Arab world between radical and moderate zamps.