Subtle Shuttle

Old problems, new approach

U.S. Special Envoy Robert McFarlane showed none of the intensity of his predecessor Philip Habib as he began his first swing through the Middle East last week. Displaying the manner that has earned him praise as deputy chief of the National Security Council, McFarlane, 46, was cautious, methodical and discreet. His goal, in the words of a State Department official, was to "meet the people and go over the basic issues." Unlike Habib, who sometimes got his best ideas in a flash of inspiration while talking to his counterparts, McFarlane organizes his discussions carefully beforehand and then sticks to his notes when he is talking.

But despite the new approach, there was little hope that McFarlane would make much progress on the most pressing of the basic issues: the withdrawal from Lebanon of Israel's 36,000 troops, Syria's 60,000 and the Palestine Liberation Organization's 10,000. His mission was lent new urgency, however, by an outbreak of fresh violence in Lebanon. A spate of bombings, including a car bomb that exploded outside a crowded mosque in Tripoli, killed 23 people and wounded more than 50 in one 24-hour period alone.

Three months ago U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz had persuaded Lebanon and Israel to sign an agreement that called for the Israelis to pull their forces out of Lebanon provided Syria and the P.L.O. did the same. But Syria was not a party to the negotiations, and American confidence that Syria would quickly agree to the mutual pull-out arrangement proved wrong. Syrian President Hafez Assad denounced the Israeli-Lebanese agreement and declared that Habib would not be welcome in Damascus to discuss the issue. That left President Reagan little choice but to name a new envoy.

McFarlane's first stop was Beirut, where he conveyed Israel's request that the Lebanese exchange formal letters of ratification, the mechanism that would put the agreement into effect. Lebanese President Amin Gemayel politely refused, explaining that he first wanted guarantees that Israel was seriously committed to a complete withdrawal. Last month Israel announced that it would pull its troops back 17 miles, to the Awali River, but Gemayel wanted a timetable for the next phase of the withdrawal. In Jerusalem the government of Prime Minister Menachem Begin told McFarlane that Israel would commit itself to a timetable only if Syria did so as well.

The new envoy's most difficult stop, however, would be his visit to Damascus. Early last week, Assad accused the U.S. of creating "a state of disorder" in the Arab world. "This mediation," Assad said, referring to McFarlane's efforts, "cannot be accepted unless we accept that the enemy can be a fair judge." U.S. analysts believe Assad may be talking tough to bolster his prestige at home. They note that the Syrian President has hinted that if the proper "inducements" were offered he might be amenable to a withdrawal from Lebanon. These could include guarantees that Lebanon would not be used as a base for hostile acts against Syria.

As a possible first step, McFarlane may try to get Syria and Israel to pull their troops back from their present positions in the Bekaa Valley of eastern Lebanon, where they are now only 500 yards apart in some places. Such a disengagement might interest Syria because Israeli forces are positioned within easy artillery range (18 miles) of Damascus. McFarlane said late last week that he had been encouraged by his talks so far. But unless he had something new to offer Syria, Lebanon's agony would not soon end. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.