Enemies and Brothers

Lebanon's President Amin Gemayel made a surprise visit to Libya last week for talks with one of his most meddlesome adversaries, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Gemayel had ample reason to undertake the trip, which was doubtless encouraged by his powerful neighbors the Syrians. Gaddafi's government is thought to be a leading financial backer of Lebanon's extremist factions responsible for kidnapings and other terrorist acts in predominantly Muslim West Beirut. Gemayel would like to see those Libyan funds cut off and would welcome help from Gaddafi in ending Lebanon's prolonged internal strife.

Whether the two leaders accomplished anything in three hours of discussion over a two-day period was not clear, though diplomats considered it significant that no area of agreement was announced at the close of the meetings. As he headed for home, where sporadic fighting and kidnaping were continuing as usual, Gemayel seemed noncommittal. "It is natural," he declared with scarcely a touch of irony, "that we visit dear brothers with whom we face challenges."