Looking For a Way Out

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The security plan, which is being worked out with the aid of Syrian and Saudi Arabian envoys, calls for the Lebanese Army to move south from Beirut to the Awali River, where the Israeli occupation zone begins, and north toward the port city of Tripoli, which the Syrians dominate. Lebanese police forces would patrol the hills above Beirut, the Chouf Mountains and the volatile southern suburbs. By moving equally into both Muslim and Christian strongholds, the government hopes to silence the guns of the warring militias.

One hitch is that Gemayel wants the Marines to act as a back-up for the Lebanese Army as it expands its area of control. "Are you kidding?" says a top State Department official, reflecting Washington's lack of enthusiasm for the idea. Agrees a White House aide: "One thing we won't do is appear to be marching alongside the Lebanese Army." The Syrians and Israelis apparently do not object to the plan, while two key Lebanese factions, the Christian Phalange and the Shi'ite Muslim group known as Amal, have tentatively pledged their support. But Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt, concerned about Lebanese soldiers entering his fief in the Chouf, said the arrangement was "not acceptable," which prompted another bout of last-minute dickering. If the agreement is implemented, the U.S. expects Gemayel to make good on his promises to share power. Notes a senior State Department official: "The security pact would clear the way for national reconciliation to go forward."

U.S. officials nonetheless caution against optimism. "There has been a lot of hype in calling this arrangement new and comprehensive," says a State Department staffer. "Everyone seems to want to do this, but this is the Middle East, remember."

Israeli cooperation is especially important. Plagued by continuing casualties and poor morale among its 28,000 troops in southern Lebanon, Jerusalem is contemplating pulling most of them out without a simultaneous Syrian withdrawal. A hasty exit could bring chaos. Israeli officials, however, insist they would coordinate their move with the Lebanese Army, which would enhance Gemayel's authority.

It is ironic that just as hopes for a settlement are rising slightly, support for the Administration's Middle East policies is eroding. Members of Congress began returning to Washington last week from the holiday recess, and their ears were ringing with constituents' complaints about the Marine presence in Beirut. Republican Charles Percy of Illinois, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, voiced his disapproval, while Texas Republican John Tower, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, hastily flew to the Middle East to study the eployment. National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane met with House Republican leaders to try to quell their misgivings. He argued that the Marines were now adequately protected from attack. Not only are some 500 to 600 ferried from the airport to the ships every night, but those on shore now live in underground bunkers built of steel ship cargo containers.