Anatomy of A Decision

The decision was made by one man, against the recommendation of nearly every other senior Administration adviser. But he happened to be the U.S. Secretary of State and the most powerfully determined opponent to a U.S. appearance by P.L.O. Chairman Yasser Arafat. George Shultz proudly takes -- and certainly deserves -- full credit for the Great Visa Flap.

The bulldog Secretary acted "from his gut," say State Department aides, but not completely without outside support. A majority of 51 Senators urged him not to admit Arafat. Some members of Congress had been quietly in touch with Jewish representatives. "We didn't want...