Middle East Let the Chess Game Begin

Despite his reputation as a plodding and phlegmatic diplomat, Secretary of State George Shultz does not lack for energy. His wanderings over the past two weeks in search of a Middle East peace have taken him to Jerusalem, Amman, Damascus, Cairo and London, where Jordan's King Hussein met with him between bouts of dental surgery. After two days of NATO summitry in Brussels, the Shultz shuttle, with Ronald Reagan's blessing, rumbled back to London before heading to the Middle East again. Said an elated senior diplomat aboard Shultz's plane: "It's the only game in town."

The game, however, is as complex...