Arab Governments Alarmed at Marxist Takeover of Guerrilla Movements

The Arab governments are alarmed at the prospect of a Marxist take-over of the guerrilla movement, Times correspondent Paul Martin reported from Beirut today. They see a threat to their very existence in the rise of the extreme left, notably the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine headed by Dr. George Habbash, a militant Marxist who has proclaimed his goal to be the destruction of the existing Arab regimes as well as of Israel, Mr. Martin said. The Popular Front and its even more extreme left-wing offshoots are a minority among the guerrillas but, in the view of the Arab governments, they are giving political direction to the Palestine Liberation movement. They have an advantage over the more powerful and relatively moderate El Fatah in that they are sustained from outside the Arab orbit whereas El Fatah depends upon the Arab regimes for material support, Mr. Martin wrote. This fact has enabled the extremists to set the pace in the conflict between the Palestinians and the regimes of Jordan and Lebanon. According to informed sources however, the Soviet Union appears to be moving toward support of King Hussein and El Fatah, despite Dr. Habbash’s avowedly Marxist aims. Observers point out that Soviet policy is based on pragmatism not ideology and it will support Arab regimes that have outlawed their local Communist parties but will oppose leaders like Dr. Habbash whom it is unable to control. Mr. Martin reported that Premier Golda Meir’s seeming acceptance of the United Nations Security Council’s Nov. 22, 1967 resolution in a recent Knesset speech was received by many Egyptian officials as the beginning of an “Israeli thaw.” They did not disregard the fact that it coincided with a rough diplomatic period for Israel.