Brzezinski’s View on the PLO

President Carter’s National Security Affairs Advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, said yesterday that terrorists and radicals in the Palestine Liberation Organization “form part of the complexity” of the Middle East settlement process but he did not repudiate the PLO.

He avoided a direct response as to whether the U.S. would use commandos in the Middle East similar to the West German success in rescuing hostages in Somalia or whether the U.S. has in fact a commando unit equivalent to the German specialists.

Responding to questions from diplomatic correspondents at a luncheon sponsored by the Overseas writers club, Brzezinski was asked if, given its mediation role in the Middle East and its strong opposition to hijacking, the U.S. would use commandos. “No doubt the U.S. would take whatever action it is capable irrespective of its mediator role,” he said, observing that hijacking is an “outlaw activity” and “all states” have an obligation to wipe it out.

Brzezinski said that “elements” in the PLO “certainly are engaged” in terror and radical activities, but he noted the PLO also has “more moderate” elements.

Appearing to acknowledge that majorities in Congress are uneasy about U.S. Middle East policy, Brzezinski said he was “hopeful we’ll get Congressional support” for its movements to solve Arab-Israeli problems whose solutions he said “doubtlessly” will not come “soon or as a finished issue but will take some time.”

DODGES VIEW ON ‘LEVERAGE’

Brzezinski was asked about the economic and military “leverage” he indicated in a telecast two weeks ago the U.S. would use to bring Israel closer into line with the Carter Administration’s Middle East views, but he chose to skirt direct responses.

Pressed on whether he favored “squeezing Israel a little bit,” Brzezinski said that “all military and economic aid must be negotiated” and this “will continue to be the case” with negotiations to be conducted in “good faith.”