Mrs. Thatcher, Facing I.r.a. Problem, Reportedly Asked Carrington Not to See Arafat

Mrs. Margaret Thatcher the British Prime Minister, is believed to have asked her Foreign Secretary, Lord Carrington, not to meet Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat this summer despite recent declarations by both her and Carrington that such a meeting might be inevitable.

Although a meeting is still possible near the end of the year, it would be in a wider framework and other European and Arab leaders would be present, it was reported.

The reason is that such a meeting could embarrass the British Government at a time when it is under growing international pressure to accord political status to the provisional Irish Republican Army. The Prime Minister has emerged as the toughest opponent of concessions to the IRA. The arguments she has been using would make her vulnerable to accusations of inconsistency, if Carrington were seen consorting with Arafat while she prohibits concessions to IRA hunger strikers.

This is believed to be one of the factors behind officially inspired reports during the weekend that Lord Carrington has changed his mind about meeting Arafat when Britain holds the EEC presidency this summer. Both he and the Prime Minister have recently been telling Parliament that such a meeting might be inescapable.

Nevertheless, it is not ruled out that another British minister might see Arafat during the summer. Carrington himself might meet the PLO chief towards the end of the year in the framework of the dialogue when other European and Arab leaders would be present. Carrington still regards the Middle East as the most important international issue of his EEC presidency.

Despite the news of Carrington’s change of heart, Jewish communal bodies are going ahead with plans for a mass rally in London’s Trafalgar Square on Sunday July 5. Press announcements of the rally have linked the Irish and Middle East questions by quoting Mrs. Thatcher’s refusal of political status.