U.S. Sees Cairo Murder As Derailing Mideast Peace Process

The State Department, in expressing regret today at the assassination of an Israeli diplomat in Cairo, said it sees the terrorist act as derailing the Middle East peace process.

Department deputy spokesman Charles Redman said that while the U.S. has no direct evidence “the circumstances are such however, — the parties, the timing — that it clearly appears to be an effort at slowing down, impeding the peace process.”

While Redman had no indication of who was responsible, he said the U.S. is “confident that the Egyptian authorities are doing everything possible to apprehand and punish those responsible for this despicable act.”

Redman earlier read the following statement: “The United States deeply regrets the assassination of the Israeli diplomat in Cairo and the wounding of two of his companions. We offer our condolences to the families of the victims and to the government of Israel. We strongly deplore this further demonstration of violence against members of the diplomatic community.”

CONCERNED BY EVENTS IN LEBANON

Redman also read a statement in which the U.S. said it was “deeply concerned” by the recent escalation of car bombings in Lebanon. “The longer the cycle of violence continues the longer anarchy reigns the more difficult it will become to reconstruct the economic and political life of the country” he said.

But Redman, as he has said on several previous occasions, maintained that the U.S. does not link the violence in Lebanon with the peace process or with the recent visit to the Middle East by Richard Murphy, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.

Redman said Murphy was back in Washington today and had begun consultations with President Reagan, Secretary of State George Shultz and others on his six-day trip which included talks with the leaders of Israel, Jordan and Egypt. He said once the consultations are completed an assessment will be made of what should be the next step by the U.S. in the peace process.