State Dept. Says Reagan’s Order to Move Marines out of Beirut Was Not a Pullout but a Redeployment

The State Department maintained today that President Reagan’s order last night that the U.S. marines be moved from Beirut airport to ships of the U.S. Sixth Fleet offshore, was not a pullout but a redeployment aimed at strengthening U.S. participation in the multinational force.

“The objective is to make the MNF more effective,” State Department deputy spokesman Alan Romberg said. He also stressed that the U.S. continues to support the government of Lebanon headed by President Amin Gemayel and believes it still can bring about a reconciliation of the various factions in that country.

Despite Romberg’s statement, Reagan’s surprise announcement as he began a brief vacation at his California ranch, was seen as a pullout by most members of Congress, particularly those who had been urging that he withdraw the marines from Lebanon, and including most of the candidates for the Democratic Presidential nomination who want to challenge Reagan next November.

As late as yesterday afternoon, the Administration was still maintaining that it planned to keep U.S. forces on the ground in Lebanon.

In his announcement last night, Reagan said he had asked Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger to draw up a plan for the redeployment which he said would be in stages. Romberg said today that some 500 of the 1,600 marines would be moved to the ships within a month. He said that in addition to the marines, there would still be 107 American soldiers who are training the Lebanese army as well as the marines who guard the U.S. Embassy, remaining in Beirut.

DESCRIBES MNF AS A ‘PRESENCE’

Romberg stressed that the marines and other members of the MNF were not in Lebanon as a “fighting force”. He said instead, the MNF was there as a “presence” in order to “facilitate” achieving the goals the U.S. has pursued in Lebanon.

Those goals, as have been outlined since September, 1982, when the marines took up their positions at Beirut airport, are the reconstitution of the Lebanese government with the reconcilliation of all factions and government sovereignty over all of Lebanon; the withdrawal of Israeli, Syrian and Palestine Liberation Organization forces; and the security of Israel’s northern borders.

Romberg noted today that the marines at Beirut airport have not only become a “target” but have been used as an “excuse” by some groups which said they would not negotiate with the Gemayel government until the marines left Lebanon. The major demand by the Syrian-backed groups in Lebanon has been that Gemayel abrogate the May 17, 1983 withdrawal and security agreement with Israel. Romberg reiterated U.S. support for that agreement.

The State Department spokesman denied that last night’s announcement was a sudden decision. Romberg said there had been an ongoing review of the situation for weeks and President Reagan decided on the redeployment last week.

The Lebanese govenment gave its go-ahead two days ago, according to Romberg. He maintained that all members of the MNF had been consulted although there were reports that they were surprised by the announcement. Richard Murphy, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, was in Rome yesterday and was on his way to Paris and London today.

SERIES OF RAPID-FIRE DEVELOPMENTS

In related developments, it was reported from Paris today that France is anxious to replace its MNF contingents in Beirut with a United Nations force. British government sources said in London today that Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her senior ministers had decided yesterday to pull out the 115-man British contingent — the smallest component of the MNF–even before Reagan announced his decision. In Rome, Italy’s Defense Minister Giovanni Spadolini said his country, which has 1,500 troops in the MNF, was “preparing the same measures as the U.S. and Britain.”

In another development, Tass, the official Soviet news agency, announced that the Soviet Union was sending a senior member of its ruling Politburo, Geidar Aliyev, to Damascus next week on what Tass described as a “brief working visit” but gave no details.

The announcement seemed to indicate an expansion of the Soviet role in the Middle East. Moscow has consistently attacked the presence of the MNF in Beirut and has intimated that its strategy calls for the Lebanese crisis to be dealt with as part of an overall Middle East peace settlement with the participation of the major powers, including the USSR.

A United Nations spokesman said today that the UN would be willing to replace the MNF with a multinational force of its own, if the Lebanese government so requested and the Security Council approved. Soviet acquiesence would be required in the Security Council.

In his statement last night, Reagan said: “To enhance the safety of American and other MNF personnel in Lebanon, I have authorized U.S. Naval forces, under the existing mandate of the MNF, to provide naval gunfire and air support against any units firing into greater Beirut from parts of Lebanon controlled by Syria as well as against any units directly attacking American and MNF personnel and facilities.”

Romberg said the U.S. policy is not to support any faction or religious group in Lebanon but to fire back only when fired upon. He noted, however, that the U.S. now considers that any firing on Beirut endangers Americans, as it did today when the American Ambassador’s residence in Beirut was shelled.

The battleship New Jersey fired its 16 inch guns today — for the first time in two months — at Syrian controlled positions from which the envoy’s home was shelled. Damascus radio charged today that the shelling caused heavy casualties among civilians, including women and children and extensive damage.

Romberg noted that the U.S. has evacuated 90 American Embassy personnel and dependents from Beirut yesterday and today. There are still 196 U.S. government employes in Beirut and 1,350 private American citizens. In addition, he said, there were 900 civilians in Beirut who hold dual U.S.-Lebanese citizenship and 174 Lebanese who have resident alien status in the U.S. Romberg said there has been no general evacuation of Americans from Beirut although the State Department has issued an advisory against travelling there.