Ford Praises Israel. Syria for Having ‘acted Very Responsibly’ in the Continuing Lebanon Crisis

President Ford praised both Syria and Israel yesterday for having “acted very responsibly” in the Lebanon crisis. He said that if the crisis is resolved and a central government is again functioning in Lebanon, “then the restraint Syria has had and the restraint Israel has had will have gotten the Middle East off one of the most potential volatile situations in recent months there.”

The President also disclosed that the U.S. is “working with the parties” in the Mideast for an extension of the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on the Golan Heights which expires at the end of May.

Ford made his remarks in response to question at a meeting with newspaper editors 01 Texas where he is engaged in a tight race with Ronald Reagan in that state’s Presidential primaries.

Ford also predicted “additional headway” in the Middle East if Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization are able to resolve their differences. He stressed that “those two parties will have to make that decision,” according to a transcript of his remarks.

U.S. TOLERANCE OF SYRIAN INTERVENTION

While the President was speaking here, his press secretary. Ron Nessen. briefing newsmen at the White House, indicated the expansion of U.S. tolerance of Syrian intervention in Lebanon. He said “the United States opposes outside military intervention that could lead to a military confrontation or to a Middle East war.”

That was a departure from Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger’s statement last December that the U.S. opposed military intervention in Lebanon from “any quarter” without the qualifying reference to confrontation or war. Later, however, when the Syrian-sponsored Palestine Liberation Army and Syrian regulars entered Lebanon, Administration officials, including Kissinger, praised Syria’s “constructive role.”

Yesterday. Nessen said, according to the White House transcript, “Even though we are opposed to outside military intervention that will lead to a confrontation, if you look at Syria’s intent and nature of what they have done, I think overall you would have to say they have played a constructive role.” He did not deny that U.S. tolerance of Syrian activities in Lebanon had expanded.

Kissinger, testifying before a Senate foreign aid subcommittee last week, spoke of a worrisome situation regarding Syrian military intervention in Lebanon and of Israel’s difficult position. Reports reaching here from Lebanon since then have indicated that the U.S. put great pressure on Israel not to move against Lebanon in any way regardless of possible provocations stemming from the proximity of Syrian forces to the Israeli border.

Ford’s remarks here also seemed to indicate an edging away from the often stated U.S. position that it would have no contacts with the PLO unless that group recognizes Israel’s existence as a sovereign state. Asked, “Will Israel have to sit down with the PLO,” Ford replied: “That is a decision they have to make and it is. of course. Involved, because Israel says as long as the PLO does not recognize the existence of Israel, they are not going to negotiate with the PLO. But that is a decision they have to make. Somehow I feel that we can make additional headway there but those two parties will have to make that decision.”

SOME HEADWAY IN LEBANON

With respect to the Lebanese situation, the President said that the special envoy he sent to that country last month. Ambassador L. Dean Brown, has been “negotiating and working with all parties.” He added “and it has been tough, but I think that we have made some headway.” Nessen told reporters that when he made his last check, Brown had made no contacts with the PLO in Lebanon. “There have been exchanges between the United States and all the parties involved (in Lebanon) with the exception of the PLO.” Nessen stated.

Kissinger had informed the JTA two weeks ago that Brown would be in violation of his instructions if he contacted the PLO during his mission in Lebanon, The State Department indicated, when Brow departed, that his instructions did not include contacts with the PLO but the Department did not seem to rule out the possibility of such contacts.

TRYING FOR UNOF EXTENSION

The President said yesterday that if the Lebanese conflict can be resolved satisfactorily. “I think the prospects for peace in the Middle East continuing are excellent and a satisfactory solution to the Lebanese problem can’t help but have a beneficial impact on the extension of what we call UNDOF which comes up in May. So we are working with the parties there to try and get that extension, If that is extended, that gives us another six months to continue the peace process in the Middle East.”

Ford added that he did not think “we are going to have an outbreak or conflict in the Middle East because our whole thrust, our whole leadership in this area, is to keep the peace so we can continue the peace-making process in the whole area which is, you know from history, the most controversial, emotional area in the history of mankind, really. But I am confident that wiser heads are working to really achieve success of peace moves in that area.”