Archive Report
Archive Report
Lebanese Reconstruction
Uncertain Prospects for U.S. Peace Plan
The Israeli invasion of Lebanon last summer and the expulsion of Palestinian military forces from West Beirut significantly altered prospects for a Middle East peace settlement, creating new opportunities and pitfalls for U.S. diplomacy. In contrast to the 1973 Middle East war, which brought the superpowers to the brink of confrontation,1 the Soviet Union remained on the sidelines this year and the U.S. government emerged as the generally recognized arbiter of Middle East affairs. Now that the U.S. election is over and the Reagan administration is free of campaign pressures, the president is expected to renew his push for a comprehensive peace settlement when Prime Minister Menachem Begin calls on him Nov. 19 during a private visit to ...