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An exclusive interview
with Vice President Bush
on the Mideast.

W

ashington, D.C. —
George Bush, in his
second term as Vice
President, will continue to play a
crucial role in foreign affairs. In
addition to having visited 59
countries in the past four years,
Bush serves as Chairman of the
Special Situation Group (on crisis
management), which includes
officials of intelligence, the De-
fense and State Departments.
In the past, he has served as
Ambassador to the United Na-
tions, Chief of the Liaison Office
to the People's Republic of China
and as Director of the Central In-
telligence Agency.
In this exclusive interview,
Bush gives his views on foreign
policy issues as well as the con-
duct of foreign policy in the
Reagan-Bush Administration:
JN: If you suddenly became
President, how would you handle
foreign affairs in general, and the
situation in the Middle East in
particular?
BUSH: I'd strongly support the
President's policies in all foreign
matters. I also feel the convic-
tions I share with the President
on peace and on the economy
would be helpful if something
should happen to him.
As for our foreign policy, I
believe the machinery is work-
ing. I also believe that our policies
can move forward in many ways
under the able leadership and
guidance of Secretary of State
George Shultz and with the
strong assistance of National
Security Adviser Robert McFar-
lane. .
In the Mideast, I'd go forward
with President Reagan's 1982
Peace Initiative (which calls for
revitalizing the Camp David

,

.

peace process by broadening
direct negotiations among the
U.S., Egypt, Jordan and the
Palestinians.)
His plan would have my full
support. The Israelis didn't total-
ly agree with it, and the Arabs
didn't totally agree with it. We
didn't say it had to have every T
dotted and every T crossed, but
we think it provides an um-
brella under which agreement
can be reached through direct
negotiations.
Q: How can that 1982 proposal
be rekindled?
A: We need to work with the
parties to strengthen and deepen
the peace between Egypt and
Israel. Secondly, by getting Jor-
dan's King Hussein to come to the
peace table, and to involve re-
sponsible Palestinian Arabs in
the direct negotiating process.
Israeli Prime Minister Peres is
also interested in that approach.
Q: How do you define your poli-
cy in the Mideast?
A: Our objective is for Israel to
live in peace with her neighbors.
Our policy is not to impose a set-
tlement but to try to be a catalyst
for peace. Our policy is to stand
up against international terror in
Lebanon. We support an indepen-
dent Lebanon living without fore-
ign forces and without threat to
the Northern Galilee. That would
mean security arrangements in
the Southern part of Lebanon.
Letting Lebanon be what it used
to be — a peaceful, trading cen-
ter. We suppport an Israel with a
qualitative edge in terms of
armament, and thus guaran-
teeing the perpetuation of its
democracey. We also favor efforts
to swell the ranks of the more
moderate Arab countries and iso-

"Our policy is not
to impose a
settlement but
to try to be.
a catalyst
or peace.'

BY TRUDE B. FELDMAN

White House Correspondent

late the radicals. We're concerned
about radical Islam — the
Khomeinis and Qaddafis and
people of that nature.
Our policy is to find a just and
lasting peace. It has to be built on
an Israel living behind secure
and recognized boundaries. And
there has to be a solution to the
Palestinian question, as well as
follow-on talks from the 'Camp
David' process (direct negotia-
tions among the Parties . for
peace.)
Q: Will you change your
Mideast policy in your second
term?
A: No. Our policy will move for-
ward as it has. If the President
sees new facts, he will, obviously,
consider changing tactics, but the
fundamentals of policy won't
change.
Q: Your critics say in a second
term you would "do in" Israel.
What's your reaction to those
charges?
A: Israel will never be "done
in". I think the Israelis recognize
that with the Reagan/Bush team

they have strong friends at the
highest level of our government.
Our relations with Israel are at
an all-time high.
Q: Why are we cuddling up to
Syria when Syria is behind ter-
rorism?
A: I wouldn's say we're cud-
dling up to Syria. But in future
negotiations, we'd like to see
Syria be helpful, not only in get-
ting their own people out of Leba-
non, but also some of the other
radicals. Syria could also be help-
ful in guaranteeing implementa-
tion of a security arrangement for
Northern Galilee. I'm convinced
Israel would like to get out of
Lebanon. I also understand her
desire for secure borders.
Q: What's your reaction to Jor-
dan's recognition of Egypt?
A: We're pleased. It's a step in
the right direction.
A: What are the implications of
the Moroccan-Libyan alliance?
A: We're concerned about
Muammar el-Qaddafi. We've had
good relations with King Hassan
of _Morocco and want to continue

those relations. But, we're wary
of any arrangements with Qad-
dafi because we don't think he
keeps his word and we view him
as one who fundamentally
violates the tenets of internation-
al law.
° Q: Why do you plan to sell the
Saudis more weapons?
A: I don't know of any out-
standing requests from the
Saudis, but we support in a defen-
sive way the Arab countries in
the Gulf. Our decisions on par-
ticular arms sales are carefully
considered. One of the worst des-
tabilizing occurrences in the
Mideast would be to have it over-
run by Islamic radicals. When the
Saudis use the defensive AWACs
(Airborne . Warning & Control
System) which we sent to help
protect- them from Iranian air-
craft they do so responsibly. This
has vindicated our confidence in
them.
Q: It is alleged that the U,S.
imposed a cease fire upon Israel_
during the Lebanon war in 1982

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