NATIONAL NEWS
Parting Thoughts
On his last day in the Oval
Office, President Reagan
discusses the highlights, and
low points, of his eight years in
office, with an emphasis on the
Mideast.
TRUDE B. FELDMAN
Washington Correspondent
W
- -
- 11.ngton, D.C. —
Ronald Reagan says
that the saddest
moment of his presidency was
in October, 1983, when 241
U.S. Marines and servicemen
died in Beirut in a terrorist
bombing. He said he hoped
they did not die in vain, but
"it was not like dying in com-
bat or winning a battle."
In an exclusive, one-on-one
interview with the president
on his final day in the Oval
Office, as aides scurried
around outside, Reagan re-
mained relaxed and unhur-
ried as he reflected on the
highlights, and low points, of
his eight years in office, with
a particular emphasis on the
Mideast.
While the deaths of the
Marines still haunt Reagan,
the problems of the Mideast
also remain intractable, and
he said it is too soon to know
if the new U.S. dialogue with
the PLO will contribute to
peace. "The purpose of the
dialogue is to see whether, in
fact, there truly has been a
change of heart in the PLO,"
he said, adding that Presi-
dent Bush "will require actual
deeds, not simply slogans. He
will look to see whether the
PLO is prepared to act in a
way that makes peace possi-
ble."
Reagan expressed confi-
dence that Bush will be a
"great" president and will do
all he can to bring peace to
the Mideast, realizing that
"peace can come to the
Mideast only when we're able
to bring the principals —
Arabs and Israelis — to-
gether to finally talk and
negotiate and work out their
own peace."
Reagan characterized Bush
as an active vice president the
last eight years in a full range
of areas, including dealing
with terrorism. "He was the
architect" of the administra-
tion's policies on terrorism
and chaired the Task Force
"that advised me on ter-
rorism policy," Reagan said.
Reagan gave a measured re-
sponse to the question of how
the Palestinian intifada has
affected America's view of the
Mideast. "We deplore the
violence on both sides," he
said. "I think all Americans
deplore violence, no matter
who commits it. I also think
most Americans have a
strong commitment to Israel
and have a shared sense of
values. We are a steadfast ally
and that [policy] will not
change."
With Mikhail Gorbachev's
new cooperation, can the
Soviets be helpful in the
Mideast? Reagan said the
Soviet Union "still needs to
prove that it is really commit-
ted to a peaceful settlement
there.
"As long as it doesn't have
relations with. Israel, and as
long as it continues to sup-
port countries in the area like
Libya, who oppose peace, it is
difficult to see a role for the
Soviets. If they are prepared
to move in new directions,
perhaps then there will be a
basis on which to work to-
gether. That remains to be
seen."
The president added that
the Soviet position on the
Libya chemical plant shows
that the United States must
continue "to watch the
Soviets. We have to continue
to be vigilant and look to
Soviet behavior — not just
words."
On the subject of terrorism,
Reagan defended his policy
"not to negotiate or make
deals, not to trade for hos-
tages and to be tough on ter-
rorism. It's difficult to
measure," he acknowledged,
"because terrorist acts have
continued. But we believe a
lot more would have occurred
if terrorists knew they could
profit from terrorism. If we
gave in to their demands, if
we negotiated with them,
they'd have every incentive to
continue terrorist acts. So we
President Reagan: tried to "bring the world closer to peace."
have to believe our policies
have been successful.'
Reflecting on the Iran-
Contra affair, the crisis that
engulfed and threatened his
presidency, Reagan said he
will clarify the complex con-
troversies in his memoirs,
which he has just begun to
write. He said he will em-
phasize what he has said from
the outset, that "we were not
doing business with Kho-
meini [the leader of Iran] and
we were not trading arms for
hostages. I will pin it down
until everyone hears it and
knows it. The whole picture of
what transpired was dis-
torted by the media."
The president defended
George Bush on the matter,
saying he has been "complete-
ly honest. He was supportive
of our policy in Iran. He had
some reservations, but he on-
ly would discuss those reser-
vations with me."
Reagan said he was disap-
pointed with some of his key
aides for going "as far as they
did without reporting [back]
to me."
Reflecting on his eight
years in office, the president
said he was "pretty -much the
same person as when I came
here. I don't know that I've
changed. I believe in the same
things?' Asked to describe his
presidency in one line, he
responded: "I won the Cold
War."
He was referring to the re-
cent easing of relations be-
tween Washington and Mos-
cow, which he attributes to
the rebuilding of U.S.
strength. Reagan character-
"I think most
Americans have a
strong commitment
to Israel. . .We are
a steadfast ally
and that will not
change."
ized Soviet leader Gorbachev
as "very different" than
previous Soviet leaders. "I
know he still believes in the
philosophy he has followed all
his life," said Reagan. "On the
other hand, he is able to re-
cognize the failures of that
philosophy in regard to their
economy and so forth."
In view of glasnost and the
dramatic changes taking
place in the USSR, I asked
Reagan if he still believes the
world is headed for Armaged-
don, the climactic battle be-
tween the forces of good and
evil. "It's difficult to
disbelieve the prophecies of
the Bible," he observed, par-
ticularly that there would be
signs foretelling the Coming.
"I know there are many theo-
logians today who believe
that in recent years we have
begun to see the prophecies of
some of the things that the
Bible says would foretell it.
That would be the wars
fought to no conclusion and
wars such as what's going on
in the Mideast today; natural
disasters, changes in weather
and violent storms and earth-
quakes and things of that
kind. So I just won't dispute
the prophesies in the Bible."
Summing up, Reagan said
he simply strived to do his
task: "Serve my Lord, serve
my fellow man and preserve
peace and freedom in our
land, and bring the world
closer to peace." ❑