Middle East: A Region in Search of a Policy

Lebanese talks fail, and Reagan decides against missile sales to Jordan

"Get your sandbags ready," snapped Walid Jumblatt, the volatile leader of Lebanon's Druze community, as he emerged from the elegant lakeside Beau Rivage Hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland. His message was all too clear. After nine days, the latest negotiations to bring about a reconciliation of Lebanon's religious factions had ended in failure, and a return to warfare seemed inevitable.

Hours later, fighting broke out once more in Beirut, not only between Christians and Muslims but also between Druze militiamen and a radical...

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