'Nothing Can Be Achieved by Force'

For a full week after submitting his resignation to President Franjieh, Rashid Karami lived in a strange kind of limbo while the Lebanese crisis came to a climax. Because the President declined to act on his resignation, Karami remained de facto Premier. Yet he no longer wanted the job. "I felt there was no other way," he explained. "I thought that my resignation would be the kind of shock that could move the situation to a solution." Franjieh thought otherwise. At week's end he asked Karami to remain in office. "Under the circumstances," the Premier told TIME, "I found it impossible to go through with it; I don't want to disturb the country even more in this time of crisis." Even as Karami spoke, the frailty and the powerlessness of his government--among the reasons for his original resignation--were once again demonstrated. Fresh fighting bubbled up in one section of Beirut. With Lebanon's own police and internal security forces paralyzed and demoralized, steel-helmeted, heavily armed Palestinian troopers, some from the Palestine Liberation Army's " Yarmuk" brigade, took over security duties in Moslem-controlled western Beirut, which has been gripped by a spasm of looting, kidnaping and general lawlessness.

Some other observations from Premier Karami in his interview with TIME's Karsten Prager and Abu Said Abu Rish in Beirut:

On the Palestinian Security Presence. The government did not meet to discuss this matter. It was arranged by the military cease-fire committee. It is better to have forces that are officially recognized than to have guerrillas in the streets. And it will last for only a short time, until the government again has its own forces capable of playing their role.

On the P.L.A. Departure. I am sure that what has been declared will be respected. I can assure you that these forces will leave Lebanon when Lebanon asks them to leave--after arrangements have been made for the implementation of the [settlement].

On the Syrian Role. We are grateful for Syrian help in getting us through this crisis. Whatever has been done has been done with the official agreement of Lebanon. The Syrians acted as brothers and neighbors and friends. President Franjieh acted [on the Syrian initiative] when he had a guarantee that what was accepted would be implemented. He could not move earlier because he could not be convinced that all sides would respect whatever was accepted--considering all the earlier cease-fires that were not respected. No part of the population had any confidence. But after the most recent developments, the conviction grew that now was the time to move.

On the Army. If there has been something like a split, it has been a very limited one. Our army is one package and it has, until now, not been affected by events. The army was not used [in the crisis] because if it had been pushed into an active role, the results would have been even worse. It is my principle that force is not the way to solve our problem, only dialogue.

On the Future. I am sure that at least 95% of the Lebanese people reject what has happened. All Lebanese want to live as one family. Once the weapons are taken away, you are going to see Lebanese--Moslems and Christians--kissing each other on the streets. It is better to forget. There is no other way.

I think that after this painful experience, the people are convinced that nothing can be achieved by force, that there must be dialogue. All have agreed to a new reform program for a new Lebanon. For all sides are equal in force, equal in territory, equal in rights. This cease-fire came about because everyone was convinced that it was time to stop the deterioration, to stop the killing. What we want is a peaceful Lebanon, a Lebanon that can satisfy all Lebanese. There is no reason for this cease-fire to break down because all parties have agreed to return to normal, to live together and to save the country.

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