 So we presented the unified front there in Lebanon. I have to be optimistic. I think that both sides are in good faith trying to come together. Given the fact that public opinion is so skittish about military involvement in a foreign country, can you afford not to work out some sort of a compromise with the Congress? Well, I just feel that for the very mission that the Marines are there, that we should be presenting a unified front. Mr. President, your administration, however, seems to be in a bit of an untenable position of claiming that Marines in Lebanon aren't involved in hostilities, even though four of them have been killed. What's your definition of hostilities in this kind of a situation? Well, again, since this is all part of the thing that's being negotiated, I'm a little hard put to comment on that question. Let me say that the term imitant hostilities, which is incorporated in the War Powers Act, there seems to be some legal disagreements about the technicalities and the meaning of that. There is no question that there is danger. But then this had to be anticipated in the very sending in of the modern national force. There are four countries represented there who sent a force in, not to engage in combat, but to lend a stability and an order when the foreign forces in Lebanon would withdraw and then the Lebanese government for the first time in eight years would set out with its own armed forces to re-establish its control over its territory and its borders that this force would be behind. But with the faction of fighting that for eight years was going on, we were aware that that was not exactly sending them on a vacation. I think your aides are telling us that the main problem you have with the War Powers Act is that there's some constitutional questions about the division of power between the legislative and the executive. Do you believe that the War Powers Act is unconstitutional? Well, this again is part of the legal difference that is going on. And again, I don't feel I should comment while this is being discussed, but that is not the issue that's being debated. Now, we have not made any appeal on that basis at all. We are simply seeking mutual agreement between ourselves and the Congress that will lead to support of the Democratic State. The Democrats, though, Mr. President, say that there was a basis for mutual agreement earlier in the weekend you turned it down. At least they're saying that the House Democratic leadership offered you, offered to support keeping the Marines in Lebanon for another 18 months, no strings attached. Why didn't you take that deal? Why wasn't that a good one from your perspective? I don't think that was a reason for any turn down. There were still differences in the negotiations that were going on, and some of those were differences within the Congress itself that could not agree on some of these points like that. Mr. President, just changing the subject to Lebanon itself, we are told that by next Friday the battleship in Jersey will be off the coast of Lebanon. Does this indicate an escalation and are we heading for a small war? No, that is not our intention and our mission has not changed. The mission that I described earlier of being a stabilizing force there as Lebanon tried to reinstate itself as a sovereign nation with control of its own territory. No, we have no intention of enlarging forces. We have no intention of... What is the mission of the New Jersey? We have found in this danger that I described before as we all know that in the factional fighting that is going on, which is aided and developed by the Syrians, we are definitely influenced by the Soviet forces in their country now, by Palestinians, PLO, who have come back in after having been housed from Lebanon, and there have been direct assaults upon the multinational forces. We have taken casualties. We have had fatalities. So have our allies. And I have given orders that the Marines are going to be able to protect themselves. We are not asking them to sit there and... And that concludes, if necessary, the fire within the New Jersey. Yes. And we have already, on one occasion as you know, used naval gunfire to silence the guns that were shooting at our men and New Jersey has more firepower put together than all the ships that are out there now. Yes, the New Jersey has quite a bit of firepower. You spoke about the Soviets and their presence. Would you say their role was a obstacle to peace and how does it affect our overall relationship with the Soviet Union right now? Have you made any protests or any communications with the Soviets? I don't see that... Well, we're continually protesting about things of this kind. I don't see that there's anything new in this. Yes, the Soviet is a hostile influence there against peace and intends to be just as the Soviet Union is involved in what is going on in Central America. And it is time that more people in the world and certainly in our country realized that the Soviet Union is bent on imperialism, on expansion and aggression, and where there is trouble, they love to stir the pot, and this they're doing. While we're talking about Soviets, Mr. President, there seem to be some reports that there are Soviet advisers operating with Syrian forces in the area where Israel pulled back. Can you tell us anything about that? No, we've had reports of that, and let me just say, I think there's every indication that there is an influence on the Syrians. It fits the pattern that they have followed for many years. But when you say influence, you're talking about a Soviet military influence on the ground as well as a geopolitical influence? I would assume that is taking place, yes. Can I go back to the question of military force? You said that you prepared to have the Marines defend themselves. Are you prepared to let the Marines leave their defensive positions, for instance, and operate with the Lebanese army if necessary? No, that has never been a part of our consideration. They're in areas as are the military men of the other nations, designated areas and positions. And no, we have not suggested that they involve themselves because that wouldn't be involving themselves in the combat that's going on. No, they are to defend themselves. Mr. President, have you thought about how much more military force you prepared to use in Lebanon and under what circumstances? Whatever is necessary to protect our men. In that connection, there is now a struggle going on in the mountains for the last, essentially, Lebanese government's last stronghold in Lebanon. If that falls, our men become more significant. Is there any point at which we would be forced to withdraw if the Druze and the Syrians were to reoccupy my favor? I don't think that's a question that I should answer now. Anything we'll do will be in consultation with our allies in the modern national forces. Obviously, if their position became untenable, then I'm quite sure that all of us would take the appropriate action. What are you hearing from our allies now in this current moment of danger, as you called it? Well, they themselves, we're in constant consultation with them. They feel as we do, and they themselves have taken up defense in their own behalf. Mr. President, Marines have been in Lebanon now for over a year, and there hasn't really been much apparent progress on the military front or the diplomatic front. What makes you believe that you can do in the months ahead what you haven't been able to do in the last 12 months, 13 months? Now, let me question our challenge this item. There hasn't been much progress. Let's remember back when this was first conceived. First of all, it was part of the peace plan for the entire Middle East that I had proposed. It was now centered on Lebanon. Lebanon happened to be the place where the bombing and the shelling was going on and where there were PLO forces, Syrian forces and Israeli forces, all there in and on the soil of Lebanon. Our goal was to clear up that situation and get the forces out of Lebanon and then to persuade our friends among the Arab nations and the Israelis to enter into negotiations to eliminate their long-standing problems and to have more nations in the Middle East do what Egypt did. But it seems that Lebanon has turned into such a festering sore that we've almost even forgotten about the entire peace plan. Yes, but remember the situation when we started. Remember the forces that were fighting there, the Israelis against the PLO that were entrenched in the heart of the city, the hundreds and hundreds of civilian casualties that were taking place. We now have an agreement, a pact between Lebanon and the Israelis. They have made one phase of withdrawal and have promised to assure that they are going to leave Lebanon. Now, at that time, Syria had said that it too would leave, that when everyone left, they would leave. Then came the Syrian reversal in which they now denied it or refused to leave and are insisting on control in a sense over another sovereign nation, Lebanon. There was the assassination of Jamal, the brother of the president who had been elected president and now we have the new president. So what has happened is the bulk of the conflict that we're having is the kind of disorder that began eight years ago in Lebanon when the various factions, the Druze, the phalangists, each one of whom, these separate groups created their own militia, their own armed force and now what had not been anticipated with Syria promising to get out was not only their reversal but now their backing and promoting of the Druze and the phalangists in all this fighting and in their resistance to the Lebanese armed forces who are trying to restore order. And I think that you think that the debate that's going on on Capitol Hill is giving aid and comfort to the Syrians. Is that correct? I think as long as there is an indication or they feel that possibly this could result in some withdrawal of our forces. Yes, it is giving aid and comfort to them. Do you think the Soviets, Mr. President, are in any way responsible for this reversal of the Syrian positions? I'm quite sure there is an influence there, yes. Some people in this country say that this whole recent stage of the problem began after the Israeli withdrawal and that the Israelis, according to some people, have left the Americans and they're always holding the bag. No, we ourselves, we went in there with the intention of persuading the Israelis to withdraw. It is true that when the Israelis pulled back from those positions, these factional fighting, we have areas in there such as in the Shuf where the Druze claim that is more or less their homeland. Then you have the phalanges. Remember that much of this fighting is going on, not against the government, but between factions that were the ones who contributed to the disorder for something years now. Do you consider your overall plan, how would you assess your state, your overall plan for the Middle East as of now? Well, we can't just write it off. It is too vital to the Western world. The original purpose, as I say, Lebanon was just one facet that had to be cleared up while we went after the main goal and the main goal was to bring the Arab states and the Israelis together. Remember that a year, as of a year ago, we were talking about a situation in which only Egypt had said they recognized Israel's right to exist as a nation. Since that time, there has been indication on their side that they are prepared to enter into negotiations. They are prepared to recognize Israel's right to exist. When you say their side, the Arab states, the holdout at the moment is Syria. President, can I go back to your aid and comfort statement? That almost sounds like a reasonable activity. Some people would define it that way. But earlier on in the conversation, you said that you felt like there was a lot of good faith on both sides on this thing. It doesn't seem to square. Could you help us out on that a little bit? Yes. Well, we're trying to work this out. What it meant was that if you look at the War Powers Act in its entirety, someone on the outside, such as Syria, could look at a discussion over this, could look at that clause about 60 days of limitation on them staying in. And it would be only natural for them to say to themselves, well, all we have to do is hang on for 60 days and they may be gone. Now, I don't think that those negotiations, I didn't mean to imply a blame on one side or the other in the negotiations. Everyone is in good faith. I was speaking to the standpoint of what it looks like to the fellow on the outside. But the House Democrats are saying 60 days is a red herring that they've offered you 18 months, which would not only take care of the American election problem, but it would take care of this problem of giving the wrong signal to the Syrians and the Soviets. Again, as I say, it is not intentional. Anyone's part up there. It is the perception that is given to that outside enemy of what might be going on. Can we just ask one political question? That is, many's policy has traditionally been held hostage to American presidential elections. Do you have any hope that you can further your peace initiative before the 84 elections? We've got Senator John Glenn is already throwing out the idea that maybe you should move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. And I think we're going to hear a lot of ideas about what you shouldn't, shouldn't do. Well, I know, and in many instances, they're suggesting that we, in advance, impose some of the conditions that we feel should be negotiated between those various forces of the Arabs and the Israelis. And we never set out with this peace plan to impose something on them. So we have refrained from everything. We think this is the way it should come out. What we've said is these are the matters to be negotiated. We stand ready to aid in any way we can in that negotiation, but it is not our place to impose a plan on anyone there. But is the political activity that you enter in now a complicating factor? You mean American domestic? Well, I think suggestions of that kind, because they would be suggesting that we do something that we feel properly belongs in the negotiations that would take place between the Arabs and the Israelis. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you so much. We're going to come to Asia on our own. Well, I'm wondering if the Congress is going to still be here. Mr. President, we're running about 10 minutes late.