Europeans Appear Willing to Join U.S. on Libya Curbs

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Vernon A. Walters will undertake a mission to Western European capitals this weekend, Administration officials said Tuesday, amid signs that his attempt to strengthen allied cooperation against Libyan terrorism may be well received.

One high-ranking French diplomat here said “there is bound to be what Americans would call an improvement in attitude,” at least by his country, toward the economic sanctions that the Reagan Administration has sought since the beginning of the year.

Against a background of reports that Libya again may be preparing terrorist actions against U.S. citizens, State Department spokesman Charles Redman announced that Walters will be touring Western Europe “at the direction of the President.”

When Walters made a similar trip last March, the allies were reluctant to support sanctions. A few weeks later, the Reagan Administration launched a bombing raid on the Libyan cities of Tripoli and Benghazi. This time, European leaders have indicated that they are taking U.S. intentions more seriously.

The new rounds of talks “are the highest level of a series of consultations on Libya since the Whitehead mission in January,” Redman said. He was referring to the largely unsuccessful attempt by Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead to enlist backing for tough sanctions against the regime of Moammar Kadafi.

At that time, Europeans bristled at the suggestion that they sever all economic ties with Tripoli when U.S. oil companies continued to conduct business there. But Redman pointed out Tuesday that the American firms left Libya last June 30 in compliance with President Reagan’s orders.

At the economic summit of industrialized nations in Tokyo in May, the United States and six allies vowed to take steps to isolate countries that sponsor international terrorism, including Libya. But the allies balked at President Reagan’s plea to join the United States in slapping new economic sanctions on Libya, a disappointment for the Administration.

Redman refused to say directly whether the Administration believes allied cooperation against Kadafi is still lacking. But he noted: “There’s been progress in some areas. There are other areas in which more progress can be made. We’re just going to continue to work at it.”

Itinerary Not Announced

Because of security precautions, Walters’ specific itinerary was not announced. But it is certain that an important stop will be Paris, where French diplomats said he will have a warmer welcome than last time.

France’s refusal in April to permit overflights of its territory forced British-based U.S. bombers to fly a longer route around the Iberian Peninsula to attack their Libyan targets--a factor cited in the loss of one plane at sea.

The overflights issue created tension between Paris and Washington and debate between Socialist President Francois Mitterrand and conservative Premier Jacques Chirac.

Chirac, who has taken an increasing interest in foreign policy since his Gaullist party won control of Parliament in mid-March, is reported to have asked that Walters meet with him as well as with Mitterrand this time.

‘Learned Our Lesson’

“We learned our lesson,” said one French diplomat who spoke on the condition that he not be identified. “We certainly want to avoid the mess we had last time.”

This diplomat said he believes the experience was costly to his country’s tourist business, as 30,000 Americans canceled travel plans at a loss of nearly $1 billion to French hoteliers and restaurateurs.

“We may not be quite ready for joint military action,” this diplomat said. “But we’ll be working much closer with Washington on the terrorism problem from now on.”

He said Walters’ trip should increase pressure on all the European allies to join in presenting a united front against Kadafi. “And there is bound to be what Americans would call an improvement in attitude by us,” he added.

Chad Plan Reported

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the Reagan Administration is weighing plans for a U.S.-French military operation to expel Libyan forces from Chad, the southern neighbor virtually annexed by Kadafi in the aftermath of a civil war there.

White House and State Department officials have repeatedly denied that a new military strike against Libya is being prepared, but White House spokesman Larry Speakes said earlier this week that the United States “will employ all appropriate measures to cause Libya to cease its terrorist policies.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. aircraft carrier Forrestal has canceled a scheduled port call in Israel and will remain on patrol in the central Mediterranean north of Libya, the Defense Department said.

An official denied that the move was an attempt to intimidate Kadafi.

“This is not a crisis action, nor has it anything to do with any perceived or actual action in the Mediterranean,” the official told Reuters.

The carrier, which is taking part in maneuvers with Egyptian naval forces north of that country, was scheduled to put into Haifa after the exercises ended Thursday.