Europeans Stop Short of Action Against Syria

European Communities foreign ministers Monday failed to agree on common measures against Syria for its alleged involvement in the attempted bombing of an Israeli airliner, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jacques Poos said.

But ministers from 11 of the 12 member nations issued a statement expressing a shared sense of outrage that the agents of a nation were involved in the incident.

The statement, which Greece refused to endorse, did not mention Syria by name.

Envoys Not Recalled

Common Market diplomats said that France, West Germany, Spain and Greece blocked a British proposal to recall ambassadors from Damascus temporarily for consultations, the measure at the center of the British plea for support from its partners.

Poos said the proof provided by Britain for Syria’s alleged involvement in the April attempt to smuggle a bomb onto an El Al Israel Airlines jetliner in London was very substantial.

He said the evidence presented by Britain showed that Jordanian Nezar Hindawi, who last Friday was convicted by a London court in the attempted bombing, had contacts with Syrian Embassy and intelligence officials before and after the attempt. Britain severed diplomatic relations with Syria after Hindawi’s conviction.

Poos said the 11 nations that issued the statement decided to confront Syria with this evidence before they consider further measures at a meeting in London on Nov. 10.

One measure adopted by the 11 Monday was to declare that any diplomat expelled by Britain over the case would not be accepted by any other country.

The measures to be considered further are a ban on arms sales and official visits, a reduction in the number of diplomats and tighter security measures for the official Syrian airline.

Poos said that in refusing to go along with the decision, Greece maintained that proving the involvement of Syrians did not necessarily mean proving the involvement of the Damascus government.

Theodore Pangalos, Greece’s European affairs minister, said: “We cannot accept that the whole of the Syrian government is engaged in terrorism. We should not blame the whole of Syria for what a couple of individuals may have done.

“Greece is against terrorism but is not against Syria,” Pangalos said.

Need for Bridges

Other delegates, while supporting a strong stand against terrorism, argued that it would be a mistake to burn all bridges to Syria.

“Syria holds a key position in the Middle East,” Belgian Foreign Minister Leo Tindemans said before the final statement was issued. “A rupture with Syria would mean the loss of many contacts in the Middle East, for instance in the question of Lebanon.”

Any Common Market sanctions against Syria, which has denied Britain’s charges of terrorism, would have to be unanimous.

‘A Collective Message’

Common Market diplomats said the proposed ban on arms exports appeared aimed at France for its reported sales to Syria.

Diplomatic sources said Britain is not looking for the others to follow its example in every detail.

“But it is extremely important to send a collective message to Syria that its behavior had not been acceptable,” one source said.