Cabinet Officers in Europe to Ease Allies’ Fears

In a major damage-control exercise, several members of President Reagan’s Cabinet have crossed the Atlantic in an effort to ease mounting concern among America’s key West European allies in the wake of the Iran arms scandal.

Revelations that the Administration apparently was talking with senior figures in the Iranian government while simultaneously pressing its European allies not to negotiate with sponsors of terrorism have seriously undermined U.S. credibility in Western Europe and raised concerns about the conduct of American foreign policy.

Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III, here to confer with European Communities interior and justice ministers on measures to control terrorism and drug trafficking, also met informally Tuesday with his British, Italian and Belgian counterparts, apparently to clarify U.S. policy on terrorism and Iran.

Luncheon Meeting

Secretary of State George P. Shultz met with French External Relations Minister Jean-Bernard Raimond, West German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher and British Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe for lunch at Howe’s country residence outside London.

He then conducted extended private talks Tuesday evening with Howe, the man who--more than anyone--has argued the case in Europe for a hard line toward nations linked with terrorist activities.

Shultz has described his mission as attempting to restore the Administration’s credibility in foreign policy.

On Monday, Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger met for nearly an hour with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street, and also saw Howe. Agriculture Secretary Richard E. Lyng was also in London.

Explaining Policy

At a news conference here Tuesday, Meese elaborated on his view of European concern and acknowledged that the presence of so many senior officials was in part to explain Administration policy on Iran.

“I think one of the main concerns they (Europeans) have is what happened, why did it happen and what was the President intending to do,” Meese said. “One of the things that Secretary Weinberger, who has been in town and other places in Europe over the past week, Secretary Shultz, who arrived this morning, other Cabinet members, and myself are doing is laying out what the President’s plan was . . . and explaining what the future plans are in regard to this matter.”

U.S. Embassy officials here noted that all the Cabinet members have other official engagements in Europe, but indicated that they were using the opportunity to clarify the Administration’s foreign policy toward Iran personally.

NATO Meetings

Weinberger attended a North Atlantic Treaty Organization defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels last week, while Shultz and Lyng are reportedly in Europe in connection with a meeting later this week in Brussels of NATO’s political arm, the Atlantic Council.

They are likely to be questioned by other Western allies in Brussels.

At his news conference, Meese portrayed the Iranian arms shipments as a small part of a larger, healthy, well-managed U.S. foreign policy.

He justified the shipments as part of a strategic effort aimed at strengthening links with Iranian moderates and reducing the prospect that they might fall under Soviet influence.

He contended that the policy had succeeded, at least in part.

Channel ‘Achieved’

“A channel to certain elements within the Iranian government has been achieved,” he said. “This has been attested to publicly by some of the people in Iran even within the last week.”

Meese did not elaborate, but he may have been referring to reported statements by the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Hashemi Rafsanjani, that he is still willing to talk with the United States.

Meese twice referred to President Reagan as a decisive leader, who has acted openly and remains undamaged by the scandal.

“The important thing is that when it became apparent that things were being done without his knowledge or approval, he took action to remedy the situation,” Meese said. “I would suggest these are the actions of a strong President who is determined to solve problems quickly and decisively. . . . “

Declines to Answer

Meese repeatedly declined to answer questions relating to Washington testimony by former National Security Adviser Robert C. McFarlane before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

McFarlane’s assertion that Reagan authorized the first shipment of arms to Iran in August, 1985, appeared to contradict a statement made by Meese on Nov. 25, that the President knew about the shipment, “probably after the fact.”

When asked directly when the President learned about the arms sales, Meese said: “Again, this is one of the things that I’m sure will come out, particularly because the President has indicated his total cooperation with the various inquiries that are in progress.”

Denies Disarray

He sharply rejected suggestions that the matter reflects disarray in U.S. foreign policy.

“I think what you have here is a strategic initiative, some parts of which didn’t go as originally planned, and things were done or not done as part of the original strategy,” he said. “This is one very small element of the total foreign policy of the United States.”

While West European leaders have been reluctant to condemn the Administration’s policy openly on grounds that it would only further damage the acknowledged leader of the Atlantic Alliance, they did include an implied rebuke in the final communique of the European Communities summit last weekend, saying there should be “no concessions under duress to terrorists or their sponsors.”