Dominican Republic Too Close, He Says : Reagan Rejects New Asylum Offer for Noriega

President Reagan said Friday that the United States is “considering everything” possible to force Manuel A. Noriega to relinquish power in Panama, but he turned aside an offer by the Dominican Republic to give the beleaguered general a home in exile there.

“No, that’s not far enough,” Reagan said when asked if Washington endorses the asylum offer extended by Dominican President Joaquin Balaguer. Balaguer, completing an official visit to the White House, was at Reagan’s side.

A senior White House official explained later that the United States does not want Noriega to remain within range of an easy return to Panama.

“If you look at the history of traveling dictators, they have a tendency to wind up in Europe and there is a reason for that,” said the official, who talked to reporters on the understanding he would not be identified by name. He added that Europe is sufficiently distant from Latin America to make it difficult for deposed dictators from the area to meddle in the affairs of the nations they once ruled.

Balaguer made public his offer of asylum in an interview Thursday with the Voice of America. Noriega’s daughter lives in the Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile, the Senate voted 92 to 0 for a resolution urging Reagan to exert new diplomatic and political pressure on Noriega, who has been indicted in the United States on charges of narcotics smuggling. The non-binding resolution does not specify how this should be done.

Asked how long Noriega, the commander of Panama’s Defense Forces and de facto ruler of Panama, could remain in office, the official replied: “I don’t know. It depends on whether he gets access to cash. I don’t think he can hold out very long but he’s a tough person.”

The State Department said that two American employees of the Panama Canal were detained Wednesday and “mistreated” by Panamanian troops.

“The U.S. government strongly condemns these abuses by the Panamanian Defense Forces,” department spokeswoman Phyllis Oakley said. “We will take measures necessary to protect American citizens.”

She declined to elaborate. The department did not release the names of the employees.