Reagan Sends Envoy Back to Cut a Deal With Noriega

President Reagan sent his envoy back to Panama today to press for a deal that would oust Gen. Manuel A. Noriega, but he discouraged talk he wants the deal done before he leaves for the Moscow summit.

“We’re not going by time, we’re going by quality,” Reagan said in response to a question on whether he instructed envoy Michael Kozak to press for a Noriega deal by Wednesday morning, when he departs en route to his May 29-June 2 summit with Mikhail S. Gorbachev.

Reporters called the question to Reagan at a White House ceremony that followed official disclosure the United States is taking steps to resume negotiations with Noriega, the Panamanian military strongman who has been indicted by two U.S. grand juries on drug-trafficking charges.

The President avoided a direct answer when asked whether a controversial proposal to drop those drug indictments is still part of a potential deal.

“Nothing’s been settled. It’s still in the works,” he said.

Kozak, a State Department official, returned from his Panama bargaining last Friday and briefed Reagan and his senior advisers in two White House meetings over the weekend.

After the first meeting on Saturday officials said there were no plans to send Kozak back to Panama and the impression was that the Noriega negotiations had broken down.

Returned Early Today

But a White House spokesman said Kozak left for Panama early today after a decision made at a previously undisclosed 90-minute session on Sunday evening.

Reagan’s comments appeared to contradict those made earlier today by Undersecretary of State Michael Armacost, who said it is hoped that a deal arranging Noriega’s departure can be concluded before Reagan leaves Washington on Wednesday.

“All I can say is Kozak is back down there and I don’t expect the President is going to want to spend his time in Moscow talking about Noriega,” Armacost told reporters.

Another official, who asked not to be identified, said earlier: “The reason Kozak is going back is to try to move the ball forward prior to our departure for the summit.”

But Armacost said Kozak had not been sent to Panama with an ultimatum and talks would continue after the summit if a suitable arrangement could not be worked out beforehand.

“It would be desirable to clear it up while the President is on our own soil,” Armacost said. “(Kozak) has gone back. The discussions will resume but we can’t foreshadow when it will be resolved.”

Ongoing Process

The Reagan Administration has been trying for months to persuade Noriega to step aside, but a campaign of economic sanctions and other pressures has failed to achieve that and an entrenched Noriega has apparently made several new demands.

Reagan’s top advisers are deeply split over the proposal to drop the drug indictments as bait for Noriega to step down.

The most prominent in-house opponent of that proposal is Vice President George Bush, who has been bearing the brunt of political fire on the issue on the presidential campaign trail. He came out publicly against the deal last week.