Stay Put For Now

ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SEVEN Marines were murdered in their sleep in Beirut yesterday, and the dominant feeling in this country is a combination of sadness, anger and frustration. Washington cannot punish the aggressors--we do not know for sure who they are and even if we did, the risk inherent in retaliation of involving American forces in a full-scale conflict is too great. And short of withdrawing the Marines, there isn't much Washington can do to protect the remainder of the contingent.

In the short run, the Administration must be resolute and maintain a strong U.S. presence in Lebanon without taking to the offensive. Whoever is responsible for this bestiality was trying to provoke a rash American response--either drawing the Marines into battle or forcing them to pull out. Whatever our role in Lebanon, we cannot change it merely as a response to one horrifying incident.

The Marines are in Lebanon to keep the peace, not to fight offensively. Getting directly involved in the war could entail the loss of too many U.S. lives, and in vain. For ultimately, the complex struggle taking place in Lebanon will have to be settled by the Lebanese themselves without outside intervention, be it American, Israeli or Syrian.

But it is too soon to withdraw our forces. Beyond giving in to intimidation, such a move would be tantamount to giving half--if not all--of Lebanon to the Syrians. For the time being, we must stay in and continue working for a modicum of stability. Only when the Syrian problem is dealt with can we withdraw.

President Reagan is caught between a rock and a hard place. The public demands action--and with the election approaching. Reagan must realize his vulnerability, particularly if he recalls how much his election was helped by Jimmy Carter's Iran fiasco. And the president, who has made a political career out of talking tough, has never yet been forced to back up his rhetoric with deeds. He must resist the temptation to do so now.

Not since Vietnam have so many American soldiers died at once. That fact alone should move us to ponder whether we were correct in sending the Marines into Lebanon in the first place. But for now, our immediate response to this latest crisis can only be to stay put.