Habib meets Syrian leader amid Arab protest on pact

American Middle East envoy Philip C. Habib met Wednesday with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad as a growing number of Arab states expressed anger about the new US-Israeli strategic cooperation agreement.

Saudi Arabian and Beirut newspapers and the state-run Damascus radio have joined the growing chorus of Arab denouncement of the agreement. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Menachem Begin's shaky coalition faced four no-confidence motions that charge that the agreement is one-sided. At this writing, however, sources said the Begin government would probably win the votes narrowly.

Also, 300,000 people marched in Damascus telling Mr. Habib to go home. The group was protesting Sunday's huge car bomb attack, for which the government has blamed Israeli and US-financed Muslim extremists.