In 1967, the Soviet Union effectively shot itself in the foot when it cut diplomatic relations with Israel following the Six Day War. But in keeping with the energetic nature of their leader, the Soviets are slowly mending their ways.

The move was intended in 1967 to punish Israel for annexing several pieces of strategic land, and to make a show of solidarity with the Soviet Union's Arab allies. But the decision neither punished Israel nor united the Arab world.

The only effect was to sever the Soviet Union's contacts with the Jewish side of the Arab-Israeli conflict, while the United States increased its influence throughout the area.

To the Arabs, the results of the 1967 war -- Israel's seizure of the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, the Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip -- was an aggressive act of military occupation. For Israel, it was a precautionary measure of self-defense against repeated Arab terrorist strikes.

The Soviet Union decided to follow the Arab interpretation of the Six Day War. This interpretation provided an avenue to propagandize against Western influence, as rumors were spreading of U.S. support for Israel in 1967.

Both the Soviet Union and the United States were pursuing cold war goals during this time, trying to prevent each other from gaining the upper hand in the region. The only difference was the United States pursued its goals in a more diplomatic fashion by keeping as many doors open to dialogue.

But the tables are slowly turning. Under the leadership of Mikhail S. Gorbachev, the Soviet Union is moving in directions that were once the monopoly of U.S. diplomats.

Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze is the communist version of Henry Kissinger, jet-hopping around the capitals of the Middle East in what can be accurately called "Sputnik diplomacy."

The intention of this diplomacy has changed since the days when the cold war was at its coldest. As superpower diplomacy will never be altruistic, the Soviet Union has not suddenly become a peace-loving country.

On the other hand, it is rightly trying to increase its presence and influence throughout the Middle East, always an important economic, strategic, religious and political area.

The examples of recent Soviet initiatives are impressive to say the least. Soviet diplomats recently convinced Iran to re-enter peace talks with Iraq about the settlement of their eight-year war.

According to the Associated Press, Shevardnadze first proposed the trilateral talks, to be held somewhere in the Soviet Union, during a recent official visit to Iran.

Further examples of easing tensions between Iran and the Soviet Union include a big natural gas deal and other trade agreements. All these developments point to a reverse in years of bad relations between the Soviet Union and Iran.

The Soviet Union is even trying to reattach the foot it severed in 1967. Shevardnadze told a visiting Israeli minister in Moscow last week that the Kremlin plans to upgrade relations with Israel.

What does the United States have to point to regarding recent diplomatic efforts? There is no need to run through the Iran-Contra scandal one more time.

The Marine's 1983 mission in Beirut was equally fruitless as our forces took sides by defending one faction, Christian militias, from the other warring parties in Lebanon.

On the bright side, the United States is holding discussions with representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and Secretary of State James Baker is trying to get talks moving on a joint Israeli- Palestinian election process for the occupied territories. But if the Bush administration is making any kind of substantial progress, he and his cronies are being rather quiet.

This is not the place to debate whether Bush is playing his cards quietly, or whether he's just plain stupid. But from what the public knows about U.S. efforts in the Middle East, our diplomacy is going nowhere fast.

The most impressive U.S. diplomatic move in the Middle East, the PLO talks, are stalled. The PLO is partly to blame for this stagnation because it refuses to officially nullify its charter, which calls for the destruction of Israel. However, the United States should have had realistic goals and a strategic plan beforehand to encounter such obstacles.

The Soviets are beating us at what was once our exclusive game. If the United States wishes to continue promoting peace and stability in the area, Bush must remove his head from Middle Eastern sands and challenge Gorbachev policy for policy.