Guerrillas Say ‘No’

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32359, 27 July 1970, Page 13

Guerrillas Say ‘No’

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

BEIRUT, July 26.

The Jordanian Cabinet will meet today to consider the American Middle East peace plan amid growing opposition to the proposals from Palestinian guerrillas. It has followed President Nasser’s example by agreeing in principle, according to information reaching Beirut from well-informed sources in Amman.

But the sources said pro-guerrilla Ministers—about half the Cabinet—agreed only on condition that Jordan should stipulate the cease-fire called for in the American plan should not apply to Palestinian commandos.

Observers said that this condition was such a major one that it would make a cease-fire ineffective. They believed a truce on these terms could not possibly be acceptable to the Israelis. The Cabinet was due to meet yesterday to consider its reply to the American proposals. But because of the difficulty in securing agreement between the ministers the meeting was delayed until today. The central committee of the Palestine Liberation Movement announced last night that it rejected the United States proposals and said that commando organisations would not cease fire. A statement issued in Amman said: “The committee declares that no side, Arab or foreign, can cancel the existence of the Palestinian people and give away its homeland to Zionism and imperialism and act as a factor in its complete liquidation.” The statement came after a meeting of the central committee headed by its chairman, Mr. Yasser Arafat, leader of Fatah, the largest guerrilla organisation. It said; “The Palestinian people, who have carried

arms to liberate its land, to return to its land and to exercise the right of self-deter-mination in its land, will not lay down its arms and would continue its armed struggle until final liberation. “It will not adhere to a cease-fire.”

American proposals have already been criticised by Fatah and the Marxist-Lenin-

ist Popular Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. They were joined yesterday by the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (P.F.L.P.) and the Iraqi-backed Arab Liberation Front.

Dr George Habash, leader of the F.L.P., told a press conference in Tripoli that northern Lebanon was “determined to use all our strength and all our means to frus-

trate any attempt at a peaceful solution. “We will make this another Vietnam and no force—Arab or international —can stop it”

Pearson In Hospital

The former Prime Minister of Canada (Mr Lester Pearson) was reported to be in “excellent condition” after the removal of his right eye because of a tumour. The operation was performed in Ottawa General Hospital by Dr A. Watson, head of the department of ophthalmology at the University of Ottawa medical school. The operation in no way constitutes a danger to Mr Pearson’s health, a hospital spokesman said.— Ottawa, July 26.