Crisis talks in Beirut

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33958, 26 September 1975, Page 9

Crisis talks in Beirut

(N.Z P.A.-Reuter— Copyright;

BEIRUT, September 25.

Two arch-enemies in Lebanese politics are due to meet today, as members of a national reconciliation committee, in an effort to end the factional violence that has left at least 1280 dead and more than 2500 injured.

It will be the first confrontation for several months between the leader of the mainly Moslem Progressive Socialists, Mr Knmal Junblatt, and the Phalangist leader, Mr Pier Gemayel.

Mr Junblatt has sought to have the Right wing, and almost-exciusively Christian, Phalangists boycotted as punishment for the massacre of 27 people in a bus last April, tie blames the Phalangists for the incident, which gave rise to the first of this year’s four rounds of violence in Beirut.

The Prime Minister (Mr Karami) says that the committee of 20 members, which he will lead, includes leading figures from Lebanon’s main political and religious groups, and will meet in the Presidential Palace outside Beirut.

At least 12 more people were killed in Beirut yesterday, bringing to more than 280 the deaths in Beirut and Tripoli alone during the fourth round of violence.

By midnight, the fourth cease-fire declared in less than a week seemed as fragile as the others: spasmodic shooting and explosions continued in several parts of Beirut.

The politicians’ first task will be to find ways of consolidating the latest ceasefire, but they wi|l also have to face the long-term problem of social and political reforms demanded by the Left wing,* the deprived, and the Moslem community. If these are not tackled

decisively, there seems little chance of averting further fighting. Under the latest cease-fire, security forces were due to take over positions from the two sides, the Palestine military police preparing the way for them in west Beirut, a Moslem area in which the Palestinians command wide support. Armed men were supposed to be off the streets from 5 p.m. yesterday, but the order was flouted by many. During last night’s exchanges, a rocket narrowly missed a hospital in the Phalangist-dominated Ashrafiyeh district and another fell near an Internal Security Forces training centre there, wounding three policemen and seven firemen.

The Syrian Foreign Minister (Mr Abdel-Halim Khaddam), who has spent five days in Beirut, mediating between the warring factions, is due to leave for home today, which suggests that he now believes there is nothing more Syria can do to help to solve the crisis.