Artillery duels as Lebanon leaders struggle for calm

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34107, 20 March 1976, Page 15

Artillery duels as Lebanon leaders struggle for calm

(N Z.P.A.-lleuter) BEIRUT, March 19. j Syrian leaders were due to confer with three leading Lebanese Moslem politicians in Damascus today on ways to solve the weeklong Government crisis’ in Lebanon. The Prime Minister (Mr Rashid Karami) the former Prime Minister, Mr Saeb Salam, and the Speaker of the Parliament (Mr Kame! Al-Assad) were invited to the Syrian capital by President Hafez Al-Assad. Their visit was the latest in a series by Lebanese and Palestinian leaders as the crisis drifted on in continuing tension increasing violence.

Thirty-two bodies were found in Lebanon yesterday, mostly in Beirut and its suburbs, while authoritative sources said an artillery battle-broke out between the socialist stronghold of Aley, near the Presidential palace and the Christian village of Beit Meri.

Syria, whose mediation was crucial in January in I halting Lebanon’s ninemonth civil war, has not endorsed demands for President Suleiman Franjeih’s resignation.

But its top-level political meetings might be aimed at finding a way for the 65-year-old head of State to retire from office gracefully. Syria’s temporary alignment with the Lebanese Right rather than the antiFranjieh Left, ideologically its natural ally, apparently springs from concern at the growing influence of Leftist militants which it cannot control. Renewed appeal General Aziz Al-Ahdab, commander of the Beirut garrison, who precipitated

the crisis by demanding, a week ago, .that President Franjieh resign, renewed his appeal again yesterday. But the statement also paid lavish tributes to the Syrian mediation efforts, suggesting that the General believed his influence on' events was now marginal. P r o-Syrian Palestinian guerrillas are blocking an armoured column of dis-! sident troops which ad-j vanced on Beirut last Monday and planned to storm the Presidential palace. Another mixed force of army deserters and Leftist gunmen are roaming the! hills south-east of Beirut, but they show no signs

i of carrying out a threat to t advance on the hilltop Presi- > dential palace at Baabda, overlooking Beirut. > The dissident troops. ■ belonging to the rebel ’ “Lebanese Arab army,” said j two of their comrades had 11 been killed in a clash with Right-wing Phalangist guni men about 14 kilometres i from Baabda. The mainly . Christian Phalangists are lone of the groups supporting J the President. i The dissidents also said there had been shooting around the Christian village . of Kahhale, which lies as- :| tride the Beirut-Damascus highway between the rebel i force and the capital.