'C.I.A. started war’

Press, 17 November 1976, Page 7

'C.I.A. started war’

PA Aucklanc A former Paiestmian rep. resentative on the Unitec Nations said in Auckland that he believed the C.I-A started the Lebanese civi war in order to protect Israeli interests. Mr Sami Hadawi. who is visiting New Zealand as e guest of the Friends of Pa lestme. said that Israel hac admitted it was supplying arms to the Right-wing Pha langist forces. These wen the militant segment of the many Christian denominations in Lebanon whc ‘’started the trouble lasi ’ ear by attacking a bus witf 26 people in it." Lebanon, he said, had beer the centre for Palestinian re sistance groups, who hac been unwillingly drawn tntc the civil war as a ’•esult ol outside aggression.

Mr Hadawi, who is nowretired. served as official land valuer and inspector of ' tax assessments in the Palestine Government and as chief of inland revenue with the Ministry of Finance of I the Jordan Government. He i was special adviser to the Iraqi and Palestinian missions to the United Nations in the 19505. and was director cf both the Arab Information Centre in Dallas , and the Institute for Palestine Studies in Beirut. He had just completed s tour of Libya, Jordan. Ku iwait, Iraq, and Abu-Dhabi i and said he had found tht Middle East situation “mos distressing.’ Growing Arab acceptance of Israel was a myth, since jthe Arabs were determiner •hat no peace settlement could be reached until Israe withdrew from “all occupiec Territories.” Palestinian hopes of estab i lishrng a country when I Christian. Moslem, and Jeu : could live in harmony woult never be equated with Zion • sm. as this was just anothe, 1

• face of racism, Mr Hadawi; . I said. f The election of a new -■ United States President ■ ; I would not make any II difference to peace hopes in . the region,” because Mr Car- ; ter has pledged to protect - Israeli interests,” he said. Mr Hadawi believed that . New Zealand trade prospects . in the Middle East remained > unaffected by the withdrawal ■ of Egypt and Iraq from the Olympic Games. Their withirawal had not been convincing and indicated only , lolidarity with the African >tand against racism, he iaid. Although the New' Zealand Government's explanation hat it could not control sports teams was under- ( stood, its position at the ■ Jnited Nations was not as lighly respected now as it lad been in 1974, when a) i ‘more independent foreign I tolicy” was evident. The impression now was| hat New Zealand had been! . ‘pressurised into not leaving) he United States fold” Mr! , • Tadawi said.