Israel alarmed by Syrian rocket move in Lebanon

Press, 1 May 1981, Page 7

Israel alarmed by Syrian rocket move in Lebanon

NZPA-Reuter Beirut . The Syrian Foreign Minister (Mr Abdel-Halim Khaddam) has ended two days of talks with Lebanese leaders but is expected to return to Beirut in a few days with a draft document on ways of ending the Lebanese crisis. ' Before returning to Damascus yesterday afternoon to brief the Syrian President (Mr Hafez Assad) on his talks, Mr Khaddam told journalists that all parties in Lebanon appeared determined to find a solution. However, as he spoke, Israeli planes attacked Lebanese territory for the fourth day running and new artillery battles erupted in the south, leaving at least 24 people wounded, security sources said.

Syria responded to the shooting down of two of its helicopters by Americanmade Israeli Fl 5 jets over East Lebanon’s fertile Bekaa Valley by bringing in batteries of SAM-6 missiles. A former Israeli Chief of Staff, Mordechai Gur, said on Israeli radio that the introduction of the Soviet-made missiles would dangerously escalate the fighting in Lebanon.

Israel said it shot down the helicopters as part of its backing for Lebanon’s Rightwing Christian militia forces, who have been fighting the all-Syrian Arab Deterrent Force in East Lebanon for the past month. At least 400 people have died since the latest fighting in Beirut, South Lebanon, and the eastern town of Zahle erupted into some of the worst violence since the 1975-76 civil war.

The usually well informed military correspondent for Israel State television said experts saw the SAM-6 missiles as “a direct threat not only to the Christians in Lebanon but to the communities in Northern Israel. “The missiles are also a threat to Israel’s continuing battle against Palestinian terrorists using Lebanon as a base of operations for raids into Israel,” the television report said. “Israel regards the introduction of the missiles as a further change by the Syrians of the military status quo in Lebanon,” the correspondent said.

Israel has backed Rightwing Lebanese forces in

Southern Lebanon for the past few years as a buffer against raiding Palestinian guerrillas, but the downing of Syrian helicopters on Tuesday was its first intervention in East Lebanon. Official sources in Damascus said President Assad had expressed satisfaction with the outcome of Mr Khaddam’s talks in Beirut and told him to follow up his efforts with the aim of helping to end the crisis.

Mr Khaddam said he would draw up a working Eaper for discussion with the ebanese President (Mr Elias Sarkis), possibly over the week-end. The Lebanese Prime Minister (Mr Shafia Wazzan) said all sides in Lebanon seemed willing to turn over a new leaf. He accused Israel of trying to undermine moves towards national reconciliation.

Israeli air attacks on Palestinian bases in Southern Lebanon prompted retaliation by the Palestinians, who fired rockets at Western and Northern Galilee in Israel. An Israeli Army spokesman said they had caused no casualties or damage.