Lebanon conflict turns to war of words

Press, 18 June 1982, Page 6

Lebanon conflict turns to war of words

NZPA-Reuter Tel Aviv Israel has said its guns are silent in Lebanon as the conflict appeared to shift from the battlefield to the political arena. The Israeli units were still mopping up . scattered pockets of Palestinian guerrillas and searching for arms caches in areas captured during the five-day drive into Lebanon last week, said an Army spokesman. But he added that there was quiet on all fronts after an artillery duel between Israeli units and the guerrillas and Syrians near Beirut. Beirut reports that the Israelis had moved into a college in a Beirut suburb after fighting was denied by the Army Command. It said its troops had not fought in the city and any isolated exchanges of fire

were between Right-wing Lebanese Falangist forces and the Palestinians. The Israeli Defence Minister (Mr Ariel Sharon) said Israel controlled the approaches to Beirut, but that the city was not sealed off. Mr Sharon said that only Palestinian and Syrian reinforcements could not enter the city. Israeli forces would not enter Beirut, but he hoped that the Lebanese would take care of the Palestinian guerrilla presence there. Mr Sharon’s reference to the Lebanese was widely assumed to mean the Christian Falangists, whom the Israelis have supported with military aid. “I imagine the Lebanese will allow those terrorists who surrender their arms, to leave the city,” he said. Mr Sharon repeated previ-

ous statements by Israeli leaders that their forces would not withdraw until an agreement was reached preventing the re-establishment of armed Palestinian guerrilla units in Lebanon. Palestinian guerrillas and their allies have also started political moves. The Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, and his aides have met the Lebanese Prime Minister (Mr Shafiq Wazzan) for what were described as talks about the political and military situation. Efforts to form a National Salvation Board proposed by President Elias Sarkis remained stymied. Meanwhile Arab Oil Ministers have agreed to let an Arab summit meeting decide whether to impose oil sanctions on the West for its alleged support of Israel.