New force enters Beirut as Gemayel takes over

Press, 25 September 1982, Page 8

New force enters Beirut as Gemayel takes over

NZPA-Reuter ' Beirut The first contingent of a new Western multinational force which will help the Lebanese Regular Army keep order has arrived in Beirut port, Beirut radio said quoting France’s ambassador, Mr Paul-Marc Henry. A unit of French troops arrived in the port and would disembark once it had been worked out where they should be stationed, the radio quoted Mr Henry as saying. In west Beirut, Israeli soldiers came under fire as the first unit of the new multinational force arrived. Security sources said that unidentified gunmen in a speeding car fired at Israeli troops stationed at a former office of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, in an area which put up stiff resistance to the Israeli take-over of west Beirut last week. Residents said that the Israelis blocked off streets and lit the area with flares. Earlier, Mr Amin Gemayel was sworn in as Lebanon’s new president with broad Christian and Muslim support, and pledged to try to stop the cycle of violence in

the country and free it of foreign forces. Mr Gemayel. aged 39. is a Christian Falangist with a reputation as a conciliator. He said that his administration would strengthen relations with "our brothers the Arabs.” He was elected to replace his hardline younger brother Bashir, assassinated last week before he could take office. Barely two hours before Mr Gemayel took over the nation’s leadership for the next six years, a powerful explosion gutted a huge ammunition dump where the Lebanese Army stored heaps of Soviet-made rockets confiscated from P.L.O. centres. The blast was at a depot near the Sin el-Fil residential neighbourhood in Christian populated east Beirut. Lebanon asked France, the United States, and Italy to send troops back to Beirut after a week in which Bashir Gemayel was assassinated, Israeli forces invaded West Beirut, and Rightist gunmen massacred hundreds of civilians in Palestinian camps. The three countries provided a 2000-strong force which supervised the with-

drawal of Palestinian and Syrian forces from Beirut last month. The new force is expected to total 3000. with American. Italian and more French troops arriving later in the week. Diplomatic sources said thati no decision had been taken on where the various contingents would be deployed. One possibility is for the French to take up position in and around the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila, scenes of the massacres.’ The United States Marines could then take control of Beirut airport and the slum areas around it while the Italians could move into the seaport and the city centre. Meanwhile, in Jerusalem thousands of angry demonstrators were stopped just 150 metres from the Prime Minister, Mr Menachem Begin’s home yesterday as his Government faced growing criticism over the massacres. Chanting “Begin Go Home" and “Begin Resign." the estimated 3000 demonstrators typified the snowballing Israeli outrage over Mr Begin's refusal to appoint an independent inquiry into the conduct of the Govern-

ment and the Army during the slaughter of the Palestinians in two refugee camps. The orderly demonstration, organised by “Peace Now." marched from the centre of the town until the police stopped them near Mr Begin's home. There were no big incidents, but demonstrators scuffled with about 20 begin supporters. In Bogota Colombia’s Ml 9 guerrilla movement has said that it bombed the Israeli Ambassador’s residence to protest against the massacre of Palestinians in west Beirut, a radio station reported. The private station Caracol added in a broadcast that it had received telephone calls to that effect from men claiming to be members of the Left-wing Ml 9. Unidentified men set off a bomb outside Ambassador Jaime Aaron's residence, causing heavy damage and slightly injuring his wife and a maid, said the police. The envoy, away from Bogota at the time, said on his return that he believed the attack was a terrorist action which had nothing to do with international protests over the situation in Lebanon.