U.S. fails in Syria peace bid

Press, 9 May 1983, Page 1

U.S. fails in Syria peace bid

NZAP Jeddah The United States Secretary of State, Mr George Shultz, left Jeddah at the week-end after a final hour’s meeting with the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud Al Faisal. He was thought to have flown to Jerusalem. Mr Shultz arrived at Jeddah after inconclusive talks with President Hafez Assad, of Syria, in Damascus on the draft plan for withdrawal of foreign troops from Lebanon which had been accepted in principle by Israel. However, Mr Shultz, due to brief Israeli leaders, faced new hurdles after Syria said it would not support the American-spon-sored plan. The Israeli Defence Minister, Mr Moshe Arens, said that unless Syrian and Palestine Liberation Organisation (P.L.0.) forces agreed to withdraw simultaneously with Israel, the Israeli soldiers would remain.

Mr Shultz said that the Syrian response would hold up the parallel withdrawal of Syrian, Palestinian, and Israeli forces the agreement envisaged. The Syrians want Israel to remove its troops unconditionally. Mr Shultz briefed King Fahd of Saudi Arabia on the draft pact for an Israeli

withdrawal from Lebanon, which Syria denounced as “a contract of submission.” Mr Shultz said in Damascus that the Syrians, who are crucial to any accord, were still open to negotiations. “The door is not slammed,” he said.

He said that Lebanon would now have to negotiate with Syria for an accord under which Damascus would agree to withdraw its forces along with remaining Palestine Liberation Organisation fighters.

Israel has about 25,000 troops in Lebanon. Syria has some 40,000 troops in north and east Lebanon and the P.L.O. about 6000 to 8000 in areas under Syrian control. The Syrians moved in to help end the civil war fighting in 1976. Heavy bombardments have resumed of areas round Beirut. Armed clashes were occurring between Christian militias and the pro-Syrian Druze villages, east of Beirut.

Some shells exploded at Beirut Airport, near the headquarters of the United States Marines contingent serving with the Multinationalist Peace Force, and more shells fell in the sea near an American supply ship of the United States Sixth Fleet.