Lebanon votes for pull-out

Press, 16 June 1983, Page 10

Lebanon votes for pull-out

NZPA Beirut The Lebanese Parliament, brushing aside strong objections from Syria, yesterday approved by a huge majority the Israeli troop withdrawal accord signed by the Beirut Government last month.

After a two-day debate the assembly voted 65 in favour of the accord with two votes against and four abstentions. The Israeli Knesset (Parliament) has already approved the United Statessponsored accord, signed on May 17, and yesterday’s vote opens the way for the two countries to exchange texts of the agreement formally. But implementation of the accord still remains in doubt because Israel will not withdraw its 25,000strong invasion force from southern Lebanon unless Syria also leaves the country.

Syria rejects the accord, which gives Israel surveillance rights in southern Lebanon, and says that the agreement will turn Lebanon into an “Israeli protectorate.” In Jerusalem the Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr Yitzhak Shamir, said yesterday that if the agreement cannot be implemented Israel may have to redeploy its forces there unilaterally.

If Israel decided to redeploy, “the United States will not oppose it. She’ll just want it to be carried out with co-operation and understanding between us and the Americans,” he said.

Eanier the Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Yehuda Ben-Meir, denied that Washington was pressing Israel not to redeploy its forces.