Arafat woos Kremlin for mutiny support

Press, 27 June 1983, Page 10

Arafat woos Kremlin for mutiny support

NZPA-Reuter Prague Yasser Arafat’s surprise visit to Czechoslovakia suggests that he is banking on Soviet support to help him to fight off rebels threatening his leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. His speech to the International Peace Congress in Prague on Saturday appeared designed to woo the Kremlin into backing him against the mutineers who have split P.L.O. ranks in Lebanon. Mr Arafat left out his oftrepeated accusation that Syria was behind the mutiny — mindful, perhaps, that Syria is one of the Soviet bloc’s closest allies in the Middle East. Before leaving Tunisia for Prague earlier in the day, he had accused Syria, which expelled him on Friday and cut him off from Pales-

tinian bases in north Lebanon, of giving the rebels military support. Syria denies the assertion. At the peace congress Mr Arafat instead praised the Soviet Union and accused the United States of being behind a plan to break up the P.L.O. Moscow has backed his leadership so far, and the moderate tone of his speech suggested that a note from the Soviet leader, Yuri Andropov, handed to him in Damascus, had contained expressions of support. But the tone of official reports in Moscow appears to suggest that the Kremlin has reservations about being seen to be too closely linked with Mr Arafat. He could be given a clearer view of Moscow’s thinking during talks which diplomats expect him to

have with Czechoslovak Government leaders. In his speech, Mr Arafat mentioned Syria only in saying that, just as the P.L.0., it was subject to a campaign of threats. Analysts in Beirut said that Mr Arafat had little choice but to talk moderation, because between 6000 and 10,000 of his men are under effective Syrian control in Lebanon. A statement carried on Friday by the Syrian news agency, Sana, said: “Because of Arafat’s continued recriminations against Syria and its sacrifices, the guerrilla leader was today informed of Syria’s desire for him not to continue coming here. “This does not rule out Syria’s concern about preventing inter-Palestinian fighting, healing the rift and achieving reconciliation between the Palestinian

brothers.” Syria’s basic stand was linked with the interests of the Palestinian revolution and the P.L.0., the statement said. • The renegade Lebanese Army major, Saad Haddad, sworn enemy of Palestinian guerrillas, yesterday offered “political asylum” in Israeli-occupied southern Lebanon to Mr Arafat. The pro-Israeli major, whose remarks were broadcast by Lebanon’s Rightwing Falangist radio, said: “He would be safe here. He should have known that Syria is experienced in liquidating its political enemies. We offer him political asylum in free Lebanon.” Israel occupies southern Lebanon and allows Major Haddad, whose “Army of Free Lebanon” it arms and equips, to operate in border areas.