Gemayel, Assad ‘in accord’

Press, 21 April 1984, Page 10

Gemayel, Assad ‘in accord’

NZPA-Reuter Damascus The Syrian leader, Hafez Assad, and the Lebanese President, Mr Amin Gemayel, were in accord on “principles” to end the fighting in Lebanon and unify the shattered country, Mr Assad’s spokesman said. Speaking after a one-day meeting of the two leaders, the spokesman said yesterday that the discussions had ended “in a fraternal atmsphere full of optimism.” Messrs Assad and Gemayel had found that their views coincided on “principles to end the fighting, to unify the Lebanese, and move them to an

atmosphere of national reconciliation,” the Syrian spokesman said. It was not possible to obtain comments from the Lebanese Government delegation because the Syrian authorities barred all access to journalists. Mr Assad greeted Mr Gemayel with a kiss when he arrived. Their delayed meeting came after tough talking among the Syrians and their Leftist and Muslim allies in which Damascus made it clear that it wanted progress towards a settlement. In New York the United Nations Security Council ex-

tended the life of the world body’s peace-keeping force in southern Lebanon for another six months, less than six hours before the expiry of its current mandate. The vote in the 15-mem-ber council was 13 in favour and none against. The Soviet Union and Ukraine abastained, in accordance with the usual practice of Soviet bloc members. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), as it is officially called, numbers about 5700 men from 10 countries. It has been stationed in southern Lebanon since 1978. A force of 1800 Lebanese

police was due to deploy along the “green line” in Beirut and the nearby mountains today in the second stage of a plan to separate rival factions. In the first stage 200 Lebanese military observers began taking up position yesterday in 50 observation posts along the line stretching for 15km from Beirut Port to the mountain town of Souk el-Gharb. Forty French observers stationed on a small section of the “green line” in central Beirut had been expected to spread out yesterday with the Lebanese but their commander said that

they were waiting for more French personnel to arrive before moving. The Lebanese observers — 70 officers and about 130 non-commissioned officers — set off from a mustering point at Beirut’s race-track armed with maps, binoculars, bedrolls, and overnight bags. Colonel Jean Nassif, the Lebanese Army delegate on the security committee, said that each observation post would have a telephone to report truce violations direct to an operations room where all the main warring factions were represented.