Israeli and Syrian military work groups met for 90 minutes this morning, adjourned for five hours apparently to consult with their governments, and held another meeting in the afternoon as efforts to work out a disengagement timetable and other details entered their second day. Sources reported later that “considerable progress” had been made on implementation and “other collateral matters.” Under the accord the two sides have five days to work out the technical details and 20 days to complete disengagement.
The reference is believed to have been to the exchange of prisoners of war which commenced yesterday with the return of wounded soldiers on both sides and the search for men missing and presumed dead on the battlefield. The two working groups held their first session here yesterday — a meeting that lasted 90 minutes — and released a brief communique stating only that more detailed discussions were on today’s agenda. The head of the Israeli delegation, Maj. Gen. Herzi Shafir reportedly made a strong plea at yesterday’s session for fast action on the POW exchange and the search for the missing. Syrian circles here said they expected no problems on these issues.
Gen. Shafir and his Syrian counterpart, Maj. Gen. Adnan Wabdi Tayara, signed the disengagement accord formally here Friday. Lt. Gen. Ensio Sillasvuo, commander of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) is presiding at the daily sessions. The military working groups are expected to conclude their implementation task by Wednesday –within five days of the signing of the accord as stipulated by the disengagement agreement.
The atmosphere at the meetings was described as “formal” and “correct” but without cordiality between the Israeli and Syrian officers. Both teams face each other across two map tables and a blackboard in the first floor committee room at UN headquarters here. The Israeli and Syrian generals do not speak to each other directly, but address Gen. Siilasvuo, the chairman. The discussions are conducted in English.
WALDHEIM SEES ‘BREAKTHROUGH’
As today’s meetings began, UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim arrived in Geneva on his way to the Middle East. He told reporters at the airport that he would hear a report from Gen, Siilasvuo during his four hour stop-over on progress made so far. Dr. Waldheim described the Israeli-Syrian accord as “a gratifying breakthrough,” but warned that an overall Middle East peace settlement was still far off. He estimated that it would at least be several weeks before the Middle East peaces-conference which opened here with an initial two day session last Dec. could be resumed.
The Israeli-Syrian disengagement accord, signed for their respective governments by Gen. Shafir and Gen. Tayara Friday was co-signed for the UN by Gen. Siilasvuo. Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker, representing the United States and Ambassador Vladimir Vinogradov of the Soviet Union were witnesses.
The ceremony was delayed briefly when the Syrian delegation refused to participate until several hundred newsmen left the press gallery. The new cease-fire became effective with the signing. Until them, artillery exchanges continued, with one Israeli soldier killed. A few minutes before the cease-fire became effective. Israeli planes bombed terrorist installations in southern Lebanon and Syria.
Gen. Siilasvuo opened the brief ceremony, declaring that while the disengagement treaty was “not a peace treaty,” it was “a milestone in obtaining a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.” He warned that “many setbacks and difficulties” could still take place and called on all sides to show a spirit of compromise and understanding.” He called the accord “a historic agreement” which brought the parties “to the threshold of a new era of trust. justice and peace in the Middle East.”
ATMOSPHERE ‘HEAVY’
The signing took place in an atmosphere described by observers as “heavy,” There were no smiles and no social contacts between Americans and the Soviets or between the Americans and the Israelis. Only Vinogradov made a social gesture, shaking hands with all the Arab delegates present. There appeared to be general agreement that steps to follow toward the actual peace conference here would be more complex, arduous and frustrating.
The ceremony took place to the brown-panelled Council Chamber of the Palais des Nations in which the first meeting of the Genera peace conference was held last December. Five tables were arranged in hectagonal form. Gen. Siilasvuo sat at the head, flanked by two deputy secretary generals of the UN Secretariat On his right sat the three-man Syrian, delegation, which had been joined by Egyptian Gen. Tamal el Maghdoub, who had been a negotiator in the Israeli-Egyptian disarmament talks last January.
Arab sources here said the Egyptian officer was present because the Syrian Army is part of a joint command with Egypt and because the session today took place within the framework of the only existing military working group, the Egyptian-Israeli one. On Gen. Slilasvuo’s left sat the three Israelis: Maj. Gen. Shafir, Col. Dov Sion and Meir Rosenne. the Foreign Ministry’s legal advisor. Next to them sat the American and Soviet delegations.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
