The French Government, which last spring promised to send troops to Lebanon if that country’s political or territorial integrity was threatened, reportedly informed the Beirut regime during the recent crisis not to expect any political or diplomatic assistance from France or other Western powers, and advised it to seek a compromise with the Palestinian guerrillas. Opposition political leaders here claim that France’s position on this issue seriously influenced the stand of Lebanon’s President, Charles Helou, in its negotiations with the guerrillas.
They said that France’s attitude in the Lebanese crisis had been to support the leftist “progressive” Arab regimes. A member of the Pompidou cabinet, Andre Bettencourt, is scheduled to go to Cairo on Nov. 29 for talks with President Gamal Abdel Nasser and to negotiate French aid to the United Arab Republic. M. Bettencourt, who is the minister in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office, will reportedly carry a personal letter from President Pompidou to President Nasser.
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