Israel mode it clear today that it has no intention of withdrawing the Israel Defense Force from Lebanon before the Syrians pull their army out of the country.
The position of Premier Yitzhak Shamir stated at today’s Cabinet meeting and conveyed to reporters by Cabinet secretary Dan Meridor. refuted reports emanating from Washington and elsewhere over the weekend that the Israelis no longer linked their withdrawal to that of the Syrians. “There is no truth whatsoever to reports to the contrary,” Meridor said.
At the same time. U.S. officials in Washington ruled out a change in the deployment of the marines now guarding Beirut airport or any extension of their role in Lebanon. Diplomatic sources had said over the weekend that the marines would take up new positions as the Lebanese army took over areas of the country not controlled by the Israelis or Syrians.
That was interpreted to include the airport which would be declared a neutral zone according to the sources, allowing the marines to move to different, presumably less vulnerable positions. A State Department spokesman insisted Friday that there was no change of U.S. policy on the role of the marines although their deployment within their existing mandate continued to be examined.
A marine was killed today when two U.S. helicopters come under fire when they attempted to land at Beirut airport to transport American personnel to ships of the Sixth Fleet lying offshore. The helicopters were not hit. The marine, who died on the way to a hospital, brought to 258 the number of fatalities suffered by American forces in Lebanon to date. Two marines and several Lebanese army solders were worded in Beirut yesterday. They were apparently caught in a crossfire between the Lebanese army and Druze militia.
MEETING WITH RUMSFELD, SENATORS
Shamir presided at today’s Cabinet meeting after meeting Friday with President Reagan’s special representative to the Middle East, Donald Rumsfeld and two visiting Senators. The latter were Sen. John Tower (R. Tex.), who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Sen. John Wamer (R. Va.), both on a fact-finding mission to the region. None of the Americans had any comment after the meetings.
Tower is an route to Damascus where he is expected to meet with President Hafez Assad of Syria. Shamir was reported to have raised the issue of a U.S. Syrian rapprochement in the wake of Syria’s release last week of captured U.S. Navy flyer Lt. Robert Goodman. The re lease, effected through the intervention of Democratic Presidential aspirant Rev. Jesse Jackson with Assod, was praised by President Reagan who Indicated he would be willing to meet with Assad.
The Cabinet was briefed today by Defense Minister Maths Arens and senior military officers on the recent controlled zone of Lebanon. Shamir ciescribed his talks with Rumsfeld, Tower and Wamer but no details were released.
Meridor, who spoke to reporters after the Cabinet adjourned, reiterated that Israel’s position continues to be based on its May 17 agreement with the Lebanese government of President Amin Gemayel which stipulates that Syria must withdraw from Lebanon if the Israeli troops are to be pulled out.
DENIES PLANS FOR IDF REDEPLOYMENT
Meridor denied reports that Israel has prepared a plan for redeployment of the IDF from its present line on the Awali River to the Zaharani River farther south. He added, however, that “in various frameworks” there were deliberations on the situation in Lebanon and that he assumed “that various proposals are (being)considered … but there is no change in Israel’s position regarding its withdrawal from Lebanon.”
According to Meridor, “Our prime interest in staying in Lebanon is to ensure such conditions which would allow us to leave Lebanon while guaranteeing the security of our northern border.”
Last week a senior government source, not identified, stressed to reporters that Israel’s primary objective in Lebanon was the security of Galilee and that all other elements, including the withdrawal of all foreign forces from that country, support for the Gemayel government and even the May 17 accord were subordinate to that objective and not ends in themselves,
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