U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz accused the Soviet Union today of increasing tension in the Middle East by sending advanced weaponry and military experts to Syria.
“Any development which contributes to putting more foreign troops into Lebanon than there were at the end of the hostilities is an unwelcome development and only adds to existing tensions,” Shultz said in briefing reporters on the eve of the two-day NATO Council conference here. “It is very undesirable to have more forces in the Bekaa valley” of Lebanon.
The Secretary said the Palestinians should be encouraged to negotiate with Israelis “so that they may express their legitimate rights and their desires.” He refused to comment on the split between the various factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
The main factor in the Mideast “is the Soviet Union’s opposition” to the Israeli-Lebanese agreement for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, Shultz stressed. “This is additional proof that the Soviets do not want peace in the Middle East.”
Shultz is scheduled to discuss the Middle East with French President Francois Mitterrand on Friday. France has some 2000 troops in Lebanon as part of the multinational force there.
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