U.S. Condemns Haddad’s Forces for Inflicting Casualties on Unifil but Denies Israeli Involvement

— The State Department sharply condemned the tank and artillery shelling by Christian forces in south Lebanon that inflicted casualties on United Nations peacekeeping personnel there today but denied emphatically that there was any evidence of Israeli involvement in the incident.

Referring to the killing of two soldiers of the Nigerian contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the wounding of 11 other Nigerians and two Lebanese army regulars in Kantara village, State Department spokesman William Dyess said the U.S. condemned those “outrageous actions.”

“We wish to make it clear that the U.S. fully and unequivocally supports Lebanon’s territorial integrity and UN Security Council Resolution 245 of March 19, 1978 under which UNIFIL received its mandate, “Dyess said. “There must be no interference with UNIFIL and its attempts to carry out its duties.” The State Department added that Haddad had pledged a truce but threatened to resume the shooting if Lebanese army units do not evacuate Kantara.

U.S. IN CONTACT WITH LEBANON, ISRAEL

Dyess said the U.S. was in contact with the Lebanese and Israeli governments with regard to “this grave development.” Replying to a reporter’s question as to why Israel was being consulted in this matter, Dyess said “The Israelis are very much concerned with the UN peacekeeping force and its success.”

Under repeated questioning, he insisted that “we have no evidence Haddad is today using equipment subject to U.S. controls” and replied “no” when asked if he knew where Haddad was getting his tank shells. He said he had “no comment on what Haddad may have used in the past” with respect to weapons in his possession “I’m addressing only this incident,” he said.

When a reporter suggested that his remarks carried an “undertone of Israeli involvement,” Dyess replied, “I don’t mean to suggest any such undertone.” Israel is known to support Haddad’s Christian militia.