U.S. Determined to Keep Its Troops in Lebanon to Help Gemayel Government Achieve National Unity

The Reagan Administration stressed today its “determination” to keep U.S. troops in Lebanon to help the government of President Amin Gemayel achieve national unity, despite continued American casualties. Two U.S. marines were killed near Beirut today and three were wounded.

The Administration’s determination was expressed in a statement read by State Department deputy spokesman Alan Romberg expressing sadness at today’s casualties and condemning “those responsible for the continuing violence that has claimed thousands of innocent victims. We are proud of our own forces and the important role they are playing to achieve security for the Lebanese people,” the statement said.

Romberg said the marine casualties were caused by shelling from an area 10 kilometers east of Beirut airport. He said the U.S. did not know who did the shelling except that it came from an area occupied by Druze. He also noted that the U.S. “can’t be certain” if the marines were “specifically targeted.”

The marines fired back one round but stopped when they learned the area they were shooting at was heavily populated, Romberg said. “The Lebanese government has issued a call to all parties to unite to restore national dialogue,” the statement read by Romberg said.

“We will continue to work with them toward that end. The goal of a newly united Lebanon, free of foreign forces, is a dream of the Lebanese people regardless of their religious community,” the statement said. “Together with our Italian, French and British partners in the multinational force, we are performing a critical role in support of the efforts of the central government. No one should mistake our determination to continue in this just cause.”

NO PLANS TO INCREASE MARINE CONTINGENT

Romberg added that the marines have served a “useful purpose” in the efforts to restore Lebanon’s national unity. He said there are no plans to increase the marine contingent in Lebanon or to change the role of the MNF which is purely defensive.

Meanwhile, Romberg was cautious as to whether the U.S. believes the Syrians are behind the Druze shelling of the Lebanese army and the MNF, including the American marines. U.S. special envoy Robert McFarlane, who is in Damascus today, is believed to have told President Reagan over the weekend that the Syrians so far have been entirely negative toward the U.S. efforts to gain the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon.

All Romberg would say today is that Secretary of State George Shultz said at his press conference last week that it would be “helpful” to the unification efforts of Lebanon if all foreign troops left that country. Syria has the largest number of foreign troops in Lebanon.