A move for a further report from the acting chief of staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization about the situation in the central demilitarized zone between Syria and Israel took shape here today as the Security Council continued in an all-day session to debate Syria’s latest grievance against Israel.
The delegations of the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, the Philippines and Colombia all favored calling for further word from Col. Byron V. Leary, acting chief of staff. Most delegations here, however, including the American, were willing to accept Col. Leary’s report of April 20 in which he refused to order Israel to dismantle the Bailey bridge constructed by the Israel Government as part of its Lake Huleh swamp reclamation project.
Henry Cabot Lodge, chairman of the U.S. delegation and this month’s Council president, told the body that, while his government supports Col. Leary’s findings in regard to the bridge, it also feels that a number of other questions have been raised and should be answered. For that reason, said Mr. Lodge, he believes that an up-to-date report on current conditions in the demilitarized zone should be requested from Col. Leary and that the report should deal especially with Israel’s policing activities there and freedom of access for UN military observers.
Pointing out that the Israel-Syrian Mixed Armistice Commission has not met since 1951, Mr. Lodge called for reaffirmation of the authority of the MAC.
SOVIET DELEGATION ATTACKS ISRAEL AT SECURITY COUNCIL
A sharp attack on Israel was delivered in the Council by Arkady A. Sobolev, Soviet delegate, who accused Israel–as the Arab spokesmen had done–of violating the armistice pact with Syria and of having built the disputed bridge for military purposes.
During Mr. Sobolev’s attack against Israel he inquired whether Israel has removed mines along the western approaches to its new Huleh bridge, asserting that the mining constituted a violation of the armistice pact. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold informed the Council, in response to this query, that “Col. Leary’s report has confirmed the statement made by the delegation of Israel to the effect that Israel has removed the raines.”
Sir Pierson Dixon, chairman of the British UN delegation, told the Council that he does not support Syria’s demand for a Council order for the dismantling of the bridge which Israel has erected. The construction of the bridge, according to the British representative, “is not a violation” of the 1949 Syrian-Israeli armistice agreement as contended by Syria.
At the end of the long day’s debate, Syria’s representative, Rafik Asha, started to read a 12, 000 word statement which, he said, was an answer to the brief address made before the Council last week by Israel’s deputy representative, Mordecai R. Kidron. Mr. Kidron was scheduled to reply this evening. (He had not yet spoken when the Bulletin went to press.)
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