UN Acknowledges Deteriorating Relations Between It Forces in South Lebanon and the PLO

The United Nations has taken notice of the deteriorating relations between its forces in south Lebanon and the Palestine Liberation Organization. Secretary General Kurt Waldheim referred to the situation in his report to the Security Council this week prior to the semi-annual renewal of the Council’s mandate to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). (See Related Story).

In recent weeks, UNIFIL has stopped and turned back numerous terrorist gangs attempting to cross its territory, Three such groups were disarmed and ousted from the UNIFIL controlled zone Sunday night in what was on apparent attempt to infiltrate across the Israeli border. Israeli sources say that the PLO command in Beirut is deliberately “heating up” the south Lebanon region.

Waldheim’s report spoke of “a definite hardening of position on the part of certain groups of the armed elements,” the UN’s code word for the PLO. It refers to Maj. Saod Hoddod’s Christian militia as the “de-facta forces.”

The Secretary General noted heightened and ongoing tension between the PLO and UNIFIL’s Fijian battalion in the wake of a stand-off earlier this month when the Fijians took up positions on the road to Tyro and refused PLO demands to avacute them. Both sides brought up reinforcement. While no shooting occurred, tension persists.

Waldheim also reiterated his concern over Haddad’s harassment of UNIFIL, particularly his restriction of the transit of its supply trucks through the Christian enclave to certain days of the week. He hinted that Israel’s cooperation with UNIFIL could be better. In that connection his report referred to the Israel army’s “encroachment” on Lebanon in the form of new minefield and defensive works on the Lebanese side of the border.