U.S. Says It Has Not Given Israel a ‘greenlight’ for Military Action in Lebanon but is Mum on Israel

The U.S. declared today that it has not given Israel a “green light” for any military action in Lebanon. But State Department spokesman Dean Fischer refused to say whether the U.S. approved or disapproved the shooting down of two Syrian helicopters by Israel Air Force planes over Lebanon this week.

Fischer also called on all governments in the world, “including the Soviet Union,” to “do their best to calm the situation “in Lebanon. He denied that the U.S. was singling out the USSR in that connection, saying only that Washington wanted the Soviets “to exercise their good offices to help calm the situation” in Lebanon. He revealed that when Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin met with Walter Stoessel, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, here Monday, Lebanon was one of the topics discussed.

In making his statement on Lebanon, Fischer said he wanted to “make it fully clear that the U.S. has not given a green light to Israel to undertake any military action in Lebanon. On the contrary, the U.S. has undertaken intensive and sustained efforts with all governments and with virtually all parties which have an influence or interest in developments in Lebanon, in order to bring about a stable situation. “He stressed later that “all parties” does not include the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Fischer added: “Particularly at this tense moment, I do not want to make any detailed comment about what has been happening other than to urge that all involved in these recent dangerous events observe the utmost restraint so that tensions can be decreased.”

NO COMMENT ON OTHER FACETS

Fischer’s only explanation for his statement was that there had been news reports indicating that the U.S. supported Israeli actions in Lebanon. He would not comment on the reported statement by Israeli Premier Menachem Begin that Washington and Jerusalem agreed that there should be a return to the status quo in Lebanon.

Fischer had said Monday that Syria’s capture of two Christian held strongpoints on the Lebanese central mountain range was a change of the status quo that concerned the U.S.

He also declined to comment on suggestions that Israel’s escalation of its air raids in Lebanon could be seen in the context of the recent statement by National Security Advisor Richard Allen that Israel was justified in the “hot pursuit” of terrorists into Lebanon.

It became clear to observers here that the State Department was divorcing itself from reports that Israel’s latest moves in Lebanon had blessings of the U.S. According to Fischer, the U.S. is “seeking a return to normal” in Lebanon and there is “no way Lebanon can become normal unless all parties exercise restraint.”

With respect to the Soviet role, while Fischer denied that Moscow was being singled out, his remarks obviously were a signal to the USSR which has been supplying Syria and the Palestinians and which has reportedly threatened to exercise its friendship treaty with Syria. “The violence in Lebanon has gone on far too long,” Fischer said in urging all governments to help calm the situation there.