Breakaway leader cashiered, charged

Press, 21 April 1979, Page 8

Breakaway leader cashiered, charged

NZPA-Reuter Beirut The Lebanese Prime Minister (Dr Selim Hoss) has announced that Major Saad Haddad, commander of rebel Right-wing Christian forces in south Lebanon, is to be cashiered and committed for trial.

Major Haddad on Wednesday declared the area under his control an independent “Free Lebanon.”

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Dr Hoss said: “As regards the secessionist step declared yesterday, it is a treacherous act that was invariably condemned by Lebanese.” Although it had been decided to cashier Major Had;dad, dismissal would not prevent his trial for “what he did against his homeland and army,” he said. Earlier the Lebanese public prosecutor preferred charges against Major Haddad of collaborating with Israel and inciting mutiny — offences which carry the death penalty. Major Haddad’s militia on Thursday further severed their ties with the rest of the country, sealing off roads leading into their 15km wide enclave and refusing to allow United Nations troops to reach United Nations headquarters in Naquoura, on the IsraelLebanon border, from United Nations positions further north.

Major Haddad proclaimed the enclave’s secession as 500 Lebanese troops were deployed alongside United Nations forces to his north, saying the Lebanese Regulars were pro-Syrian and hostile to his Christian Rightist militiamen. ! Unrecognised outside its own borders, “Free Lebanon” had a violent birth. Major Haddad’s Israelibacked militias turned their guns against both the Lebanese Army and United

Nations headquarters at Naquoura in a day of shelling that ranked as the worst United Nations forces have faced in south Lebanon.

The Christian-Rightist militia inherited the enclave from Israeli troops who handed it over as they withdrew after invading south Lebanon in March, 1978.

The Rightists have since refused to accept the control of either the Beirut authorities or the 6000 troops of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon despatched to south Lebanon as the Israelis withdrew. The proclamation of “Free Lebanon” has added to the patchwork of mini-fiefdoms spread over Lebanon in the absence of central Government control after years of strife. Semi-feudal warlords in the north, Lebanese Leftist groups, Palestinians, Rightist militias, the 30,000 Syrian troops in the Arab League Deterrent Force and U.N.1.F.1.L. itself now claim varying degrees of influence in different, sometimes overlapping, parts of the country. South Lebanon is now]

firmly split into three zones: the Rightist enclaxe, the United Nations zone to its north and, further north still, a belt of land under Palestinian-Leftist control.

The Lebanese contingent sent to join UJ4.1.F.1.L. has already run into trouble. The troops were pinned down briefly by shellfire two days ago and on Thursday one small unit was reported to have pulled back from positions close to Major Haddad’s lines after it came under renewed artillery attack. The bulk of the Lebanese force is staying at least 10km north of the confrontation lines where UNJ.I.F.I.L. and the Rightists, are within sight of each other. The Lebanese are nonetheless within the range of Major Haddad’s Is-raeli-supplied 155 mm guns.

The area remains tense, with the Rightist militia outgunning the Lebanese Army and U.N.1.F.1.L., whose peace-keeping role precludes any serious retaliation against Major Haddad's militia. In Tel Aviv, the Israeli Prime Minister (Mr Menachem Begin) has denied that Israel was responsible for the declaration of independence made by Major Haddad. In a letter sent to the United Nations SecretaryGeneral (Dr Kurt Waldheim) Mr Begin rejected Dr Waldheim’s contention made in a letter to Mr Begin that Israel supported “threats of violence” made by Major Haddad.

Israel has supported the] Right-wing militia for sev-i eral years as they share a common aim of keeping! Palestinian guerrillas out of the area. Mr Begin said is- 1 rae] acted “to save the; Christian minority from the I threat of physical annihilation” and urged the United; Nations to do the same. |