Gemayel Urges Firm Steps on Terrorism : Determined to Keep Hijackers Out of Beirut Airport, He Says

Lebanese President Amin Gemayel, proclaiming “a kind of international solidarity” against terrorism, said Tuesday that his government is determined to prevent hijackers from using Beirut airport even if a captured pilot claims his aircraft is in danger of crashing.

Talking to a small group of reporters here, Gemayel said that all nations must take stronger action against terrorism, “not for humanitarian reasons only but also for the security of the international society.”

The Lebanese president also said that his government is ready to resume face-to-face negotiations with Israel over the security of southern Lebanon and the Lebanon-Israel border area, although he blamed Jerusalem for the failure of two earlier rounds of talks.

The Basis for Talks

“We have tried those procedures twice and we are ready to try two more and try another procedure, too,” he said. But he said Lebanon would enter the talks only if Israel agreed to implement U.N. Security Council resolutions calling for total Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

Gemayel was in New York to address the 40th anniversary session of the U.N. General Assembly.

He said that Lebanon’s long-standing policy has been to deny landing rights to hijacked aircraft except in cases of extreme emergency. But Gemayel conceded that such concern for the safety of seized airliners has caused Lebanon severe diplomatic problems, such as when hijacked TWA Flight 847 was allowed to land in Beirut in June.

Asked if Lebanon intends to close the airport to all hijackers, regardless of humanitarian concerns, he replied, “Yes.”

Popular Destination

Beirut airport has been a popular destination of hijackers because, under the chaotic conditions in the city, torn by civil war, the terrorists often can escape. Gemayel conceded that his government frequently has lost control of the airport to armed groups such as the Shia Muslim militia Amal.

Secretary of State George P. Shultz has called on all nations to refuse to provide sanctuary to hijackers or other terrorists, reasoning that if potential hijackers knew from the start that they would not be allowed to land, they would realize they could not achieve their objectives.

Critics of Shultz’s approach say that such a policy could result in the deaths of passengers and crew members if a hijacked airliner is denied landing permission and then runs out of fuel while airborne.

Nevertheless, one Arab diplomat said on Tuesday that many Middle Eastern governments may soon adopt the policy Gemayel outlined.

Recognized Leader

Both the United Nations and the United States recognize Gemayel as the head of Lebanon’s only legitimate government, even though he has lost much of his power to a variety of private armies and militias.

Gemayel said he is optimistic that the current round of Syrian-sponsored peace talks will bring an end to Lebanon’s civil war, despite the failure of similar negotiations over the past decade.

He said the chances of success are better this time because the various armed factions are near exhaustion and finally have come to realize that there is no military solution. However, Gemayel conceded that bitter fighting is still raging throughout the country because “you can’t close this fire with a few days or weeks of talking, it is not a push-button.”

Gemayel said it is “too early” to tell what sort of power-sharing arrangement would come out of the talks. He brushed aside questions about whether his own Maronite Christian community would be willing to give up its privileged place in Lebanese society to provide additional benefits for the majority Muslims. Lebanon’s constitution specifies that the president must be a Maronite.

He emphasized that Syria will continue to play a dominant role in Lebanon.