Syria Calls on All Lebanese to Back Accord

President Hafez Assad of Syria, in an apparent effort to blunt lingering criticism of the new Syrian-sponsored peace agreement for Lebanon, called Sunday on all Lebanese to support the accord.

Assad met in his presidential palace with the three Christian and Muslim militia leaders who signed the peace document Saturday. He told them that Syria will “spare no effort” to implement the accord, but he did not overtly indicate whether Syrian army units might be called upon to enforce the peace.

“Syria will continue to offer all assistance to our Lebanese brothers to move from the abnormal situation to a better position where Lebanon can enjoy health, security and national reconciliation,” Assad said.

After the meeting, Elie Hobeika, leader of Lebanon’s dominant Christian militia, the Lebanese Forces, told a news conference that the agreement represents “a new era for Lebanon.”

Hobeika said Saturday’s meeting was “very important because we have not talked in 11 years,” since the outbreak of the 1975-76 Lebanese civil war.

He said he expects implementation of the agreement to take place “very quickly,” with the first steps beginning within a week.

Hobeika met later in the day with the other two militia leaders to discuss the agreement’s implementation. The other signatories of the accord are Nabih Berri, head of Amal, the Shia Muslim militia, and Walid Jumblatt, who heads the predominantly Druze Progressive Socialist Party and its militia.

The agreement is a two-tiered accord calling for military steps to end the civil strife that began in 1975 and political reforms to establish balance between Christians and Muslims after four decades of Christian dominance.

Hobeika’s open support for the agreement is considered essential since the two Muslim parties are closely allied to Syria’s leftist government and usually adopt positions in conformity with the Damascus regime.

Christian Opposition

Several prominent Christian leaders, such as former Presidents Suleiman Franjieh and Camille Chamoun, have denounced the accord and have so far refused to accept it.

In an apparent effort to overcome such opposition, Assad told the militia leaders that he expects everyone in Lebanon to unite in support of the agreement.

“I am confident that all Lebanese who are keen about Lebanon’s unity, independence and future will not hesitate to support the tripartite pact and contribute toward ending the civil war and securing national reconciliation,” Assad said.

In a further effort to bring pressure to bear on opponents of the peace agreement, Syrian First Vice President Abdel-Halim Khaddam issued an appeal for unity.

“The door leading to dialogue, peace, security and national reconciliation is wide enough to accommodate all the Lebanese and ensure for them security, coexistence and unity of land and people,” Khaddam said.

Once Linked to Israel

In addition to the Christians, opposition to the accord has been voiced by radical Shia Muslim groups that oppose any negotiations with the Christian militia because of the group’s former ties to Israel.

Several leading Sunni Muslim politicians have reportedly opposed the plan because the agreement signifies the end of Sunni dominance of Muslim political questions now that the Shias outnumber the Sunnis in Lebanon.

Salim Hoss, a Sunni and Lebanon’s minister of education, had earlier opposed the peace agreement but announced Sunday that he now accepts it.

“We welcome an agreement that ends the state of war and returns the country to an atmosphere of political dialogue,” Hoss said in Beirut.

A Certain Disbelief

Most reaction from Beirut was similarly muted, as the Lebanese wait with a certain amount of disbelief to see if the accord is ever implemented. Several past peace agreements have failed within weeks of taking effect.

“The battle of the signing has ended,” commented the Communist daily newspaper An Nida. “The battle of implementation has begun.”

Texts of the agreements that were published Sunday indicated that the Muslims had made several key concessions to get the Christians to sign after the collapse of a tentative agreement two months ago.

Under the new accord, the president will continue to be a Maronite Catholic, as he has long been under Lebanon’s traditional power-sharing formula. He will also be the commander in chief of the army and will have full power to nominate the premier and the Cabinet.

In an earlier version, the president had no military function and was obliged to submit to the will of an expanded Parliament.

Amin Gemayel, the current Christian president, has still not indicated whether he will accept the Syrian-brokered accord.