U.S. Envoys Urged to Return to Lebanon : Aoun’s Christian Cabinet Calls Evacuation a Reaction to Rumors

The Christian government of Maj. Gen. Michel Aoun urged the United States on Friday to send its diplomats back to Lebanon, calling their evacuation a misguided reaction to rumors that they were in danger.

“The Cabinet expresses its regret . . . because the U.S. Administration based its decision on illusions, rumors and erroneous information,” a statement from Aoun’s three-man Christian Cabinet said.

It called on the United States to “reconsider the pulling out of its diplomats from Lebanon in order to preserve bilateral relations.”

The statement appeared to mark a partial backing down by Aoun in his war of words with Washington, although it was unclear to what extent this might be because it was issued by the Cabinet rather than Aoun personally. His Cabinet is one of two vying for power in Lebanon.

U.S. officials said the evacuation Wednesday of Americans from the embassy in Beirut was prompted by threats, linked to Aoun, to take Americans hostage or shoot down a U.S. helicopter.

Aoun had told reporters that the United States “perhaps needed a dose of Christian terrorism” and “perhaps we should take 20 American hostages” to compel Washington to arrange negotiations to end Lebanon’s bloody fighting.

But Aoun insisted Friday that the evacuation order was unnecessary. He said the facility in Christian East Beirut is protected by the Lebanese army and “all our American guests were safe” in the Christian enclave “where there never was any victim or hostage taking.”

Earlier in the week, Aoun said that U.S. Ambassador John McCarthy would be welcomed back only if he presented his credentials to the Christian Cabinet and recognized it as the legitimate government.

Demand Not Reiterated

That demand was not reiterated in the new statement.

McCarthy and his staff of 29 flew to Cyprus en route to Washington on Wednesday after protests outside the embassy in Christian East Beirut.

McCarthy arrived in Lebanon a year ago and did not present his credentials in an obvious effort to avoid recognizing either the Christian or rival Muslim government.

Acting Prime Minister Salim Hoss, who heads the Syrian-backed Muslim Cabinet vying for power with Aoun’s, expressed “regret” over the pullout in a statement broadcast by the Muslim Voice of the Nation radio.

Aoun, who commands 15,000 primarily Christian troops battling Syria and its Lebanese Muslim and leftist allies, accused the United States last week of taking too soft a line with Syria, which has about 40,000 troops in Lebanon.

The evacuation, which U.S. officials said was carried out for security reasons, left Aoun badly isolated in his five-month-old “war of liberation” against Syria.

Aoun’s forces, supplied with arms by Syria’s perennial antagonist Iraq, traded sporadic tank and artillery fire with Syrian and Muslim forces Friday, security sources said.

No casualties were reported from the fighting across Beirut’s Green Line battle zone and in mountains overlooking the Christian enclave.