Israel sticks to position on Lebanon withdrawal

Israel stuck to its demand for special military arrangements in south Lebanon despite President Reagan's offer to guarantee border security. Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir said Israel's conditions for withdrawing its troops had not changed. Reagan said his offer was in line with past US policy (see Page 1).

At the same time, Syria gave its clearest indication yet that it would withdraw all troops from Lebanon once Israeli forces left. The leadership of the ruling Baath Party said in a statement that no Syrian soldier would remain in Lebanon once it regained its freedom and expelled the Israelis.