HC Deb 07 July 1982 vol 27 cc280-1
9. Mr. Latham

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the efforts being made by the Western Powers, through the good offices of Mr. Habib, to strengthen the authority of the Lebanese Government and bring about the withdrawal of external armed forces from Lebanon.

Mr. Hurd

It is clearly important to establish an effective and broadly representative central Government in Lebanon. In their statement of 29 June the Ten recognised that a final peace in Lebanon requires the withdrawal of all foreign forces, except those which may be authorised by a legitimate Lebanese Government. The Ten committed themselves to support all efforts in that direction, and that is what we are doing.

Mr. Latham

In the interests of the closest relations with our American allies, will my right hon. Friend clarify something that was not abundantly clear from his earlier answer? Do the British Government agree with and support President Reagan's offer to evacuate the PLO and send American troops there?

Mr. Hurd

There is a proposal, which has not yet been agreed by all concerned. It is a complicated proposal. It is not sensible to comment from here on a confused situation in which we are neither directly concerned nor prime actors.

Mr. Healey

In the confusion, it is far from clear what status the proposal reported in the newspapers has in relation to the American Government. Is the Minister aware that there seems to be opposition among many members of the Cabinet, and certainly among members of the Congress and Senate, whose authority would be required? Will the Minister assure the House that the British Government would impose the same conditions as the French Government, as set out in a statement by the Quai d'Orsay yesterday, that such a force would have to be invited by the Lebanese Government, that it would have to be within the framework of the United Nations and that it would require the support of all the parties concerned?

Mr. Hurd

As I said in answer to a previous question, we have not been approached to participate in such a force. Therefore, I do not think that the questions put by the right hon. Gentleman arise for consideration by the British Government.

Mr. Wilkinson

Will my right hon. Friend make it clear that the Government do not wish to underpin the United States in their apparent effort wholly and uncritically to back the foreign policy objectives of the Israeli Government, as British public opinion believes that many innocent civilians are suffering unnecessarily out of all proportion to the understandable security policy objectives of Israel?

Mr. Hurd

The suffering inflicted by the Israeli invasion is probably greater than is realised in Britain. The United States is trying to bring the fighting and slaughter to an end. It must be supported in that.

Dr. M. S. Miller

Would it be easier for the Government if the Israelis not only withdrew from the Lebanon but ceased to exist in that part of the world?

Mr. Hurd

Of course not. The hon. Gentleman knows better than that. Israel has a right to exist in security, but that security will not be assured until the Israelis in turn recognise that the Palestianians have rights and that the continued denial of those rights is one of the reasons for contnued turbulence and suffering.