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SV U.N. Under-Secretary, Brian Urquhart shakes hands with Lebanese Prime Minister Selim Al-Hoss with aides in background
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SV Al-Hoss (on left with glasses) and Urquhart seated ZOOM IN TO SCU Urquhart
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SCU Al-Hoss ZOOM OUT AND PAN TO Urquhart and U.N. Beirut spokesman, Sir Sanbar
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SCU Urquhart and GV Al-Hoss PAN TO Urquhart, Sanbar and aide (2 shots)
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Initials BB





Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Israeli-backed rightist militiamen shelled a village near the south Lebanese port of Sidon on Tuesday (18 March) and threatened more bombardments. It was the fourth successive day of artillery attacks by the militiamen, who control a ten kilometre (six mile) strip along the border with Israel. United nations resolutions on southern Lebanon were discussed in Beirut on Monday (17 March) between Lebanese Prime Minister Selim Al-Hoss and Mr. Brian Urquhart, the U.N. Under-Secretary for Special Political Affairs.

SYNOPSIS: Mr. Urquhart and the Lebanese Prime Minister also discussed the possibility of a wider deployment of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. The six-thousand man contingent was sent to south Lebanon after an Israeli invasion of the area in March, 1978. It was there to supervise the Israeli withdrawal.

The U.N. Under-Secretary has already visited southern Lebanon where he inspected the United Nations peace-keeping troops. The mission of this force in war-torn Lebanon has been described as one of the most difficult peace-keeping operations in United Nations history. In September last year the United Nations warned that its troops might be withdrawn if the fighting got worse.

The fragile ceasefire in Lebanon, which began in August, 1979, broke down last month when a heavy bombardment started between Israeli-backed Christian militias and Palestine guerrilla forces.