DEBATE IN PROGRESS. MALIK (SOF) WIGGINS (SOF)



TRANSCRIPT: PRESIDENT. FAVOUR OF THE RESOLUTIONS INDICATE BY RAISING THEIR HAND............THE RESOLUTION HAS BEEN ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY.



MALIK OF COURSE, IN THIS RESOLUTION WE FIND MANY PROVISIONS WHICH ARE PERFECTLY CORRECT, THE CONDEMNATION OF ISRAEL FOR IT'S MILITARY AGGRESSION AGAINST LEBANON, THE RECOGNITION OF RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL FOR THE DAMAGE AND (INDISTINCT) INFLICTED UPON THE ARAB AIRLINES AND THE AIRPORT OF BEIRUT.



THIS RESOLUTION ALSO CONTAINS A WARNING TO ISRAEL (INDISTINCT) OF THE FACT THAT SUCH PREMEDITATED ACTS OF VIOLENCE ARE INDEED A THREAT TO PEACE. ALL THIS IS CONTAINED IN THE RESOLUTION, BUT ALL THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT ENOUGH.



WIGGINS...'ISRAEL IS NOT HERE ON TRIAL FOR IT'S LIFE. ISRAEL IS NOT BEING ASKED HERE TO DEFEND IT'S RIGHT TO EXIST. THIS COUNCIL IS NOT A COURT SITTING ON ALL THE ISSUES OF THE 1967 WAR, THE 1956 WAR, THE 1948 WAR AND AUTHORISED TO PRONOUNCE FINAL JUDGEMENT ON ALL THE MATTERS IN BETWEEN THE WARS. IF IT WERE SUCH AN OMNIPOTENT COURT, WE DOUBT NOT THAT ISRAEL WOULD GIVE AN EFFECTIVE ACCOUNT OF ITS STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE THE REPEATED ACTS OF HOSTILITY AND TERRORISM THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE CLIMATE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, OUT OF WHICH THESE LATEST ACTS OF VIOLENCE HAVE EMERGED. IT HAS BEEN ALLEGED IN THE COURSE OF THIS DEBATE THAT MY GOVERNMENT, IN SUPPORTING THE RESOLUTION BEFORE US, HAS EXHIBITED INCONSISTENCY. IT IS, MR. PRESIDENT, THE KIND OF INCONSISTENCY OF WHICH ABRAHAM LINCOLN SPOKE WHEN HE SAID THAT HE STUCK BY HIS FRIENDS WHILE THEY WERE RIGHT AND PARTED WITH THEM WHEN THEY WERE WRONG.'




Initials NAC/O.TELE/JH



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL YESTERDAY (TUESDAY) UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ISRAEL FOR SATURDAYS COMMANDO RAID ON BEIRUT AIRPORT.

THE RESOLUTION CONDEMNED ISRAEL FOR IT'S PREMEDITATED MILITARY ACTION, AND CONSIDERED THAT SUCH ACTS OF VIOLENCE ENDANGERED THE MAINTENANCE OF PEACE.

IT ALSO ISSUED A SOLEMN WARNING TO ISRAEL THAT IF SUCH ACTS WERE REPEATED THE COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO CONSIDER STEPS TO GIVE EFFECT TO ITS DECISIONS, AND NOTED THAT THE LEBANON WAS ENTITLED TO APPROPRIATE REDRESS FOR THE DAMAGE IT SUFFERED.

SOVIET DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER JOSEPH MALIK ATTACKED THE RESOLUTION AS WEAK, SAYING.......

U.S. AMBASSADOR J.R. WIGGINS SPOKE DEFENDING ISRAEL FROM GENERALISATIONS, WHICH HE SAID HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE INCIDENTS BEFORE THE COUNCIL.