Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - April 22, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba 4 Winnipeg free press wednesday april d 0 _ Bynan shelling drives City Back underground v Beirut a the Shell fire War Between syrian soldiers and Christian militiamen spread East from Beirut to the roman Catholic City of Zahl and residents hurried Back into underground shelters after almost two weeks in the Sun. Zahl 50 Kilometres from Beirut on the Eastern Side of the Lebanon mountains was battered by syrian artillery during seven Days of fighting Early this month. The shelling resumed yesterday after a ceasefire Lull in which red Cross convoys trucked in food and brought out about 42 seriously wounded Resi dents. As before each Side accused the other of firing first. We can t take any said Dalai Kassouf a housewife huddled in a basement apartment with her 18 month old son. Let s die and get it Over she said in a Telephone interview with the associated press in Beirut. There were no immediate casualty reports from either Side. Syrian gunners first zeroed in on Zahl on april 2 to Stop militiamen of the rightist Christian phalanges party from finishing a Mountain Road that skirted the syrian held Beirut Damascus Highway to link Zahl with the Christian strongholds to the West. The fighting spread to Beirut the next Day. Before a ceasefire took hold april 8, the syrians had driven the christians from All their Hilltop positions around Zahl and syrian guns were trained Down on the City from All sides. Syrian sources said their government feared the pro israeli christians would allow Israel to use Zahl As an Anchor for an end run invasion of Syria skirt ing the heavily fortified Golan Heights Frontier. In Beirut meanwhile the heavy artillery and mortars that shattered the ceasefire monday thundered from both sides of the Green line Frontier hurling shells into residential areas in Chris Tian East Beirut and the moslem West. Newspapers said Beirut Resi dents took to shelters As the shelling killed at least 21 people and wounded More than 80 others monday night and Early yesterday. The firing continued without setup through yesterday but later casualty figures were not Avail Able. The Beirut International Airport closed yesterday morning because of the shelling reopened briefly that night to allow three Boeing 727 jetliners of Lebanon s Middle East airlines to take off with about 100 passengers each bound for saudi Arabia Jordan and the Ivory coast. Christian mortar shells exploded around the planes As they took off but they were not hit officials said. After the takeoffs the Airport was closed again. Lebanese army guns also exchanged fire with the syrians. Three lebanese soldiers were killed near the Beirut race track which had not been hit in the previous firing and 17 soldiers were wounded in suburban harass. Syria does not report its casualties. Diplomat wife share bathroom during shelling British soldiers on patrol in Belfast pass by Burnt out Frame of a bus set afire during violence by roman Catholic youths. Police army on Alert in Londonderry Belfast a police and British soldiers were on the Alert today for More rioting expected after the Funer als in Londonderry of two roman Cath Olic youths killed by a British army vehicle. Sinn fein the Legal political Arm of the outlawed Irish Republican army ordered a Day of mourning. This brought a Post Midnight quiet to Londonderry the province s second largest City and a roman Catholic stronghold after the seventh night of rioting. But mobs of youths were expected to renew their Street attacks on the police and the army after the funerals. The two 18-year-Olds were killed Sun Day by an army land Rover during a riot on the anniversary of the 1916 easter uprising in Dublin against Brit ish Rule. The police called the incident a Road Accident but Catholic leaders said that the land Rover drove into the crowd at High Speed. Cost of living clause in greyhound Union continued from Page 1 Dies said. Some of the passengers Are eligible for refunds. Daisy procure who Lay Between benches with her head on a Cushion said greyhound offered to re turn of the ticket she bought in Petawawa ont., to return Home to Lethbridge Alta. Others said they could receive no rebate Here. Procure said train fare to Calgary is eastbound passengers were apparently better prepared for the possibility of a strike. A greyhound Driver who arrived at the mall terminal about 11 . From Vancouver said he dropped off about a dozen passengers All of whom were bound for Winnipeg. Key items of dispute in the strike include wages and a Cost of living clause. The Union is fighting to keep the cola clause which it has had for about 30 years but the company wants to abolish it. Ati members have rejected the company s offer of a 27-per-cent wage increase Over three years. Under that agreement beginning with a 9.5-per cent increase retroactive to Jan. 1, top rated Drivers would earn about 500 this year. Workers currently aver age More than a year. No freight service freight service has been discontinued because of the strike. However greyhound service to and from the United states will carry on. Winnipeg passengers will be picked up or dropped off at the St. Regis Flag inn 285 Smith Street. Eastbound passengers also will be Able to Book seats on Grey Goose bus lines. Grey Goose will operate As usual out of the downtown depot and will have its entire 65-bus Fleet Avail Able company president Bernard Thiessen said. The company normally has about half its Fleet in service. A spokesman for the Union represent ing Grey Goose Drivers said they May take some action in support of the about 100 Londonderry youths at tacked the police last night with bottles of acid gasoline bombs and bricks. They also set two mail trucks afire. Seven policemen were treated for acid Burns and one of the Young rioters required surgery after a rubber Bullet fired by the police or the army hit him in the head. It was the first use of acid bombs by rioters in Northern Ireland in several years. Key item dispute striking Atu workers. Al Cerelli staff representative for the Canadian brotherhood of railway transport and general workers said meetings today will determine if any action is to be taken. Non unionized Eagle and Beaver bus line Drivers will Honor Atu picket lines outside the downtown terminal. However they will take on and drop off passengers at the curb there John Fehr manager of the companies said yesterday. Drivers will sell tickets nor Mally sold by greyhound staff. The two lines will operate their express service out of their garage at 339 Archibald Street Fehr said. Webb bus lines Ltd. Of Portage la Prairie will discontinue All service during the strike owner Ralph Webb said. The company operates four lines in Manitoba All leased from Grey hound. Webb said his route Drivers who Are not unionized will either go on holidays or be used for charter services. Meanwhile Ira guerrilla Bobby Sands was in the 53rd Day of his hunger strike in the Maze prison near Bel fast and the government said his condition continued to Sands serving a 14-year sentence was fasting in support of the Ira s demand that its imprisoned members be Given the status of political prison ers. A delegation from the Irish Republic parliament that visited him monday reported prison doctors said he Proba Bly will die by the end of the week. Prison sources said Sands probably will be transferred to a military Hospi Tal where he could be Given intensive treatment if he Abandons his fast. But the three Irish legislators said he is determined to die unless the Brit ish government meets his demand. The government remained Adamant despite the Ira s threat of widespread violence if Sands Dies. Prime minister Margaret Thatcher told a news Confer ence in saudi Arabia there can be no question of political status for some one serving a sentence for Thatcher who returns to London sat urday from visits to India and persian Gulf states rejected the Irish parliamentary delegation s request to meet with her on Sands s behalf. Sands 27, who was recently elected to the British parliament from a Cath Olic District was arrested after a gun Battle with the police and was convicted in 1976 on a gun charge. Political prisoner status would allow him and the other jailed guerrillas to Wear their own clothes instead of prison uniforms do no prison work mingle freely with each other and receive More visitors. It also would constitute an admission by the government that the Ira is a legitimate political movement instead of a criminal terrorist organization As the government claims. Ottawa up when the shelling gets heavy James Junke a Canadian Diplomat in Beirut and his wife some times Retreat to their candlelit Bath room to reduce the Chance of getting caught in the crossfire tearing Lebanon apart. The bathroom provides the safest Sanctuary from the noise of nearby artillery blasts and from stray bullets like the one that wounded a Friend from the United states embassy As he sat in his apartment monday. For about 13 canadians working at the Canadian embassy in Beirut and their families the pressure of living in a Battle zone has ebbed and flowed with renewed fighting Between syrian forces and Christian militia groups on either Side of the divided capital. As of monday the tension is build ing again because it s so nerve wrack ing to listen to the shelling All the Junke a native of St. Cath marines ont., said yesterday in a Tele phone interview from Beirut As rockets exploded in the background. Many killed at least five persons perhaps As Many As two dozen were killed yester Day in artillery Battles which also closed Beirut s Airport. While Ottawa is keeping a close Eye on the situation a spokesman for external affairs minister Mark Macguigan said there Are no plans to evacuate the embassy As happened during the 1975-76 civil War Between christians and moslem. Junke vice Consul at the embassy said a three phase evacuation plan is ready in Case things get really hot. The first phase a Basic state of preparedness is already in effect. That Means staff members Are to keep adequate supplies of water food and cooking Gas in their Homes in Case they Are trapped by the fighting. From their High Rise apartment in predominantly moslem West Beirut Junke and his wife Ingrid Giesebrecht have a Birds Eye View of several hotels about a Kilometre away from which the syrians launch rocket blasts at predominantly Christian East Beirut. You can see the Flash of the rockets and hear them said Junke. November violence the fighting came even closer during an outbreak of violence last no vember. Those nights you Don t put your lights on. You go into your bedroom and close the shutters. We be even gone into the bathroom with books and a can the greatest threat is getting in the Way of a bomb or Bullet intended for someone else. American vice Consul Steven Patterson a Good Friend of the Junkes was taken to Hospital after being hit in the shoulder monday. That s not the first such incident. A bomb blew up during rehearsal of a play at a local College injuring three people in the audience and shaking up a Canadian Diplomat in the cast. Another Friend had his car Windshield shattered. Three students at the american University of Beirut where Giesebrecht is an instructor in dietetics were wounded while sitting in the Library. Anybody can get she said. That s the kind of fear you live with those random even at the Best of times Beirut now verges on anarchy. There Are no work ing traffic lights and garbage collection has been abandoned. Armed youths backed by various left and right Wing factions pose the threat of indiscriminate violence and vandalism. Escalating Battles have compounded those problems. Israeli raids on pales Tinian guerrilla targets in Southern Leb anon and Christian moslem clashes in Beirut Force foreign diplomats to lie Low at Home. Crossing Points along the Green line which divides the City have been closed since Early april. Junke nights in bathrooms local staff from East Beirut must make a circuitous two hour trip around the City to get to the embassy on the West Side if they come at All. Embassy staffers Are Cut off from lebanese government offices. It s very hard to conduct said Junke. It s very much a divided for Junke who started the two year posting last summer after he and Giesebrecht were married experience is far different from the easy lifestyle of his previous Post in Bangkok. A siege mentality dominates Diplo Matic circles in Beirut. Canadians Are instructed not to drive to work the same Way every Day and to Check through the peephole before answering the door at Home. Going out to a restaurant or theatre is usually out of the question and one thinks twice about an evening trip to a colleague s Home. Even exercise for example depends on War related factors rather than on How Long one wants to run. Junke said runs on the University track where runners pick up bullets As souvenirs usually end at the first sound of shelling. It sounds crazy but that s How you look at things god to have spot in Constitution liberals insert preamble recognizing supremacy of deity and the Rule of Law Joe Clark left and my Jake Epp discuss constitutional issues. Continued from Page 1 while any three could Stop it. Opponents Are Likely to argue that the change favors the Federal government but Axworthy said yesterday its chief value is that it removes the charge that the Prairie provinces got a particularly raw Deal under the Federal proposal. On god the Federal liberals have decided to insert the following Short preamble whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of god and the Rule of Law. Chretien said the government has decided to reject an omnibus Amend ment proposal proposed by the conservatives. That proposal would have held the provinces to a charter of rights affirmed women s rights and native rights but would have left the prov inces free to opt out of other changes. It would also have required further agreement from a majority of the prov inces leaving final constitutional proclamation on ice for two years while the final agreement is being worked out. Chretien said last night he would make a speech today explaining Why the government opposes the tory Posi Tion. Among other things the conserva Tive proposal would have affirmed property rights removed the controversial Senate veto on constitutional change agreed to under pressure from the rebellious Senate and guaranteed equal rights for males and females. The conservatives also planned amendments on abortion and capital punishment. Nothing in this charter affects the authority of parliament to legislate in respect of abortion and capital punish reads the wording sought by the tories. Opposition Leader Joe Clark said the main advantage of his proposal is that it recognizes the provinces As equal partners in confederation. He said it rejects the extremes of unilateral action undertaken by prime minister Trudeau and unanimity As a formula for change sought by some premiers. Clark said his definition of the consensus necessary to change the Constitution is two thirds of the provinces representing 50 per cent of the Popula Tion. An opting out formula would protect provincial Powers but would not apply to individual rights set out in the Char Ter of rights and freedoms. The charter of rights has been accepted by All Federal parties but is opposed in principle by Premier Lyon and to lesser degrees by other Provin Cial premiers. Yesterday was the deadline for changes to the Constitution and Tomor Row is the final Day of debate under an All party agreement. After that nothing stops the constitutional proposal from being sent to Lon Don for ratification by Westminster except a supreme court Appeal scheduled for tuesday and an unlikely Senate veto. The Manitoba government is Appeal ing a split decision in favor of the Federal position taken by the province s highest court. Trudeau has said he will live by the results of the supreme court decision. He has also said that if the supreme court rules against him there will be one hell of a up to British maps when the constitutional proposal reaches Westminster it will be up to British maps to decide whether to stick with tradition and respect the Federal government s request to oppose it. Trudeau has said it is Britain s duty to hold its nose and pass whatever Canada sends Over but britons inside and outside the government have suggested it would be much easier to get Back Bench British maps to agree if the supreme court also rules in favor. Analysts of the supreme court Sug Gest that there is no certainty that Trudeau will win. His margin among the nine justices is assessed at one in his favor for a variety of reasons despite the fact that the court is appointed by the Federal government ;