News In Brief
| Washington
Lebanon force should end, UN chief says; US is firm
The US has pledged to stand firm and continue exercising what it calls its right of self-defense in Lebanon while UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar has called for an end to all use of force there.
Secretary of State George Shultz told a news conference Monday the US did not want to get involved in the conflict in Lebanon, but he added: ''We will defend ourselves.''
He said the Syrians knew they were firing on US reconnaissance planes Saturday. The raid, in which two US planes were shot down, one pilot reported killed, and another captured, was termed a success by the Pentagon.
Meanwhile in Beirut, US marines destroyed a position east of their posts at Beirut airport Tuesday after they took sustained machine gun fire from it. The Marines suffered no casualties.
Syria said it shot down two pilotless Israeli drones flying over Syrian positions in eastern Lebanon and southern Syria Tuesday.
In Tel Aviv, a military spokesman said one Israeli drone was shot down by a Syrian missile.
