Saudi Arabia said today that if Israeli troops entered Beirut, the Arabs would defend ”their territories” with all their powers, according to the Saudi press agency.
There was no indication of what territories the Saudis were referring to or what specific action they were threatening. The warning was issued after the Syrian Foreign Minister, Abdel Halim Khaddam, arrived in the Saudi summer capital of Taif for talks on the crisis.
A royal palace statement, made public by the agency, referred to what it called repeated Israeli threats to ”invade the capital of fraternal Lebanon.”
”The Saudi Arabian kingdom, therefore, warns against such a step by Israel and declares that the invasion of the capital of an independent, sovereign Arab country will invalidate every political effort and Arab endeavor being made in all areas,” the statement said.
The Israeli action would result in the Arabs facing their historic responsibility ”of exercising their legitimate right of defending their territories with all their power,” it added.
The statement, which apparently followed a meeting between Mr. Khaddam and the new Saudi monarch, King Fahd, said the kingdom stood by all Arab states in their solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples.
”Saudi Arabia will be the first to answer the call of duty,” the statement said. Mr. Khaddam’s visit to Saudi Arabia is the first by a Syrian official since the invasion of Lebanon, which has brought Israeli troops to the gates of Beirut in pursuit of Palestinians.
Saudi Arabia last week appealed to President Reagan and the leaders of Britain, France and West Germany to bring about Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon.
Today’s meeting in Taif was attended by Prince Abdullah, the Saudi Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister, and Prince Sultan, the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister.
The Saudi kingdom played a key role in working out a cease-fire in Lebanon last year in a bid to bring about national reconciliation. Syria helped to end the Lebanese civil war in 1976 and has stationed its troops in Lebanon under an Arab League mandate. Its forces have suffered grave losses in the Israeli invasion.
