Lebanese officials, closing ranks, demand full pullout

Fearing an invasion of west Beirut, the Lebanese government united Wednesday and for the first time demanded the withdrawal of all Israeli, Palestinian, and Syrian forces from Lebanon. But a three-day-old truce began to crumble with artillery exchanges across the capital.

The Cabinet endorsed a peace plan that also called for the establishment of a multinational force in Lebanon amid reports that Israel was quickly losing patience with US envoy Philip Habib's efforts to negotiate a settelment of the 39-day-old war.