ISRAEL-LEBANON: ISRAELIS PURSUE MILITIAS

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06806124
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: March 8, 2023
• Document Release Date: July 25, 2019
• Case Number: F-2018-00205
• Publication Date: September 17, 1982

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Director of
Central
Intelligence
�9F0nrSerrrt�
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National Intelligence Daily
Friday
17 September 1982
up secret
CPAS NID 82-2181X
TCS 2918182
17 September 1982
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Contents
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NR Record
/ ]srael -Lebanon. Israass Pursue Militlas 1
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(j) ISRAEL-LEBANON: Israelis Pursue Militias
(Information as of 0030)
Israeli forces have surrounded West Beirut while leftists are
i preparing for a final defense The Israeli cabinet says its forces
r/ will pull out only when the Lebanese Army is ready to take over.
/1:-." The Lebanese have called for a UN Security Council meeting and say
) the US must share responsibility for Israel's action.
Israeli troops have not yet eliminated all pockets
of resistance. Heavy fighting continues between the
leftist militias and Israeli units advancing east along
Shari al Hamra and south from the Port area.
the leftists have concentrated to
fight a "final battle" in the Bur] Abi Haydar, Ras An Nab,
Basta, and al Musaytibah neighborhoods.
Comment: The Israelis intend to disarm the militias
and recover the heavy weapons turned over to them by the
PLO. Several smaller militias have stopped fighting, but
the Murabitun, the largest and most heavily armed group,
probably will continue to offer stiff resistance for at
least another day. Israeli armor and elite paratroop
units eventually will overwhelm them.
Israel claims to have suffered two dead and 42 wounded
in the fighting, but these figures were released before
yesterday's heavy fighting in the city. Israeli casual-
ties probably will be much heavier before West Beirut is
secured.
Israeli radio has announced the Phalange, not the
Israelis, will "purge" the refugee camps. The search
for weapons, ammunition caches, and PLO stay-behinds be-
fore the Israelis withdraw would be contrary to US assur-
ances given the Lebanese Government and through them to
the Palestinians that the camps would be kept safe, and
it could provoke large-scale PLO terrorism elsewhere.
Israeli Cabinet Meeting
The Israeli cabinet met last night and said that
the Army will withdraw from West Beirut only when the
Lebanese Army is ready to assume positions there.
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Comment: Some ministers wanted to use the meeting
to ccmplain that Defense Minister Sharon and Prime Minis-
ter Begin had authorized the move without proper consul-
tation. Concern over strains in US-Israeli relations and
the fact that several ministers are out of the country
apparently muted the criticism. The decision is likely
to remain controversial, however, and will be used by the
opposition Labor party to underscore complaints that Begin
has allowed Israel to be drawn into a quagmire.
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It is still unclear whether Israel will disengage
from the city after military operations are complete.
If Sharon and his top colleagues are serious about turning
BeirLt into an "open city" where Israelis can travel freely,
however, they probably will have to maintain a sizable
Israeli presence.
Lebanese Political Developments
Prime minister Wazzan said in a radio state-
)ment that the US must share responsibility for the Israeli
acticn, stating that the Israeli move into the Lebanese
,,-capital came after repeated assurances by the US that it
would not happen. Wazzan questioned whether Arab leaders
could support President Reagan's peace initiative since
US assurances had no value.
Amin Jumayyil Candidacy
selected Amin
Jumayyil as
its
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the Phalange party has
candidate for president.
Comment: Amin, the older brother of slain President-
elect Bashir Jumayyil, has maintained ties with most of
(-, Lebanon's political factions, and he probably represents
a political compromise acceptable to them.
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