ISRAEL-LEBANON: ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM WEST BEIRUT

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06806142
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: March 8, 2023
• Document Release Date: July 25, 2019
• Case Number: F-2018-00205
• Publication Date: September 21, 1982

Approved for Release: 2019/07/16 C06806142
Director of
Central
Intelligence
�CPAS/ere
National Intelligence Daily
Tuesday
21 September 1982
c
CPAS NID 82-22IJX
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21 September 1982
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Contents
:
/ Israel-Lebanon- Israell, Withdrawal From West Beirut .
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LAF area of control
Refugee area
Crossing point
Government building
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CL. C
ISRAEL-LEBANON: Israeli Withdrawal From West Beirut
The Israell,s cont-i,nue to evacuate their positl.ons in West
Be-brut as the Lebanese Army assumes control over major areas of
the csty. Israel?, Government spokesmen yesterday admi-tted that
Tel Aviv had received reports about the massacre 1,n the Palestinian
refugee camps as early as Friday mornlng
Israeli forces turned over control of the Sabra
and Shatila refugee camps and the Fakhani area to the
Lebanese Army on Sunday and yesterday and are pulling
back from positions along the Corniche al Mazra'ah. The
Lebanese Army plans to enter the Ra's an Nab' neighborhood
today and reportedly has begun searches for weapons in
the Bur] abi Haydar area.
The Israelis continue to patrol throughout West
Beirut, including those areas nominally under Lebanese
Army control, and have restricted the movement of UN
military observers. Twenty-five observers arrived in
Beirut yesterday and 15 more are to arrive today and
tomorrow. The duties of the observers, who are to patrol
the Beirut area, are unclear and will depend on Israeli
concurrence.
There have been no recent re orts of violen
Beirut,
a vio a ion o the cease-fire yes-
, e aa alley by Palestinian guerrillas
operating from behind Syrian linpq There were no Israeli
casualties.
leftist militias in
(/West Beirut have suffered heavy casualties--more than
1/41-' 150 killed and wounded--while the PLO had another 200
killed and wounded. Israeli casualties have been light.
Israeli Government Position
Senior officials now claim that the government
c- attempted to investigate the reports but was unable to
% verify that civilians were being killed. The government
&2 also reported that the Israeli cabinet was notified on
Thursday night that Phalange forces were about to enter
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the refugee camps. Israeli President Navon, who rarely
intercedes in government affairs, has called for an
independent investigation of the matter, and a special
Knesset session will be held tomorrow to discuss the
situation in West Beirut.
Comment: The Israeli press had published numerous
reports challenging Tel Aviv's earlier claims that it was
Ignorant about the massacre until Saturday, and Begin
apparently hopes to deflect some of the increasing public
criticism of him and Defense Minister Sharon by claiming
that the full cabinet alp:Proved of the Phalange move into
the camps.
Egyptian Reaction
Egyptian officials have stressed that the recall of
their Ambassador from Israel yesterday to protest the
Beirut masacre does not signal a break in diplomatic
relations. a severance
of ties may still e under consideration, however, and
that Egypt may discuss the merits of such a move with
the US.
all Egyptians are horrified by the killings and
the future of the US peace initiative now depends
on the ability of the US to ranae a prompt Israeli
withdrawal from West Beirut.
Comment: The Ambassador is unlikely to be returned
until, at a minimum, the situation in Lebanon stabilizes
and Israel withdraws from West Beirut. Mubarakis gesture
is designed in part to undercut domestic opponents who
had sharply criticized him for not reacting strong
enough to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June.
Messages From Brezhnev
Moscow yesterday published President Brezhnev's
r, reply to PLO leader Arafat's appeal for assistance in
"J
halting the violence in West Beirut and announced that
0, the Soviet leader had written President Reagan. Brezhnev's
only response to Arafat's plea was to affirm that the
USSR will "further resolutely struggle" toward that end.
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The letter to Reagan implicitly charged the US with
partial responsibility for the West Beirut massacre and
called for joint US-Soviet action in the UN Security
Council to "curb" Israel.
Comment: The letters are part of a Soviet effort
to use the massacre to damage US credibility with the
Arabs and convince them that the US is unfit to be an
honest broker in the Middle East. The call for joint
US-Soviet action has long been a refrain in Moscow's
0Middle East policy. Arafat is unlikely to be satisfied
with Brezhnev's vague response.
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