Syria reported to have East German and Cuban military advisers assisting with newly acquired Soviet equipment and upgrading military command and control structure; Haddad...
PLO makes withdrawal of 7,000 troops from Bekaa and Tripoli areas contingent on safety guarantees for half million Palestinians living in Lebanon; IDF sets up fortified...
US Marine captain with loaded pistol orders IDF tanks away from checkpoint in Beirut, the sixth incident between the two forces in past month; mortar explodes near US...
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Military Action:
Syria reported to have East German and Cuban military advisers assisting with newly acquired Soviet equipment and upgrading military command and control structure; Haddad declares he has taken control of 25-mile zone of South Lebanon, establishes garrison post in Sidon, says purpose is to help legitimate authorities to restore sovereignty throughout the country; 150 French soldiers added to French MNF contingent, now numbers 2,200; Lebanese Cabinet decree places police at disposal of military commander, gives army right to arrest and try people threatening national security; IDF says it will increase patrols in Sidon in response to requests from Wazzan.
Casualties:
45 thefts of autos from Palestinians in South Lebanon reported by police.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Begin tells visiting members of European Parliament that their support for Reagan plan is destructive; Begin announces appointment of Moshe Arens to replace Sharon as Defense Minister; Parliament votes 61 to 56, with 1 abstention, to approve Sharon remaining in Cabinet without portfolio; Sharon receives ceremonial farewell with full military honors at Tel Aviv Defense Ministry; Israel reportedly plans to increase air force strength from 19 to 24 combat squadrons, deploying 600 high performance aircraft, by mid-1990s; Kalandia refugee camp and its UNRWA school, al-Amari camp, and the old Nablus market are placed under curfews; bus window smashed near Dheisheh camp, windows of Israeli cars broken in Ramallah; tires burned near Ramallah; one IDF soldier, one civil administrator injured by stones in Ramallah; Bethlehem Mayor Freij says Palestinians have only two months to prevent Israeli takeover of West Bank and Gaza from becoming an established fact.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: 16th session of Palestine National Council opens in Algiers, 360 members from 90 countries present, 180 from West Bank and Gaza absent; PLO Executive Committee reportedly will make following recommendations: Reagan plan is insufficient but not rejected, closer ties with progressive and democratic elements in Egypt, special link with King Hussein, confederation between independent Palestinian state and Jordan, PLO members to participate with Jordanians in any negotiations, endorsement of Arab League resolution at Fez, PNC to decide on question of contacts between PLO leaders and Israelis; Lebanese-Israeli-US negotiators at Khalde end 15th round of talks, announce they are putting into writing points of agreement reached so far.
US and Other Countries: Austrian Chancellor Kreisky says Reagan plan represents a change of attitude but as for solving the concrete questions, he is doubtful; US aerospace companies such as Northrop oppose use of Foreign Military Sales credits by Israel for development of the Lavie fighter, expected to compete in export market with such aircraft as General Dynamics F-16 and Northrop F-20; Defense Secretary Weinberger has talks with outgoing Israeli Ambassador Arens; Habib travels to Israel from Beirut; State Dept. expresses concern over murders of Palestinians in Sidon area.
Military Action:
Syria reportedly receiving up to 1,000 Soviet military personnel to help operate new SA-5 missiles.
Casualties:
Preliminary Lebanese government study records 9,888 Beirut housing units damaged or destroyed, total losses estimated at $700 million; UNRWA reports 15 bodies found near Ain el-Hilweh in past two weeks; WAFA reports that the bodies were found in a mass grave and that the victims had recently been held at Ansar camp; Lebanese police say at least 8 Palestinian men have been abducted from their homes and murdered in Sidon, and a further four kidnapped and wounded PFLP General Command invites relatives of two IDF prisoners it holds to visit them; Prime Minister Wazzan asks Habib for US/Israeli intervention on behalf of Palestinians subjected to intimidation by Lebanese militiamen; 21 children injured during war are to be flown to US for treatment this month.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Labor Party leader Shimon Peres says he is willing to meet with Begin to discuss how to keep the peace between opposing political and social factions; President Navon says Israel is on the brink of an abyss; thousands march in Tel Aviv in support of Commission of Inquiry recommendations, negotiations with Palestinians.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: PLO Executive Committee continues meetings in Algiers to draft resolutions for PNC meeting; relations between Israel and Phalangists deteriorating.
US and Other Countries: US officials reportedly consider replacement of Sharon by Ambassador to US Moshe Arens will have positive effect on negotiations for IDF withdrawal from Lebanon.
Military Action:
PLO makes withdrawal of 7,000 troops from Bekaa and Tripoli areas contingent on safety guarantees for half million Palestinians living in Lebanon; IDF sets up fortified position 100 yards from British forces' headquarters.
Casualties:
European Community grants $20 million for rebuilding Beirut drinking water system; Phalangists have evicted 70 Palestinian families from apartments in Sidon in past two weeks and forced them to move to Ain el-Hilweh camp; UNRWA HQ in Vienna, responding to intimidation of Palestinians in South Lebanon, calls on IDF to ensure safety of civilians in areas under its control.
Politicial Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israeli Cabinet fails to reach agreement on whether to carry out Commission of Inquiry recommendation that Sharon and three senior generals leave their posts, considers early elections; Sharon says he has no intention of resigning; demonstrations outside Cabinet meeting; representatives of West Bank and Gaza settlements meet Begin and oppose removal of Sharon; Sharon welcomes Zaire's Defense Minister on official visit in Tel Aviv; Chief of Staff Eitan testifies in court-martial of 7 Israeli soldiers accused of beating, kicking and clubbing students in Hebron, defends orders from his office to harass West Bank Palestinians by repeated arrests, punishment of parents, collective punishment, etc.; Foreign Minister Shamir reiterates that Israel will not talk to PLO even if it recognizes Israel.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Chairman of PNC Foreign Relations Committee Khaled Hassan says revolutionary tactics is only option, which means violence until success; Arafat flies from Amman to Jeddah for talks with Saudi leaders.
Arab Governments: President Mubarak meets Bethlehem Mayor Freij in Cairo.
US and Other Countries: Defense Secretary Weinberger rejects proposal that Israel share military information it obtained in Lebanon because of Israeli conditions; American Jewish leaders praise Commission of Inquiry Report as evidence of Israeli democracy and moral strength; Austria mediating arrangements to exchange 6,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel for 8 Israelis held by PLO; trade between Britain and Israel in 1982 totals £498 million.
Military Action:
US Marine captain with loaded pistol orders IDF tanks away from checkpoint in Beirut, the sixth incident between the two forces in past month; mortar explodes near US Marine position at airport; UNIFIL headquarters complains of IDF restrictions on their movements south of Beirut.
Casualties:
2 French soldiers wounded by gunfire from passing car; official IDF casualty figures to date for Lebanon war are 466 killed, 2567 wounded, from all causes; report on Ansar detention camp shows it has received 9200 detainees since out-break of war, with 5412 Palestinians and Lebanese still held, at a cost of IS lm. a day; 293 Syrian prisoners of war, of whom 24 are officers, also held at Ansar.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Socialist International mission meets Begin and Shamir and visits West Bank; Israel's foreign debt totals $20.1 billion, an increase of $2.2 billion in last year, while interest payments are expected to total $5.3 billion in the 1982-83 period; delegation of Lebanese Christian officials meets Sharon and other Israeli ministers in Tel Aviv; Village League head Mustafa Dudeen announces that the Palestinian Democratic Peace Movement will be formed at Hebron convention on February 12.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Leaflets distributed in Sidon area call on residents to deport strangers from Lebanon, no more Palestinians on Lebanon's land.
Arab Governments: Arab League delegation to Britain postponed for second time over question of PLO representation; President Mubarak meets PM Thatcher in London, seeks support for early withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.
US and Other Countries: Reagan tells 150 World Jewish Congress members that Israel should freeze settlements on the West Bank, rules out use of sanctions or pressure to force withdrawal from Lebanon, urges King Hussein to negotiate directly with Israel; Reagan to seek $250 million in emergency supplemental aid to Lebanon, of which $100 million will go to rebuild army; administration officials expect US Marines will remain in Lebanon for at least another year; Anti-Defamation League releases 100 page handbook on "Pro-Arab Propaganda in America"; Rev. Jerry Falwell, at National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, urges Christians to support Israel; Chinese Foreign Minister tells Shultz in Peking that US should pressure Israel to pull its troops out of Lebanon; chairman of foreign affairs committee of Dutch parliament says in Jerusalem that no solution can be found to the Palestine problem without the involvement of the PLO.
