In June 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon for a second time after the attempted assassination of its ambassador in London. Following a three-pronged attack, Israel’s forces reached the Lebanese capital, Beirut, in a matter of days before laying siege to the city. Palestinian fighters had built a strong base there, operating autonomously, like a state-within-a-state.
Al Majalla has obtained access to what has become known as the Khaddam Files, which shed light on this turbulent period in Lebanon. Abdul Halim Khaddam was Syrian's foreign minister at the time.
Later, he became Syria's vice president and served under Hafez al-Assad and then under his son Bashar until he became disillusioned with the Syrian regime, abandoned his post and fled to France in 2005, taking with him secret documents detailing regional events during his time in office.
Al Majalla is relaying the events in a five-part series.
In Parts I, 2, and 3, we published details of the negotiations to end the Israeli siege of Beirut. This stipulated Arafa'ts exit from Lebanon of Yasser Arafat and his PLO fighters in the summer of 1982.
Alongside some Syrian soldiers and Lebanese Shiite militias, they come to be known as ‘the resistance’ but face far superior Israeli firepower. With American envoy Philip Habib pressing for Arafat’s ouster and the Israeli net tightening, options appear limited.
As detailed in secret correspondence between Damascus and Lebanon, Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) chairman Arafat reluctantly begins to accept that he and his men will have to leave Lebanon to save Beirut from total destruction.
In Part 4, we cover the secret messages between Arafat and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in the days leading up to that. Al-Assad has said he will host 1,200 Palestinian fighters plus some PLO leaders, but the two men are not known to like one another.
First letter penned
Arafat first reached out to al-Assad on 7 August, discussing the “decisions of Jeddah” and the “intensive talks between us and the Lebanese government regarding the withdrawal of Palestinian forces in Beirut.” According to Khaddam, it was Arafat's first-ever contact with al-Assad or Syria.
In the letter, the PLO Chairman struck a cordial tone, vowing to cooperate with Damascus, referring to Syria as “our sister country” and to a recent “fraternal meeting between the Palestinian leadership and your Excellency.”
He said he hoped that Syria “will accommodate those who cannot go to another country even temporarily until places are secured for them,” adding: “We are confident that the national ties between the Palestinian revolution and Syria will enable us to face this situation with a unified stance and shared responsibility.”
The Syrian leadership responded on 9 August, and al-Assad asked Khaddam to keep the Palestinian factions in Damascus abreast of the communication.
Clarifying the boundaries
“Regarding the message from brother Abu Ammar (Arafat)... there is no truth to Syria agreeing to accept 1,200 fighters... based on the principle that fighters should remain where they are to face the enemy,” it read.
This document, which outlines internal Syrian considerations, refers to “the goals of the US-Israeli aggression on Lebanon” being “the liquidation of the Palestinian revolution... transforming it from a problem for Israel into a problem for Syria by transferring the current situation to Lebanon to Syria”.
The US-Israeli goal, it continued, was to “create conflicts on Syrian soil between Syria and the Palestinian revolution”. It also noted that “some Palestinian voices were sceptical of Syria’s stance while Syria was fighting and making significant human sacrifices, with thousands of Syrian fighters injured and significant material sacrifices amounting to billions (of dollars)”.
In a less-than-subtle dig, it referred to “Arab countries that did not provide assistance,” adding: “Some not only remained silent but were even complicit with the Israeli enemy.”
The document then notes the “fraternal and revolutionary relations between Syria and the Palestinian revolution,” adding: “We are in the same trench and have one cause, which obliges us to have one strategy in confronting this enemy... the Zionist entity, American imperialism, and its allies.”
Al-Assad writes back
In response to Arafat, the Syrians asked for “the number of fighters who will leave Beirut and have no destination to head to, and the nationalities” of the fighters. It also suggested that the PLO “take action in accordance with Article 6 of the Charter of the League of Arab States by calling for an urgent and immediate meeting of foreign ministers to discuss the exit from Beirut”.
The Syrian notes also suggest “the adoption of an Arab decision to organise this matter in order for everyone to share the national responsibility”, in reference to the distribution of Palestinian fighters being shuttled out of Lebanon.
Khaddam recalled that “the next day, the leadership of Syria’s ruling Ba’ath Party convened to discuss Palestinian fighters’ exit from Lebanon. It was decided to inform the PLO that Syria welcomes them regardless of the number and that they will find in Syria the same refuge and support as they did in the past”.
Afterwards, President al-Assad called the Palestinian representatives in Syria to convey the decision and “to address the issue of security and discipline, saying ‘it must be clear to Arafat, I am not President Sarkis, nor King Hussein,’ referring to the events of ‘Black September’ in Jordan that led to Arafat and his fighters’ first expulsion in 1970”.
