Army takes over east Beirut

Press, 17 February 1983, Page 9

Army takes over east Beirut

NZPA-Reuter Beirut The Lebanese Army has taken over security duties in east Beirut from the Christian militias who formerly ruled there, a move which officials hope will increase the credibility of the fledgling Government. If successful it should help unify a capital which has been divided since the 197576 civil war into a Christian eastern half and a mainly Muslim western sector; both of them controlled by armed political factions. The Army, backed by a French-Italian-United States force, took over west Beirut in September after the withdrawal from the city of Israel’s invading Army. The Government had been under pressure from Muslim leaders to follow suit in the Christian area.

Three Army brigades, estimated by radios and newspapers at 4000 men, moved into the east yesterday after the dominant Christian militia, the “Lebanese forces," agreed to suppress its military activities there.

Nevertheless the Christian

militias will keep armed guards around their offices in east Beirut. Many of the barricades along the east side of the “green line” which for years divided Beirut were still in place late yesterday. The Government calls the area it is trying to take control of “Greater Beirut." The rest of the country is variously controlled by the Israelis, Syrian peace-keeping forces, and Palestinian guerrillas. The Lebanese Army made no immediate move yesterday on to the Sidon and Damascus roads south-east of the capital, which fall into the Greater Beirut area but are also used by the Israelis, who consider them vital arteries. Military sources said that the Lebanese Government had been in close touch with American officials to avoid any incident with the Israelis. Highly placed sources said that the Government had gone ahead with yesterday’s move despite discouragement from the Israelis and several unidentified foreign embassies.

They said that the authorities hoped the step would encourage the States participating in the multinational force to increase their contingents and help the Lebanese Army take control of more areas of the country. In Jerusalem Israeli officials said that Israel and Lebanon had agreed that the Israeli-backed militia of Major Saad Haddad should become part of the Lebanese Regular Army. The report came as Haddad forces paraded through the southern Lebanese town of Nabatiyeh with tanks and armoured cars and, according to Israeli Army radio, proclaimed themselves the new rulers of the town. The officials said that the American special envoy, Philip Habib, had brought confirmation to the Foreign Minister, Mr Yitzhak Shamir, earlier of the Lebanese concession. Lebanon had previously held that Major Haddad was a rebel who had no place in its Army. Major Haddad reportedly has been building up his force in southern Lebanon.