Zionists Prompt Lebanon Flare-up

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What lies behind the rapid escalation of bloody civil war which has been developing in Lebanon since 2 April?

Fierce fighting has been raging in South Lebanon between Israelis and Palestinian forces and further North largely between the Syrian forces in the country and the various right wing Lebanese para-military groups.

These battles have largely been portrayed in Western media being between the Syrian troops in Lebanon and the so-called Christian forces supported by the Israelis.

In fact one of the major constituents of the Christian forces is the Falangist' organisation openly taking Mussoland Franco as their model and operating continually in direct day to day alliance with the Israelis.

They are led by a racist gangster by the name of Sa'ad Haddad.

Behind the new outbreak of bloody conflict lies the malevolent influence of US imperialism.

. The new strategy of the Reagan administration in the area has been confirmed by the recent visits the Middle East of US Secretary of State Haig and Iron Maiden Margaret Thatcher.

The purpese of their visits has been to strengthen the position of all the pro-imperialist forces in the area, particularly by supplying arms and support to the various semi-feudal statedoms in the Gulf and to Sadi Arabia.

The various friends and allies of Thatcher and Haig zt of course amongst the = sz forces on IDE TO SEE SE jection oi women, sait. and much else.

One of the prices the American adminstration has had to pay for this support has been the provision of the advanced AWACS spy planes to Saudi Arabia.

This move is not popular with the Zionist regime in Israel or with their many supporters in American ruling circles.

There can be no doubt there will have been a quid pro quo with the Israelis to reconcile them to the new position, and this will almost certainly include allowing them a much greater ability to intervene in the Lebanon.

It is important to point out that the state power in Lebanon ever since the civil war of 1975-6 has not really been in the hands of the Lebanese government.

The state itself was carved out by the major capitalist powers in the 1920s; and continued only as a result of the establishment of Israel in the 1940s as a commercial and trading centre for the Arab world.

It reflected a delicate balance between Christian and Muslim groups, which the struggle between Palestinians and Zionists brought to the point of collapse.

State power in Lebanon Begin is possessed by bodies of armed men representing various political groupsonly a small proportion of them Lebanese.

The two most important are the so-called Arab Liberation Army, predominantly the Syrians who have always claimed political rights in the area, and the fascist forces of Sa'ad Haddad with the Israelis.

An important new factor in the situation is the imminence of the Israeli General Election, now under nine weeks away.

For some • time it has been assumed that the ultra-reactionary Likud coalition of Begin will be replaced by the more traditional Zionists of the Labour Party.

The fighting in Lebanon is a part of the desperate efforts to develop an election issue on which to try to build support for the dying government.

Haddad and his fascist forces have continued their attacks on Palestinian refugee camps and guerrilla bases. The Zionists have sent in helicopters and gunboats to help.

Ties contacts have no ju:: ettes! derełopme further North.

The Syrians have used them as an excuse to consolidate their hold in Christian' areas in the North, particularly by their shelling in the city of Zahle near Beirut, and in the Beka'a valley where Syrian forces were reported last week-end to be driving out Falangist bands. Syrian troops in Beirut Meanwhile, Haddad has • been received by Begın in Israel on 23 April like some visiting head of state.

He is said to have had full, frank and cordial discussions' ', and to have agreed to stop attacking the somewhat ineffective UN 'peacekeeping' force.

Statements have been coming out of Israeli ruling circles which seem set to hot up the batties even more.

Thus Moshe Arons, charrman of the Knesset (parliament) defence and foreign relations committee said on the state radio:

"If Israel comes to the conclusion that the Syrians are continuing with their attacks in Lebanon . = Israel is going to stop them"

Even more significant was a statement by Major General Ben-Gal, commander of the Israeli army in the Lebanese border area.

In a statement authorised for release by the army he called for 'all-out military support for the Christians I am for controlled execution, timed to suit ts."

Ben-Gal went on to say that they should consider the possibility of a final political solution in Lebanon sith the Christians taking over.

If these indicate the next steps of the Zionists, there can be no doubt that the bloody battles will continue for a long time yet.

A campaign for solidarity with the beleagured Palestinians and Lebanese socialists is now essential here in Britain.