- Title: LEBANON: VILLAGES ACROSS SYRIAN BORDER RECOVERING FROM PALESTINIAN GUERILLA RAIDS
- Date: 27th October 1969
- Summary: BORDER COUNTRYSIDE: VILLAGE OF RACHAIYA, STREETS AND VILLAGERS; VILLAGE OF AAIHA, DUST ROAD AND VILLAGERS; ROAD SIGNS TO NEIGHBOURING VILLAGES. Initials LD/VS/PW/ES Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 11th November 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: RACHAIYA & AAIHA, LEBANON
- Country: Lebanon
- Reuters ID: LVA58QE7XDEVMX9TA2MTBP5KVX1Z
- Story Text: THE INHABITANTS OF SEVERAL LEBANESE VILLAGES ACROSS THE BORDER FROM SYRIA WERE YESTERDAY (SUNDAY) GETTING OVER THE EFFECTS OF SURPRISE RAIDS BY PALESTINIAN GUERILLAS DURING THE NIGHT OF FRIDAY-SATURDAY (OCTOBER 24-25). TWO OF THE VILLAGES WERE RACHAIYA AND AAIHA -- NOT FAR FROM THE BEIRUT-TO-DAMASCUS ROAD.
LEBANESE SOURCES INDICATE THAT ALL THE GUERILLA ADVANCES WERE REPULSED. BUT THE EL FATAH COMMANDOS CLAIM THAT THEY CONSOLIDATED SOME OF THEIR POSITIONS IN THE SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE.
THIS LATEST CRISIS IN THE TROUBLE-RIDDEN MIDDLE EAST, WOULD APPEAR TO DEFY IMMEDIATE SOLUTION. THE BASIC ISSUE IS THAT LEBANON -- ONE OF THE MOST MODERATE COUNTRIES IN THAT AREA -- IS CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO ALMOST IRRECONCILABLE POINTS OF VIEW: ON THE ONE HAND, IF SHE ALLOWS ARAB COMMANDOS TO OPERATE FROM HER TERRITORY AGAINST ISRAEL, SHE WILL BRING RETALIATORY ACTION AGAINST HERSELF THROUGH ISRAELI COUNTER-STRIKES. IF, ON THE OTHER HAND, LEBANON DOES NOT ALLOW THE PALESTINIAN GUERILLAS TO ACT FREELY FROM BEHIND HER BORDERS, SHE IS EXPOSED TO COMMANDO ATTACKS SUCH AS THESE RECENT ONES.
ALL SIDES IN THIS TENSE SITUATION -- THE LEBANESE SECURITY FORCES; THE COMMANDOS AND THEIR CIVILIAN SYMPATHISERS; AND THE ISRAELIS -- ARE ALL CAUTIOUSLY AND SULLENLY OBSERVING THE STATUS QUO. BUT TROUBLE COULD ERUPT WITHOUT WARNING AT ANY TIME.
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