BOMBS IN WEST BEIRUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 00240

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PTER LE
SUBJECT: BOMBS IN WEST BEIRUT


1. (C) SINCE THE SMUGGLER'S INN BLAST OF JANUARY
9, THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR MORE BOMBINGS IN WEST
BEIRUT, KILLING SEVEN MORE PEOPLE AND INJURING
AS MANY AS 80 MORE. IN ADDITION, A LARGE EXPLOSIVE
CHARGE PLACED IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING HOUSING THE
EMBASSY'S CHIEF POLITICAL SECTION LOCAL EMPLOYEE
FAILED TO DETONATE WHEN ITS FUSE EXPLODED SUNDAY NIGHT.
DETAILS FOLLOW.


2. (U) THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 27 INJURED
FRIDAY WHEN A BOMB EXPLODED OUTSIDE THE BANK OF
BEIRUT AND ARAB COUNTRIES ON CORNICHE MAZRA' IN WEST
BEIRUT. EXPLOSION DEVASTATED THE INSIDE OF BANK,
DUG A LARGE CRATER IN SIDEWALK, AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE
DAMAGE TO VEHICLES AND OTHER BUILDINGS.


3. (U) THREE BOMBS EXPLODED SATURDAY, KILLING
THREE PEOPLE AND INJURING AS MANY AS 60. TWO OF
THE BOMBS, BOTH PACKED WITH NAILS, WENT OFF WITHIN
FIVE MINUTES OF EACH OTHER IN THE PSP-CONTROLLED
MUSSEITBEH AREA WHILE THE THIRD INJURED SIX PERSONS
AND DAMAGED PROPERTY ON HAMRA STREET NEAR A PSP
CHECKPOINT.


4. (C) EMBASSY POLITICAL SECTION EMPLOYEE GABY
AKKAR, A CHRISTIAN, SAID THAT UNLIKE BOMB WHICH
DESTROYED HIS CAR LAST MONTH, HE IS CERTAIN THAT
LAST NIGHTS ABORTED EXPLOSION WAS IMED AT HIM.
HE SAID THAT CHARGE WAS PLACED DIRECTLY UNDER THE
BALCONY OF HIS APARTMENT. AKKAR SAID THAT HE IS
NOW MAKING PLANS TO MOVE HIS FAMILY INTO THE EAST
WHERE IT IS SAFE.


5. (C) COMMENT: LEBANESE PUBLIC FIGURES HAVE
INEVITABLY ACCUSED ISRAEL OF BEING BEHIND BLASTS,
WHILE THE SYRIAN BA'ATH PARTY HAS SINGLED OUT
PRO-ARAFAT PALESTINIANS. JOURNALISTS RESIDENT IN
THE WEST VARIOUSLY ATTRIBUTE THE BLASTS TO THE MUR-
ABITUN, WHICH THEY SAY IS RETURNING TO THE AREA IN
FORCE AND REINVIGORATING THE OLD MURABITUN-PSP FEUD,
OR HIZBALLAH,SIGNS OF WHOSE PRESENCE THEY SAY ARE
INCREASINGLY DAILY. IN THIS REGARD, U.S. JOURNALISTS
DESCRIBED THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN WEST BEIRUT AS
HAVING SUNK TO TRULY HOBBESIAN LEVELS OF NASTINESS
IN LAST MONTH, WITH THE COMBINATION OF CAR BOMBS
AND ARMED ROBBERIES KEEPING MQST PEOPLE LOCKED
INDOORS AT NIGHT. THERE ARE PRESENTLY REPRESENTA-
TIVES OF ONLY THREE AMERICAN NEWS MEDIA RESIDENT
IN BEIRUT (ASSOCIATED PRESS, LOS ANGELES TIMES,
AND NEW YORK TIMES); SOME OF THESE ARE THINKING ABOUT
LEAVING.


BARTHOLOMEW