Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
85BEIRUT4000
1985-07-05 11:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

GOL ANNOUNCES SECURITY PLAN FOR BEIRUT AIRPORT,

Tags:  PTER EAIR LE 
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P 051100Z JUL 85
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3889
INFO AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 04000 

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PTER EAIR LE
SUBJECT: GOL ANNOUNCES SECURITY PLAN FOR BEIRUT AIRPORT,
AND MEASURES AGAINST U.S. EFFORTS TO SHUT DOWN BIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 04000

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PTER EAIR LE
SUBJECT: GOL ANNOUNCES SECURITY PLAN FOR BEIRUT AIRPORT,
AND MEASURES AGAINST U.S. EFFORTS TO SHUT DOWN BIA


1. (U) AMIDST MUCH FANFARE, LEBANESE AUTHORITIES
HAVE SET OUT THE FIRST STEPS OF WHAT IS ULTIMATELY
INTENDED TO BE A NEW SECURITY PLAN FOR BEIRUT
AIRPORT. THE PLAN WAS REPORTEDLY DRAWN UP AT A
MEETING HELD AT THE AIRPORT ON JULY 3 WHICH WAS
ATTENDED BY AIRPORT SECURITY OFFICIALS AND
MILITIA REPRESENTATIVES, AND IS THEORETICALLY
TO BE IMPLEMENTED WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS.


2. (U) IN A SEPARATE BUT RELATED DEVELOPMENT,
PRESIDENT GEMAYEL, AT A JULY 4 MEETING AT THE
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE ATTENDED BY A WHO'S WHO OF
THE LEBANESE MILITARY, INTELLIGENCE, SECURITY,
CUSTOMS, AND AVIATION SECTORS (AS WELL AS THE
SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE FOREIGN MINISTRY),
INSTRUCTED THE PARTICIPANTS TO DRAW UP A SIX-
PRONGED CAMPAIGN TO COUNTER THE U.S. MOVES TO
SHUT DOWN THE AIRPORT.


3. (U) UNDER THE SECURITY PLAN, ARMED MILITIAMEN
WOULD BE BARRED FROM THE AIRPORT, ALL UNAUTHORIZED
ENTRANCES TO THE TWO RUNWAYS WOULD BE CLOSED OFF,
AND CARS WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO APPROACH THE MAIN
TERMINAL BUILDING. BEIRUT TELEVISION THURSDAY
EVENING SHOWED FOOTAGE OF DIRT BERMS BEING CON-
STRUCTED TO BLOCK TWO DIRT ROADS LEADING TO THE
RUNWAYS, AND MEMBERS OF THE LAF SIXTH BRIGADE
RIGOROUSLY SEARCHING PASSENGERS BOARDING MEA
FLIGHTS AT THE AIRPORT. THE PRESS QUOTES
AIRPORT SECURITY PERSONNEL AS SAYING THAT THE
PLAN WILL BE OBSERVED BY ALL PARTIES DUE TO A
HIGH LEVEL "POLITICAL DECISION."


4. (U) CONTROVERSY OVER THE SECURITY PLAN HAS
ALREADY BROKEN OUT. GEN. YASSIN SWAYD, THE HEAD
OF THE AIRPORT SECURITY APPARATUS, WHO SUBMITTED
HIS RESIGNATION SEVERAL MONTHS AGO TO PROTEST THE
CHAOS AT THE AIRPORT, ANNOUNCED THURSDAY THAT HE
WILL NOT RETURN TO HIS JOB. (THE GOL HAS NOT
ACCEPTED HIS RESIGNATION.) SWAYD, WHO ATTENDED
THE THURSDAY MEETING AT BA'ABDA, PROTESTED THAT
IN SPITE OF PRESS REPORTS THAT MEMBERS OF THE
AIRPORT'S SECURITY APPARATUS ATTENDED THE WEDNESDAY
NIGHT MEETING AT WHICH THE SECURITY PLAN WAS DRAWN
UP, THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. MOREOVER, HE SAID,
"THE SITUATION AT THE AIRPORT WILL REMAIN AS IT
IS UNTIL THE LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT FORCES TAKE
REAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPORT."


5. (U) THE SIX-PRONGED PLAN ORDERED BY THE
PRESIDENT TO COUNTER THE U.S. MEASURES INVOLVES A
SERIES OF "LOCAL, ARAB, AND INTERNATIONAL MOVES
TO EXPLAIN LEBANON'S POSITION, AND THE MEASURES THAT
LEBANON MIGHT TAKE TO PROTECT ITS RIGHTS AND TO
PREVENT THE DAMAGE THAT MIGHT BE CAUSED TO ITS
ECONOMY, NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AND INTERNATIONAL
REPUTATION." THE PLAN WOULD INVOLVE A DIPLOMATIC
OFFENSIVE, WHILE TASK FORCES HAVE BEEN CREATED IN
THE AREAS OF DIPLOMACY, POLITICS, SECURITY,
INFORMATION, CIVIL AVIATION, AND "ELECTRONIC
FACILITIES." A MILITARY SECURITY COMMITTEE,
HEADED BY ARMY COMMANDER GEN. 'AWN, WAS CHARGED
WITH DRAFTING A SECURITY PLAN (APPARENTLY SEPARATE
FROM THAT ALREADY DRAWN UP) TO CONTROL THE SITUATION
INSIDE AND AROUND THE AIRPORT. ARMY CHIEF OF
STAFF GEN. MAHMUD TAY ABU DARGHAM WILL CHAIR A
COMMITTEE "TO ENSURE SECURITY BASED ON A POLITICAL
AGREEMENT," MFA SYG TURK WILL HEAD THE COMMITTEE
ON A DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE. THE SIX TASK FORCES
ARE SCHEDULED TO MEET AGAIN ON TUESDAY, JULY 16.


6. (C) COMMENT: THE JADED LEBANESE HAVE LONG
BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO HAVING SECURITY CONCERNS
ADDRESSED BY YET ANOTHER "SECURITY PLAN." THE
GOL HAS OUTDONE ITSELF IN SPADES THIS TIME, WITH
THE HAPLESS GEN. DARGHAM HAVING DRAWN THE UNENVIABLE
TASK OF RESOLVING THE KEY PROBLEM OF ENSURING
SECURITY BASED ON A POLITICAL AGREEMENT--A GOAL
WHICH HAS ELUDED THE LEBANESE FOR THE PAST TEN
YEARS OF CIVIL WAR.


BARTHOLOMEW