Secret Documents Reveal US Involvement in Sabra, Shatila Massacre

The documents include verbatim transcripts of meetings between US and Israeli officials before and during the three-day massacre led by the right-wing Lebanese Christian Phalange militia that left roughly 2,000 people dead, mostly children, women and elderly men, New York Times revealed on the 30th anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacres.

The documents revealed that the Israelis misled American diplomats about events in Beirut and bullied them into accepting the spurious claim that thousands of “terrorists”? were in the camps,”? Seth Onziska, a doctoral candidate in international history at Columbia University and who obtained the documents, reported.

“Most troubling, when the United States was in a position to exert strong diplomatic pressure on Israel that could have ended the atrocities, it failed to do so,”? the newspaper added.

On 16 September 1982, the first day of the massacre, US envoy to the Middle East Morris Draper met with Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon who justified Israel's occupation of west Beirut by claiming that“2,000 to 3,000 terrorists”? remained in that part of the city.

When Draper demanded that the Israeli forces immediately pull out of the area, Sharon responded with outrage: “I just don’t understand, what are you looking for? Do you want the terrorists to stay? Are you afraid that somebody will think that you were in collusion with us? Deny it. We denied it.”?

According to the transcripts, Draper continued to insist that the Israelis leave, but eventually backed off once they agreed to a “gradual withdrawal”? to allow for the Lebanese Army to enter the city. The Israelis insisted, however, that they wait 48 hours before allowing the plan to take effect.

Continuing his plea for some sign of an Israeli withdrawal, Draper warned that critics would say, “Sure, the I.D.F. is going to stay in West Beirut and they will let the Lebanese go and kill the Palestinians in the camps.”? Sharon replied: “So, we’ll kill them. They will not be left there. You are not going to save them. You are not going to save these groups of the international terrorism.”?

Draper's response was surprising when he said: “We are not interested in saving any of these people.”?

Sharon declared: “If you don’t want the Lebanese to kill them, we will kill them.”?

Draper then caught himself, and backtracked. He reminded the Israelis that the United States had painstakingly facilitated the P.L.O. exit from Beirut “so it wouldn’t be necessary for you to come in.”? He added, “You should have stayed out.”?

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Source: PIC

The documents include verbatim transcripts of meetings between US and Israeli officials before and during the three-day massacre led by the right-wing Lebanese Christian Phalange militia that left roughly 2,000 people dead, mostly children, women and elderly men, New York Times revealed on the 30th anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacres. The documents revealed that the Israelis misled American diplomats about events in Beirut and bullied them into accepting the spurious claim that thousands of “terrorists”? were in the camps,”? Seth Onziska, a doctoral candidate in international history at Columbia University and who obtained the documents, reported. “Most troubling, when the United States was in a position to exert strong diplomatic pressure on Israel that could have ended the atrocities, it failed to do so,”? the newspaper added. On 16 September 1982, the first day of the massacre, US envoy to the Middle East Morris Draper met with Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon who justified Israel's occupation of west Beirut by claiming that“2,000 to 3,000 terrorists”? remained in that part of the city. When Draper demanded that the Israeli forces immediately pull out of the area, Sharon responded with outrage: “I just don’t understand, what are you looking for? Do you want the terrorists to stay? Are you afraid that somebody will think that you were in collusion with us? Deny it. We denied it.”? According to the transcripts, Draper continued to insist that the Israelis leave, but eventually backed off once they agreed to a “gradual withdrawal”? to allow for the Lebanese Army to enter the city. The Israelis insisted, however, that they wait 48 hours before allowing the plan to take effect. Continuing his plea for some sign of an Israeli withdrawal, Draper warned that critics would say, “Sure, the I.D.F. is going to stay in West Beirut and they will let the Lebanese go and kill the Palestinians in the camps.”? Sharon replied: “So, we’ll kill them. They will not be left there. You are not going to save them. You are not going to save these groups of the international terrorism.”? Draper's response was surprising when he said: “We are not interested in saving any of these people.”? Sharon declared: “If you don’t want the Lebanese to kill them, we will kill them.”? Draper then caught himself, and backtracked. He reminded the Israelis that the United States had painstakingly facilitated the P.L.O. exit from Beirut “so it wouldn’t be necessary for you to come in.”? He added, “You should have stayed out.”? The End Source: PIC