Word: assad
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...western quarters as well. The continuing peace negotiations among Lebanon's warring factions were hampered by bickering over some of the decisions made at the all-Lebanon conference in Geneva three weeks before. Lebanese President Amin Gemayel had planned to fly to Damascus to see Syrian President Hafez Assad, who is clearly the strongest factor in the continued fighting in Lebanon. But that trip had to be delayed when Assad underwent an appendectomy. In the meantime, Israeli and later French warplanes bombed and strafed positions in eastern Lebanon held by pro-Iranian Shi'ite Muslims believed...
...United Nations and even the Vatican. While his troops fought a losing battle in Tripoli, Arafat still commanded the loyalty of some 110 P.L.O. representatives around the world,The organization's political wing, most experts agreed, will not go along with the moves of Syrian President Hafez Assad. That, paradoxically, could push moderates in the P.L.O., including many residents of the West Bank and perhaps Arafat, to seek closer ties with Jordan's King Hussein...
...unity of the P.L.O., he never stated clearly enough what his real aims were. For every politician there comes a time when he must decide whether to sacrifice a political concept to unity or risk a split." Arafat elected what seemed to be the safer course, but for Assad it was already too late. The Syrian President read the Arafat-Hussein maneuverings, even though they came to naught, as an attempt to usurp a right he has always claimed for himself, namely to be the Palestinians' strongest supporter...
...Assad had ruthlessly undercut Arafat twice before. In 1970, when Assad was Defense Minister, he prevented the Syrian air force from coming to the aid of Arafat's commandos in Jordan. During the 1975-76 civil war in Lebanon, Assad ordered his army to help Christian militiamen obliterate the Palestinian refugee camp of Tel Zaatar in Beirut, killing 3,000 Palestinians. When Assad failed to have Arafat deposed at a P.L.O. central committee meeting in August (Arafat actually received a nearly unanimous vote of confidence), Assad decided to resort to force...
...result, few people were rushing to write Arafat off. Said a Western analyst in Beirut: "Assad has the guns, but Arafat has the hearts and minds of the Palestinians." That is his weapon, and it may yet, in some unforeseen way, rescue him once again. -By Marguerite Johnson. Reported by David Halevy/Jerusalem and William Stewart/ Beirut, with other bureaus