Word: assads
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...Sannin Mountain and Syrian forces determined to dislodge them, with Lebanese forces fighting in secondary roles. The Syrians, after a 36-hour artillery barrage, were successful; altogether, however, another 1,500 people were killed or wounded. One more casualty was the ceasefire that Syrian President Hafez Assad had been trying to enforce since he first dispatched troops into Lebanon...
...take over the country or to launch a surprise attack against Israel. But last spring, after Syria gave private assurances to the U.S. that its intervention in Lebanon was not aimed at Israel, Jerusalem relaxed and began to enjoy the situation. Israeli officials now quietly applaud Syrian President Hafez Assad's aims in Lebanon as modest and constructive; a year ago he was routinely described in Israel as a fanatical...
...Finally, Syria's victory in Lebanon could make Assad more moderate, yet strong enough among his Arab critics to agree to a settlement with Israel...
...this may be wishful thinking on the part of Jerusalem and Washington. Certainly much could happen that would suddenly bring greater dangers to the region. Assad could be deposed, and the Palestinians could begin winning, though both events seem unlikely now. In the Middle East, the unexpected-like Syrians fighting Palestinians-is routine. By that somber measure, the region has never been more normal...
...P.L.O. subsequently became the idol of the Arab world; indeed, two years ago, Assad helped maneuver a P.L.O. presence at the United Nations and an Arafat appearance before the General Assembly. But the P.L.O.'s Arab support, even when it appeared broad, was always thin, because most Arab regimes fear the disruptive presence of the scattered Palestinian refugees within their borders. When Assad's support of the Palestinians waned after the fighting between his forces and the P.L.O., for instance, Egypt sprang to the Palestinian defense. But that Arafat ignored Cairo's support was not so much...