Word: christian
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...Syrians were also suffering badly. More than 200 members of the occupying force were reported killed in deadly artillery duels with the 12,000-man militias of the Christian National Liberal and Phalange parties. The Christians' ability to keep up a stiff resistance depended on the outcome of battles over two bridges linking East Beirut with the main coastal roads heading north. If the Syrians cut them, the militiamen would be trapped, with no chance for supplies from Israel or escape...
From a bunker near the presidential palace-which itself came under fire from misdirected Syrian guns aiming at Christian strongholds in the hillsides-Sarkis made desperate efforts to invoke a truce. He announced a plan to replace the apolitical "Cabinet of technocrats" that has ruled Lebanon for two years with a new government composed of Christian and Muslim leaders. By week's end Sarkis, who had earlier declared that Lebanon was "on the verge of collapse," had been rudely rebuffed by virtually every important faction in Lebanese politics. Declared former President Camille Chamoun, Christian leader of the National Liberals...
...Moscow, where he hoped to persuade the Soviets to supply him with more arms and ammunition. The mission was fresh evidence of the heavy costs Syria had incurred since it intervened in Lebanon two years ago. Ironically, Assad's forces moved in to prevent the defeat of the Christian armies by radical Muslim and Palestinian commandos. Since then, however, the Syrians and the Christians have become bitter enemies because the Christians persist-against Assad's advice-in their efforts to partition Lebanon along sectarian lines. Since February more than 650 Syrian soldiers have perished in running battles with...
Assad fears that the Christians might eventually link the portions of southern Lebanon under their control into a pro-Israeli buffer zone. Conversely, Israel fears that the defeat of Christian forces may leave Lebanon in the hands of radical Muslim leftists and Palestinians-in effect creating a new "confrontation" state. TIME has learned that two months ago, Assad attempted to cut his losses in Lebanon by bluntly demanding that the Christians make a final choice between Israel and the Arab states. Chamoun's reply: "We choose the Israelis." At that point Assad decided to cripple the militias...
...roundup of Italian terrorists was carried out under a stringent security blackout. Much of the evidence seized at the hideouts was reportedly related to the kidnaping and murder last spring of former Christian Democratic Premier Aldo Moro, 61. Among the pieces of evidence: four unpublished Polaroid snapshots of Moro while he was being held, tapes of Moro's interrogation by his captors, detailed minutes of a kangaroo court that decided his fate, complete lists (including prices) of all materials used in the kidnaping, written critiques of the abduction and other operations by the brigatisti, photostats of letters Moro wrote...