Word: syrians
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Arabs talked of peace and hailed 1977 as the year for a Middle East settlement. Israelis warned of war as they watched Syrian peace-keeping forces in Lebanon inch closer to the country's southern border. Both sides in the Middle East conflict seemed sincere enough last week in their expressions of hope and fear. But it was also clear that both were engaged in a certain amount of posturing-aimed not so much at each other as at the incoming Administration in Washington...
...timing of Sadat's initiative was not dictated merely by the necessity of wooing the new Administration. For one thing, Syrian armed might has resolved that distracting obstacle to peace, Lebanon's civil war. For another, the October Arab summits at Riyadh and Cairo left Western-oriented moderates-principally Sadat, Syrian President Hafez Assad and Saudi Arabia's King Khalid -in undisputed control over Arab strategy. The so-called rejectionists like Iraq and Libya, which oppose a permanent settlement with Israel, emerged largely discredited...
Beyond their concern about being outcharmed by the Arabs, the Israelis were plainly worried about Syrian troop movements in Lebanon. Although Defense Minister Shimon Peres acknowledged that Syria had not yet crossed the "red line" (the undefined demarcation point, usually considered to be the Litani River, beyond which Israel feels its security would be threatened), Rabin's government issued several tough warnings to Syria to stay out of the sensitive area and dispatched a show of reinforcements to the border...
...Over two divisions of the Syrian army, disguised as an inter-Arab force, are taking over most parts of Lebanon, except the south. Politically the question is whether the Syrians will limit their activities to helping the President [Elias Sarkis] restore Lebanon as a political entity and independent country. Or will the Syrians try to annex Lebanon to create the beginning of a greater Syria? Militarily the present deployment of the Syrian army puts it in a much weaker position against Israel than if it were concentrated where it used to be around Damascus and the Golan Heights. But this...
...believe it is better to make clear positions beforehand in order to prevent any misunderstanding. You have to bear in mind that we don't talk directly to the Syrians or to the Lebanese. We have to make clear that we cannot tolerate any change that threatens the basic security interests of the state of Israel, either through Syrian movement to the south or the return of the terrorists. [But] we don't mean to threaten anyone. We are not asking for the change of one millimeter of the line between Israel and Lebanon...