Pathfinder, Volume 7, Number 6, December 1985 Page: 3
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Public Issues
U.SA., U.S.S.R. AND THE MIDDLE EASTThe subject matter in this
article is quite controversial,
yet we decided to publish it
because the paper shows that
the primary beneficiary of the
present Middle East situation
is the Soviet Union. Dr. A. Sul-
livan recently was in Dallas
as a guest of the Dallas Coun-
cil on World Affairs.
0
Few Americans perceive the
contributions by Israel and the
United States to the growth of
Islamic fundamentalism, and
to regional instability from which
the U.S.S.R. may yet greatly
benefit. In 1982, Israel invaded
Lebanon with American fore-
knowledge and tacit support.
No Arab or Muslim was un-
aware that bombs falling on
Lebanon in 1982 were made in
the U.SA.
Israel's attempt-with Amer-
ican indulgence-to install the
Maronite Phalangist party as
ruler of Lebanon quickened the
fundamentalist impulse. A ba-
sic cause of the Lebanese civil
war was and is the Maronite
refusal to make political con-
cessions to Muslim Lebanese,
who now constitute two-thirds
of the Lebanese population. By
early 1983, both the Israeli ar-
my and the U.S. Marines had
become militias allied with the
Phalangist forces against the
majority Muslim, and especially
Shiite, community.
Antipathy to Israel, and dis-
illusionment with the United
States, increased with the sign-
ing of the Lebanese-Israeli
Agreement of May 17, 1983.
Brokered by the United States,
this agreement provided Israel
with important political and
military privileges in Lebanon,
and fell just short of a formal
peace treaty. Predictably, the
agreement was unacceptable
to most Lebanese, and stimu-
lated growth of the Islamic Am-
al and Hizbullah fundamentalist
movements.Meanwhile, attacks on Ameri-
can Marines in Beirut, and on
the IDF in South Lebanon, in-
creased. Destruction of the U.S.
Embassy and Marine barracks
by Shiite "martyrs" during 1983
paralleled a developing war of
attrition waged by Shiites against
Israeli troops in South Leba-
non. American naval bombard-
ment of Shiite areas, in and
around Beirut, and Israeli mili-
tary repression in South Leba-
non delighted the Ayatollahs in
Tehran, and must have brought
smiles to faces in the Kremlin.
On October 16, 1983, Israeli
troops in the Lebanese town of
Nabatiyyeh forced their way
through a crowd of 50,000
Shiite worshipers who were
celebrating Ashuura, the most
sacred day in the Shiite reli-
gious calendar. In the ensuing
confrontation, two Shiites were
killed. These deaths inflamed
Lebanese resistance through-
out the South. Israel responded
with an "Iron Fist" policy.
On March 8 of this year,
a Lebanese "counter-terrorist"
unit planted a bomb in Beirut
intended for the Shiite cleric
Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah.
The bomb missed its target,
but killed 92, mainly Shiite civil-
ians. As a result, fundamentalist
extremism in Lebanon metas-
tasized. Tragically, Lebanese
fundamentalism now marches
in step with Soviet policy.
Israel's recent transfer of
1,200 Lebanese Shiites from
Lebanon to Israel violated Arti-
cle 49 of the Fourth Geneva
Convention of 1949, and led
directly to the TWA hijacking.
Muslims see this Israeli action
as kidnapping, and ask why the
United States refuses to "give in
to (Arab) terrorism" while ig-
noring or condoning the Israeli
variety.
Protection of American na-
tional interests in the Middle
East requires a separation of
U.S. from Israeli policy. GreaterAmerican understanding of Is-
lamic culture and values might
reclaim some of America's lost
respect. Certainly, a balanced
U.S. policy would strengthen
moderate Arab regimes. Above
all, it would help diminish ter-
rorism, undermine fundamen-
talism, and contain the Soviet
Union, which is the primary
beneficiary of the present U.S.
policy.
-Dr. Antony T. Sullivan
Director,
Near East Support Services
OCTOBER-
NOVEMBER
The center hosted two pub-
lic policy seminars during
October-November. These
seminars featured Dr. Antony
Sullivan, director of Near East
Support Services, and Lt. Gen.
Daniel Graham, a founding
father of "star wars."
o
Dr. Allan Meltzer, interna-
tionally known economist,
gave a lecture on campus.
During his stopover in Dallas,
he attended a dinner given in
his honor by Rawles Fulgham,
a member of the center's na-
tional advisory board.
0
Dr. Winston Power, superin-
tendent of Highland Park Inde-
pendent School District, and
his three top associates visited
the center and the College of
Education for a discussion of
cooperative education projects
concerning free enterprise.
0
Dr. Steve Pejovich attended
the Heritage Foundation re-
ception in Washington, D.C.,
honoring Sen. Barry Goldwa-
ter. Sen. Gramm, James Miller
and other friends of the center
were on hand to honor Sen.
Goldwater.Page 3
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Texas A & M University. Center for Education and Research in Free Enterprise. Pathfinder, Volume 7, Number 6, December 1985, periodical, December 1985; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1031997/m1/3/: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.