Thursday. August 5. 1982 ^ THE BULLETIN-^ ^
to IDF humanitarian efforts
By WESLEY GOLDSTEIN BEIRUT, Lebanon — From one of the many Israel Defence Forces observation points overlooking the city, Beirut appears as though it was designed with a postcard in mind.
Beautiful villas abound, punctuating the vast spread of greenery, roads wind down lazily along the mountains, and in the distance the coastline glistens under the late afternoon sun. Down in the predominantely
operation, and believes JsraePs invasion offers the best chance for "'cleansing** the nation and restoring peace.
**Until now. who in the world cared about us?" he asks. "The PLO has been here for more than 10 years, tearing up our country and making life miserable for us. But the wo^ didn't take notice.
**Wlien our children's minds were poisoned, when our women were raped and beaten, when our homes
Wesley Goldstein is a Monticaljoiinialist wiio recently returned from a visit to Israel and LclMuion. His report for '/lui^Jirf'is printed in Hs cotiKty. Mr. GoUsfdn is a moidier <rf the editorial vbdHaTke CmmaOltmJemtkNews.
Christian eastern sector of the city, bne finds a lifestyle not unlike what might be found in any western habitat high-rise apartments, main roads with various types of shops full oif bnyeis and browsers, street vendors busy hawking their wares, restaurants, movie theatres, and children frolickiiig in the streets.
Yet amid this seemingly serene cxterio)^, there are evident signs of a eountiy ravaged by years of hardship. Buildings with blown out windows or complete^ destroyed are not hard to find, nor are cars shattered by bullets or crashed by
In a number of places rubble seems to have reiriaoed pavement, and ormnpresent as most Lebanese
were destroyed, who gave a damn? I am thankful, as I believe most of niy countrymen are, that the Israelis have arrived. With their hdp, maybe we can become normal again."
As we speak, we hear the sound of artilkry exploding in what seems to be not too great a distance. Unflinching, Pierre carries on with the conversation.
Asked about hb apparent non-chaknioe, he replies, **lt's probably a kilometre or two away. Besides, we're used to it by now."
For most of the Western media, the voya^ to Beirut begins at Kibbutz Gesher Haziv, a picturesque ciiclave about 10 Idlometies inside the border town of Rosh HamloRa.
For the last few weeks, this place
JOURNALIST WESLEY CMILpSTEIN was taken to a Jewisii ccmetcty ib tbea^i^ off a Bcdooia rrfngcc camp wlwic ^mmm tcoriistoacs dated liack to 18M. The most rcoeart tfime discmdble was Cram I97S.
civilians seem almost resigned to, is the visibility of military iequipinent and forces.
In East Beirut, one caniibt drive mote than a kilometre-in any direction without, spotting , a checkpoint, manned these days by representatives of the Israel Defense Forces^ the ChristianT- Pfelangists^ and the Lebaricse Army.
In West Beinit, one takes a chancy by just driving af aO. -' - '
It is a situation highlighted by IsraeFs recent invasion, but one that has been going on longer than most Lebanese care to remember.
Inside a tiquoi^ store on a niain boulevard, (where top ^^Uty whisky and American cigarettes ccwt less than half the price than in Israel), a shopkeeper named Pierre^ discusses the trauma his i^untry has known for more than a decade.
A Maronite Christian. Pierre says he longs for the day when Lebanon will once again belong to the Lebaiiese. He admits life in Beirut has become a little more tense over the last few weeks, but says he understands the necessity of the
has been turned into a tnakeshift press centre, with journalists gathering aroutid the guest-4iouse exchanging ilApressions atid adventure stories, while awaiting their military escort ta the front. .
It is here that an observer gainsay irisight tpitp Israel^ r^gative impression abroad has* developed during this war^ Short chats with a J i|iin^ber of; European reporters^ ' wliose <|]^gaiiizktioiis have been especially scathing, <femonsMaite soinething 6t. a pre^citeatinirie^ opposition to Israel's operation, i
A particular conversation with ,two . European photpjournalists illustrates this point ^ J
Neither^had yet been iflp^td Lebanon, but both were interested it touring refugee camps, "because that was where the story wasi
Without proper explanation ot background, they were tohli then-cariieras could prove^o beextretriefy damaging at worst, and inaccurate^ the least, particularly since the conditions pf the camps ^ had not beeii worsened 1^ the wsin s
This argjiinent howcvcr,.fell on
sctnnihgly deaf ears. It also ended our conversation.
As an Israeli journalist remarked lateir^ "A picture of a bombed-out house is a lot more interesting than one that hasnlt been touched, is it not?"
Biit in defence of his professional colleagues, he added, part of the blame for Israelis media problems must be directed towards the tnili-taury aii^ govmmient spokesmen.
rllie iirpblern.with access to these people luis been one of great frustration to the jourtiialists^ White Israeli sources hayie terided to be reluctant with their infoimiatiori, the PLOand its vast propaganda machine have been readily availabte. You canit always blame the media for approaching the sources they can get to."
Driving up the coastal hi^way to Beirut takes more than three hours to cover the 96 kilon^tre distance from Rash Hanikra. The road is narrow and overwhelmed with traffic, civilians returnintg home and mUitary convoys tradung back portions of the staggering amount of weaponry discovered from PLO strongholds throughout Lebanon.
Mudi of the captured arms caches, which the IDF estimates will require 80 trucks daily a full month to completely retrieve, has been on puUic diq>]ay at Tel Aviv &ir-grounds since early July.
As we pass througli the last United Nations dieckpoint deployed in Southern Lebanon, we enter Tyre, a coastal town 24 IdSbriietres frinnr ::^R<idi''Hairikra.^;C '""^-■.''• -"-'ii^l-Aocording the the IDF spokesman^ Tyre housed some l,500terTor-ists with a wide assortment of light and heavy weapons, as well as training camps, various headquarters, and launching bases for attacks amd infiltration both in Israel and abroad.
The home of about 20,000 Leban-ese, mosdy Shilte Mostems, Tyre was the target of Israel's first operational stage. IDF troops captured the area within 24 hours after gmng civiliaris advanced wartiing of the impending attack.
Withiti three days, the civilian relief effort had begun, and as we drove through, greeted by civilians alMi diildren smilibg at the si^t of an IDF uniform, we observed work crrsvs using Israeli equipmeiit beginning the task of rebuilding the ci^.
Leaving Tyre we proceeded towards Sidon, approximately 35 kilometres up the coastal hi^way. Lebanon^ third largest city, Sidon was defended by what tbt IDF spokesman termed^ ^orce of brigade strength"
The scene of heavy fitting, Sidon had in many filaixs been, reduced to nothing more than rubble. The sight of bombed buildings reminded me of film footage I had seen bn^ television before arriving iH Israel; fUm clips that curiously omitted' the many buildings left untouched by the raids.
A first-hand view, I thought^ proved how narrow a catnera lens
^ ' As^m ^i^, dwlians'-fcid^been* infonned in advance of the Israeli attaidt: aiid were ihstr^^ refiage in the beai^ area. W^ of the 150.000 r«nden had tefTOrtied,ih of the tents the iDl^ 1^ set u^^^^^^ the wateir as temporary shelters..
Althougih the effects of ^Israeli raid$ were obvioiis/it'^^ to note the precisibn with which it vras caoried pi|t, soim^ that_|ra$
';™ted<:;:::^^
Iriipi^ircdi^^^ i4ir iHxree'l^ bf its way tb
ABOVE. SOME OF THE CAPTURED KATYUSHA ROCKET la OBjIisplayinTci Aviv.
avoid civilian casualties, bombing ordy places known to be terrorist stron^olds.
In Sidon, as in other places, we saw churches and mosques standing untouched, while buildings less than 30 feet on either side were"^ on the ground.
We made our first stop here at the IDF headquarters established in an evacuated hospital. Here we saw soldiers helping civilians and children, offering them food atui drink from their rations.
We were told of a Jewish coimnunity that had once existed in the area, and led to an area where the remnants of a synagogue were said to be. Although we did not find the place of worship, we came across a Jewish cemetery, albeit desecrated, situated in the midst of a Bedouin refugee camp. The camp itself was a shambles, but npt apparently as a result of the war.
Indeed the curious children and residents, none of whom could speak English, French or Hebrew, seemed genuintely pleased to greet us. Even ^ thbioigii these people lived in broken-down huts with no plumbing or electricity, they offered us cigarettes and drinks.
We could not communicate, but we were received as friends.
As we teft the camp, we were taken to a building in the centre of town that the IDF spokesman said was used as a torture chamber and rape chamber by the PLO. The building had been bombed earlier by the IDF, but we could still see remnants of the cells and chambers, chock full of anti-Zionist propaganda.
Soon afterwards, we began the last leg^of our journey, heading up the highway to Beirut. Crossing through Damoiir, which had been effectively flattened by the 1 DF early in the campaign, we reached the southern tip of Beirut. Our guide infprmed us we would have to take a round-about route through the
eastern sector, where we could meet a Phalange guide to take us to Wetf Beirut.
As we drove through the dQf observing the aesthetic beauty of the area, life seemed to be carryirigonas normal. To be sure there were visiUe signs of a war zone, but there were also signs of affluence.
Merecedes-Benz and Hrdnrd Trans Ams seemed to be the most common type of automotriks around, and jewellry and fashionable boutiques seemed to be doing a brisk business. Foodstoreswerealso well-stocked and gasoline was readily available.
Crossing the checkpoim at Aley,* Druse village on the Beirut-Damascus highway, all appeared quiet. A o^sefire had been inject for almost a week, althougli these were reports of sporadic PLO fire a day earlier.
We reached our destination at Ba'abda, where the IDF press oenne had been established. There we weie to meet with Paul Kedar, an itMP spokesman who would arrange dv Phalange guide.
It was almost three o'clock when we arrived, and Kedar was beuqg interviewed by two Israeli journalists. As we waited, we noticed the presidential palace of EliasSarkis on a hill overhead, where negotiaticMis with American iiKdiator Phifip Habib were going on.
Eariier that week, the PLO had bombed the palace, lulling Sarids* driver.
Within, a few moments of our arrival, the calm of our journey was shattered as a loud explosion rocked The building we were standing in. One of my colleagues said it was probably an internal explosion but this theory was quickly dispelled asa soldier came running in yeUing for a medic.
(Continued on Page 6) See: INSIGHT
GMLAG REQORD
The.weeHs.go by slowly fipr three Moscow Jews sentenced to long prison terms for wanting to leave the country.
VLADIMIR
NUMBER OF WEEKS ALREADY SUFFERING THE GULAG ORDEAL:
AiiATbLY
WHAT CAN YCiUDb?^
The Helsinki Agreement^ibh thie Sowctgovcrhmieht signed allows for freedom of emigration. our voices — letters, telegrams and phone calls exprenour protest to Western leaders to intercede and to ttie Soviets to set-them tree
THiS WEEKWfilTBOFFIClMj
lilln^ of Health. ; ^ ■ USSR/RSFSR.
'■■■■■7v.
Ida was released March 25 aft^ 196 weeks (almost 4 years) in GuUHl. She is: alia awaiting permission to go 10 Israel