The Lebanon War: Shultz and Habib Discuss Resolution of Beirut Crisis

After weeks of fighting, the IDF surrounded Beirut and demanded that the PLO leadership be expelled from Lebanon. The United States was worried that Israel might invade the city and it would be blamed for a potential bloodbath. Secretary of State Shultz hoped to find a place to deport the PLO leaders that would satisfy the Israelis and convince them to withdraw from Lebanon. By doing so, he also wanted to show the Arab leaders that the United States was the one country that could “make constructing things happen in the region.” Shultz and his special envoy Philip Habib planned to meet with the Saudi and Syrian foreign ministers to discuss options for resolving the Beirut crisis. Click here to read the entire report.

Source: U.S. State Department