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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT,- JULY 2, 1982
PAGE 11
ON THE WORLD SCENE
LEBANON; THE PIPELINE ROW; THE "IRON LADY" SPEAKS OUT It's been quite a
week since this column last appeared. Israel has continued its pressure on
Palestine Liberation Organization headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, the U.S.
Secretary of State resigns, and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
gives a bold and insightful speech at the UN about the real cause of war.
Unless pulled up short by the United States and the countries of Western
Europe, the bold plan by Israeli Defense Minister Ariel ("the lion of God")
Sharon to deal a crippling blow to the P.L.O. should succeed--leading to
the prospect of a reconstituted, free Lebanon. Here is an excerpt from an
article dealing with the Lebanon crisis by William Safire in the NEW YORK
TIMES titled "The Liberation of Lebanon."
The self-flagellationists of the West--who cannot abide the
thought of a clear-cut victory by a democratic power in the Falk
lands or in Lebanon--will let loose a tremendous qeshrei. Oh,
the shame of a fait accompli! The provocation was not quite to
their taste, the terrorists will be sore losers, you must never
fight fire with fire, you went two kilometers further than you
said you would, all those moderate Saudis will be miffed at
us ••••The even-handwringing will be fierce.
But one new fact is that there is now a chance for the rebirth of
an independent, Western-oriented Lebanon. For those who remember
the cultural and financial oasis that once was Beirut, that is no
small thing••..The object is to bring about a New Lebanon--not a
collection of hostile zones and enclaves and terrorist sanctuar-
ies..••
Let's dispense with the U.N. hypocrisy of pretending the "terri
torial integrity" of Lebanon was offended by Israel: that nation
was dismembered by Syria and the P.L.O. five years ago. "Liber
ation" is a word that has been much abused in recent years, usu
ally by Communist aggressors out to subvert existing governments.
It is the P.L.O.'s middle name. But liberation, and not inva
sion, is what is taking place in Lebanon today.
Who knows but that a pacified Lebanon, free of hostile forces, just might
prove to be very beneficial to God's Work in reaching the state of Israel
with God's message?
During the same passage of time, Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
resigned his position. This was an action which caused grave misgivings
throughout Western Europe where he had enjoyed a very high reputation as
having an in-depth knowledge of European concerns. Mr. Haig's resignation
was attributed partly to differences of opinion in the Reagan Administra
tion over the Lebanon crisis. The ex-Secretary of State was considered to
be "soft" on Israel. There is no doubt that he saw in Israel's attempt to
secure a "Pax Hebraica" in Lebanon a golden opportunity, at little cost to
the U.S., to eliminate the P.L.O. as the key obstacle to Middle East peace.
The immediate and principle reason for Mr. Haig's departure, however, was
the overruling of his position within the Reagan cabinet over the Soviet
Western European pipeline deal. Mr. Haig thought that disagreements be-