BEIRUT: Mr Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), yesterday [Oct 30] sharply denounced the Lebanese Army’s “plot to liquidate the Palestine revolution” in an urgent message to all Arab Heads of State. This was announced at PLO headquarters in Amman, Jordanian capital, as new incidents between Lebanese troops and Palestine commandos were reported from Lebanon.

There was still no indication as to whether or when Mr Arafat and his aides would come to Cairo. But in this message to Arab Kings and Presidents, he urged them to “assume their responsibilities” and put an end to the Lebanese “plot”. He affirmed that Lebanese forces, backed by artillery, armoured units and aircraft, were “relentlessly continuing their attacks on Lebanese villages and Palestine revolutionaries”. The message added that several innocent civilians had been killed, but said that the revolutionaries were keeping their “heads — solely in order to spare Arab lives”.

He had sent a similar cable at the beginning of the military-commando crisis in Lebanon. Fighting erupted again today when the Leba­nese gendarmerie at Machta El Hassan in northern Lebanon ... came under attack this morning, informed sources said. Commandos had already attempted to take the post two days ago. — Agencies

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2019