Fateful Triangle

Aftermath694forces to whom Israel turned over effective control of Beirut will notpermit an inquiry into their bestial acts, but these will not quite be theusual ones drawn in American commentary that contrasts the behaviorof the Israeli and Lebanese governments.7.1 The SouthIn West Beirut, there were many reporters present when the massacrestook place, and they also witnessed and reported the considerably morebrutal massacres carried out by the IDF in the preceding months. Butfew reporters ventured to southern Lebanon, and few international aidofficials were present either. Conditions there were not very differentfrom West Beirut after Israel had eliminated the PLO and its LebaneseMuslim allies. As noted earlier, the few reports indicate that virtually nomales of ages 16-60 are to be found. The Palestinian camps had beendestroyed by the advancing Israeli army, though many refugees haddrifted back to the ruins, having nowhere else to go. At least temporarycontrol over the area had been handed over to Haddad’s forces, supervisedby the regular Israeli army to the extent that they chose to exercisetheir control. Early in the war, the Israeli press reported that Haddad’ssoldiers “pass from house to house in the villages which were conqueredavoiding the responsibility of the “political and military echelons” within Israel.They might plead that they were simply following orders, like the officers on theWest Bank who were charged with brutal treatment of civilians. In general, nostate is in the habit of charging its own war criminals. It might be noted,incidentally, that the majority of Israelis regard the Kahan commission’sconclusions as too harsh, specifically with regard to Sharon and Eitan (SarahHonig, Jerusalem Post, April 1, 1983).Classics in Politics: The Fateful TriangleNoam Chomsky