hadi lo al ul aoe ie te, et A eben he Communist Party’s position on Beirut murders MORE THAN CONDEMNATION NEEDED Faced with the terrible results of its policy of aggression and genocide the Begin Government is now trying to absolve itself from the barbarous massacre inflicted on Palestinian men, women and children. From all around the globe, peoples and governments, including the Canadian Govern- ment have condemned this holocaust. The Com- munist Party of Canada joins in this condemna- tion. The Israeli Government and those in Washington who armed the Israeli forces to the teeth, primed the aggression against Lebanon and then supported it, are responsible for this crime against humanity. They must not be allowed to get away with it. The Nuremberg trials established the principle that individuals could not absolve themselves of Israel helped plan and execute crimes against humanity for which they are collec- tively responsible. We need another Nuremburg Trial against those who committed this holocaust, both directly and indirectly. This includes Begin, Sharon and those in Washington who endorsed their policy of expansionism, annexation and genocide against another people. Canada should go beyond condemnation of the massacre. It should impose sanctions against Is- rael and urge the United Nations to do likewise. Israel must be compelled to withdraw from Lebanon and allow the Lebanese people to work out their own destiny. The crimes perpetrated against Lebanon and the Palestinian people need never have happened, had the rights of the Palestinian Arab people to an independent state of their own been supported instead of opposed, by the U.S. Administration. There will be no peace in the Middle East until this right is implemented. It should be clear by now that the U.S. Govern- ment which’ is the banker and ammunitions supplier for its client state, Israel, and to whom it has assigned the role of policeman of the Middle East, is totally incapable of being a peacemaker in that part of the world. Only an international conference which in- cludes all states and peoples of the Middle East, the PLO, the USA, USSR and other states who wish to join in, can create both the basis and the guarantee of a durable and just peace in the Mid- die East. This is the only way to prevent further _ holocausts and ensure the full uational rights and security of all Middle East states. — Central Executive Committee _ the massacre in Beirut camps At Tribune press time, Sept. 23, the details of the massacre of Palestinian men, women and children in the West Beirut refugee camps of Shatila and Sabra are still being revealled. And with the shocking stories of mur- _ der, rape and torture, the details of just who was respon- _ sible and to what degree are also emerging. ~e@ On Saturday, Sept. 18 news began arriving from the camps of a terrible massacre — estimates days later still range from between 400 and 1,400 civilians of all ages butchered in a three-day orgy by right-wing Christian Phalangist troops. e The stage for the atrocity was set Wed., Sept. 15 when Israeli troops, in defiance of the withdrawal agreement, moved into and occupied West Beirut. | re aaa ai un a tn imeem: “Haven't you learned what we learned a long time ago — that the Palestinians should be killed when they are young?” — Phalangist officer Sept. 18 ann esa att en maroc According to Israeli Defence Minister Sharon’s own words in the Knesset, Sept. 22, the Israeli command, with the full knowledge and agreement of both Sharon and Prime Minister Begin, met with Phalangist officers to work out operational plans to “‘purge”’ the camps. e On Thursday, Sept. 16, the Israeli army had sealed them off and columns of Phalangist troops were permit- ted to enter. A British Broadcasting Corporation monitor of Israeli Defence Forces radio in Beirut pro- vides evidence that the Israelis not only knew about what was about to happen, but initiated the action. IDF radio is quoted Wed., Sept. 15: ‘The intention is that the IDF will not operate tonight to purge the areas of Sabra and Shatila and the nearby refugee camps. It was decided to entrust the Phalangists with the mission to carry on these purging operations.”’ e The killings then started in the Israeli-sealed camps. Under flares fired into the night sky by the Israelis at a rate of two per minute the Phalangists went about their murderous work. One officer told newsmen later, “‘Ha- ven’t you learned what we learned a long time ago — that Palestinians should be killed when they are young?” He said his troops had been ordered to kill every male over 12 years of age. This was done, and horrified wit- nesses who entered the camps after the Israeli and Phalangists left two days later, saw dead and mutilated babies, elderly men and women in heaps who had been PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCTOBER 1, 1982—Page 10 Palestinian child in Red Crescent Hospital in Damascus is one of thousands injured by Israelis. Hospital workers say 80% of the victims they treat are civilians and the UN reports half of all killed and wounded in Lebanon are children under 13 years of age. shot and knifed, and even butchered livestock. Bulldozers had been used to cover bodies in mass graves. Eyewitnesses tell of rapes and tortures. Six days after the carnage 293 bodies have been confirmed. A Danish film crew which began working at the southern entrance to Sabra camp on Friday, Sept. 17 has distri- buted film showing Phalangist troops of Israeli-backed Major Saad Haddad on the scene. Israeli Reaction Israeli government reaction began with heated denials that its forces had any part in the massacre. Faced with mounting evidence to the contrary, the Begin regime then protested its forces had in fact interceded to prevent an even greater slaughter. Full-page ads were purchased in major newspape!S) including the New York Times, by Israel arguing 1% innocence in the scandal. The Israeli cabinet issued # statement Sept. 21 that it would treat charges of Israell complicity ‘‘with the contempt they deserve.”’ But the facts continued to mount. By mid-week theré was no possible way Israel could deny what everyoné knew to be true. The opposition labor party in the Knes- set introduced a motion for an independent inquiry int the slaughter and Israel’s role in it. Incredibly, by a vote of 48-42 the motion was defeated. Two of Begin’s ministers resigned in protest and large! [Eicon rte i nes eeesepe ers seine yn ee “It was decided to entrust thé Phalangists to carry out these purging operations (of Sabra and Shatila refugee camps). — Israeli forces radio Sept. 19 Fie cs ne er ciNe oe e and larger demonstrations of Israeli citizens demanding a full public accounting were being broken up by police: World Response World reaction was virtually a unanimous condemna tion of Israel’s role and responsibility in the Beitt! events. The United Nations Security Council Sept. 1 voted unanimously to condemn the massacre and a” - thorized an increased number of observers in Lebano®- Even the Reagan administration was forced to call fot the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Beirut, but stop’ short of calling for a complete withdrawal by Israel from Lebanon and refused to announce any sanctions agains! the Begin government. Canada, similarly, through its new External Affai® - Minister MacEachen, condemned the massacre but a frained from taking any concrete steps to pressure Ista? to leave Lebanon. PLO chairman Yasser Arafat called the slaughter Israeli-Lebanese Christian genocide and said he hal warned of the danger of such right-wing reprisals shou! the peacekeeping forces be withdrawn. He put the bl squarely on the United States which, Arafat c , had through its negotiator Philip Habib, guaranteed the safety of Beirut’s Palestinians following the withdraW’ of PLO fighters last month. By week’s end bodies are still being uncovered as are | i. new facts proving the massacre was a planned Israel Phalangist operation. U.S., French and Italian forces be to be re-introduced into Beirut and. an embarrass” Reagan administration has yet to use its substantial 2” thority with Israel to insist it get its occupying army of Lebanon. ss masm~emnonmamoosn = —