Office of the Historian

133. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Lebanon1

Washington, October 9, 1973, 0010Z.

199794. Subject: Israeli Communication to Government of Lebanon. For Ambassador Buffum. Secretary has received following assur [Page 392] ance from the Israeli Government2 which it asked that we communicate to GOL: Israel has no intention of violating Lebanese sovereignty provided Lebanon refrains from military activity against Israel.3

Kissinger
  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1173, Harold H. Saunders Files, Middle East Negotiations File, 1973 War, 9 October, 1973, File No. 4 [2 of 2]. Secret; Niact; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted and approved by Sisco. Repeated Niact Immediate to Tel Aviv.↩
  2. Kissinger met with Dinitz from 6:40 to 7 p.m., October 8. Also in this meeting, Kissinger assured Dinitz that Israel could load electronic equipment on its plane. (Ibid., RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL ISR–US)↩
  3. In telegram 11946 from Beirut, October 9, 1308Z, Buffum reported that he had transmitted the Israeli assurances to Secretary General Sadaqa of the Lebanese Foreign Office that morning and had drawn his attention to the rapidity with which the Secretary personally had taken up this matter with Israel. Sadaqa said he was most appreciative of what the U.S. Government had done. Buffum pointed out that these assurances clearly implied that Lebanon had the responsibility on its side to prevent military activity against Israel, and he noted the seriousness of the fedayeen actions. (Ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 621, Country Files, Middle East, Lebanon, Vol. III, Jan. 71–Oct. 72)↩