Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume X, Eastern Europe

200. Letter From President Reagan to Yugoslav President Stambolic¹

Washington, September 13, 1982

Dear Mr. President:

I was glad to receive your letter of June 20 expressing your concern over the present crisis in Lebanon.² Events have followed at a rapid pace, and I am now able to give you a full assessment.

Since the outbreak of the current crisis, the United States has been actively involved in efforts to find a solution which would not only end the bloodshed in Lebanon but also ensure a long-term settlement in that country and the entire region.

As you know, Ambassador Habib negotiated a plan,³ agreed to by the parties, and the PLO has now left West Beirut in accordance with this plan. An important element of the plan was the introduction of a multinational force into West Beirut to assist the Lebanese government in assuring the safe departure of the PLO. The force, which consists of contingents from the United States, France, and Italy, was introduced into West Beirut, at the request of the Government of Lebanon, to perform its important mission.

Now that the evacuation of the PLO from West Beirut has been completed, we will turn our attention to negotiating arrangements for the withdrawal of Syrian, Israeli and remaining PLO forces from Lebanon. We will continue to work closely on such issues with the Lebanese government, as we encourage it to exert maximum effort to strengthen its institutions, expand its authority throughout its sovereign territory and promote a genuine reconciliation among Lebanon’s many communities. It is generally agreed that certain international peacekeeping arrangements in an extensive area of southern Lebanon will have to become part of a general solution. In this context there can be no return to the situation in which southern Lebanon can be used as a staging area for military attacks against Israel.

The United States is determined to exert every possible effort to alleviate the enormous human and material losses which the Lebanese people and other innocent inhabitants of Lebanon have sustained, as well as to create conditions in Lebanon which will prevent a recurrence of the present tragedy. The United States has already provided $50 million in emergency humanitarian assistance and an additional $50 million has been authorized to begin meeting the urgent needs of those in Lebanon who need help. We hope the World Bank will take the lead in coordinating international reconstruction efforts for Lebanon.

We are also fully aware of the need to make progress toward a resolution of the problem of the Palestinian people. My government is determined to work energetically toward the fulfillment of the Camp David accords,⁴ which seek to address through negotiations the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. We expect to resume efforts toward this goal as soon as the conditions appear propitious.

Sincerely,

Ronald Reagan

1. Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Head of State File, Yugoslavia: President Stambolic (8204338–8204859). No classification marking. Drafted by McGonagle; cleared by Milam, Davis, Jeremy Azrael (PM), Sestanovich (S/P), Palmer, and Elinor Constable (EB). A draft of the letter is ibid.
2. See Document 197.
3. Philip C. Habib was President Reagan’s Special Envoy to the Middle East. See Foreign Relations, 1981–1988, vol. XVIII, Lebanon, April 1981–August 1982.
4. See Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, vol. IX, Arab-Israeli Dispute, August 1978–December 1980, Document 57.