THE United States is on the verge of war in the Lebanon, in alliance with the French, Italian and British forces. Sine the withdrawal of the Israelis to the Alawi river, the vacuum left behind has been filled with battle.
The Druze militias have rushed to re-occup! their traditional territory in the Chouf mountains. In doing so, however, they are challenging the US project of creating a strong, centralised government controlled by the Maronite Christian Phalange.
weeks before their departure the Israelis seemed tukewarm their erstwhile Christian allies. In effect they seem to prefer the carving up of into walllle enclaves, on the basis that a weak, divided Lebanon was better than a strong Christian-dominated state.
President Amin Gemayel has made no secret of his belief that the best allies for the Christrans are the Americans, not the Israelis.
Syria, the force that stopped an imminent left-nationalist victory arallls l the Christians in 1976. on this backing Ine Druze primas politica Deleis Lebanese government , bui wneumer amenable to them. They calculate that a stridently pro-Western Gemayel government will be hostile the moment, the Syrians back the Druze militias.
The new cold warriors the United States government see the struggle in Lebanon in an uncomplicated For way them the Lebanese left and nationalists are tools of the Siriars. w 028: Risa orgie Mari Vietnam In the United States there has beer long struggle by the right wing to overcome the mood of tion to foreign intervenwhich tollowed the Vietnam war The ascendancy of the
Socialist Action 30 September 1983