◆ SpookStack

I O / I - 1 1 , , , I, , 1 I / I , / , I , , , / I , Ill1 I I I IIULLLI I i 1.11 lC000 182 1 7 1 , - cn'ie~ execuuve orficer, organizing the planning branch which carrfed out Wasfi Tal's assassination. I *.-*. b r - The emergence of RASD as'a real force in Palestinian terrorism . is doubly significant in that it has come at a time when the protagonists of more orthodox armed conflict against Israel are in a state of despair. The bloody and ruthless battles fought against the terrorists by King Hussein's Jordanian army at the end of 1970 and in the spring of 1971 'forced them to uhthdraw into the Lebanon and Syria. Neither of these countries is prepared to allow terrorists to operate without restriction across their frontiers with Israel, but there are obvious differences in the terrorist positions in the two countries. known as ''F'atahlandll and close to Israel's northeastern border. There are another 3, OOO on the Lebanese-Syrian frontier dose to Mount Hermon. Under the December 1969 Cairo agreement they were allowed * to raid into Israel from secure bases in Lebanon, as long as they did not fire across the frontier and provoke, Israeli counter-action. The terrorists did not keep to the terms of this agreement, artd heavy Israeli reprisal raids have now led to the Lebanese government obtaining a promise of no further military action, at least until after the summer ends. In return, the terrorists are allowed to maintain close contact in Beirut with Arab offices, planning staffs and propaganda organs. forces and has grouped them in the para-military "Saiqa'' organization. Armed and controlled from Damascus, Saiqa has an estimated strength of 15,000 to 20, OOO men. Saiqa is linked with other groups through the Palestine Armed Struggle Command (PAX), in which Arafat plays a leading role and which has in the past tried unavailingly to coordinate overall terrorist ' activity. .. In Lebanon there are about 2,660 terrorists in the Arkoub area, Spia has attached the Palestinian activists to its own armed Paradoxically, the efforts of the terrorists to re-group in Lebanon and Syria would, if successful, have the effect of diminishing the threat posed to the western world by RASD, Black September and other murder gangs. Successful regrouping would mean that the strug- gle against Israel would be carried on in the Middle East itself. Yet the odds must be against a "terrorist renaissance" on Israel's northern and north-eastern borders. Israel's frontier with Lebanon is comparatively short and easy to defend, and the Lebanese authorities will continue to discourage persistant shelling across the frontier which brings swift . 4 '