In September of each year Palestinians recall the egregious massacres committed against them in Lebanon in 1982 which claimed the lives of thousands of civilians.
In his testimony published by the US “Nation Magazine” the Palestinian historian Rashid Khalidi shed light on Washington’s involvement in the massacres.
The report noted that the US had a prior knowledge of what the Israeli troops intended to do adding that when the US special envoy Morris Draper met the Israeli criminal who led the operations Ariel Sharon the latter told him that he would kill everyone and that no-one would be left to live.
The US responsibility is not just a matter of having a prior knowledge or supplying the Israeli forces with lethal weapons according to Khalidi who affirmed that the massacres started after US gave the green light for the onslaught.
It was the US through its foreign ministry who pushed Palestinians represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for ceasefire talks and made guarantees for their safety. Sabra and Shatila massacres took place less than a month after that.
An official memo sent by the US administration on 5th August 1982 to the Lebanese government and the PLO said “Law-abiding Palestinian non-combatants remaining in Beirut will be authorized to live in peace and security. The Lebanese and US governments will provide appropriate security guarantees.”
The report was concluded by saying that the US continues to this day to offer blind support for the Israeli occupation costing the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
