Situation in Lebanon – Message from USA President to SecGen – Letter from USA

LETTER DATED 24 SEPTEMBER 1982 FROM THE ACTING PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE

OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO THE

SECRETARY-GENERAL

I have the honour to transmit the following message from the President of the United States:

"Dear Mr. Secretary-General:

As you know, the Government of the Republic of Lebanon has made known its determination to restore its sovereignty and authority in the Beirut area and thereby to assure the safety of persons in that area and to bring an immediate end to the violence which has tragically recurred there.  Accordingly, it has urgently requested the deployment of a multinational force in Beirut.  The mandate of the multinational force will be to provide an interposition force at agreed locations and thereby provide the multinational presence requested by the Lebanese Government to assist it and the Lebanese armed forces in the Beirut area.  The Lebanese Government has asked for the participation of United States military personnel in this force, together with military personnel from France and Italy.

I wish to inform you that the United States Government has agreed, in response to this request from the Lebanese Government, to deploy a force of about 1,200 personnel to Beirut for a limited period of time.  It is my firm intention and belief that the presence of the troops will serve to assist the Government of Lebanon in the furtherance of its objectives, and that they will not be involved in hostilities during the course of this operation.  Although isolated acts of violence can never be ruled out, all appropriate precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of United States military personnel during their deployment in Lebanon.

The deployment of this United States force is consistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations as set forth in Articles 1 and 2 of the Charter.  It furthers the goals of the Security Council resolutions 508 (1982) and 509 (1982) adopted in June 1982 at the beginning of the Lebanese conflict, and is intended, in the absence of agreement that would make possible the deployment of United Nations forces at this time, to serve particularly the purposes of Security Council resolution 521 (1982) pending further consultations between you and the Government of Lebanon.  The force will plan to work closely with the expanded United Nations Observer Group stationed in the Beirut area.

This agreement will support the objective of helping to restore control by the Government of Lebanon over its own territory.  It is part of the continuing efforts of the United States Government to bring lasting peace to that troubled country, which has too long endured the trials of civil strife and armed conflict.

I request that this letter be circulated as a document of the Security Council.

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