NSDD 92 Accelerating the Withdrawal of Foreign Forces from Lebanon

NLS F1748 #164 SECRET BY HDJ NARA, DATE 8/15/06 THE WHITE HOUSE SECRET WASHINGTON SYSTEM II 90525 National Security Decision April 27, 1983 Directive Number 92 ACCELERATING THE WITHDRAWAL OF FOREIGN FORCES FROM LEBANON 12 Following a detailed review of the state of the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon and noting the increasing danger to U.S. interests in the Middle East as a result of the growing Soviet presence in Syria, I have decided that the Secretary of State should go to the region to convey our grave concern over the delay in the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon. To this end the Secretary will endeavor to accelerate the conclusion of a satisfactory agreement between Israel and Lebanon. Should an agreement be concluded, he will travel to other Arab capitals and attempt to obtain more general agreement for the withdrawal of Syrian and PLO forces. ns) As a separate but related matter, we should make clear to the Government öf Israel my strong wish to restore our good relations and to indeed deepen the relationship in a manner befitting allies. Secretary Shultz should make it clear that we have in effect two courses of action. One is to restore and enhance the relationship and that is a very high priority of this Administration. The other course leads inevitably to a fundamental reappraisal of the entire U. - -Israeli relationship. We clearly prefer the former course, but we are also committed to obtaining the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon. US leadership and our credibility as a world power is at stake. The commitment to the sovereignty of the state of Lebanon as outlined in NSDD-64 is also at stake. is The impasse in the negotiations must be resolved on terms which provide for Israel's security, which will preserve the domestic consensus in Lebanon and which meet Arab interests. There should be no overt residual Israeli military presence in Lebanon. Should the Government of Israel continue to insist on security arrangements which are clearly unacceptable to the Government of Lebanon and unlikely to facilitate Syrian and PLO withdrawal, I authorize the Secretary of State to present an alternative along the following lines: -- The U.S. will undertake an active surveillance and training mission for the Lebanese Army in the south. That presence will be phased-down as the Lebanese Army progresses in its training according to a firm schedule culminating in withdrawal. (s) SECRET DECL: : OADR SECRET Ravid Reagan COPY 1c OF 4 COPIE (3)