US embassy cable - 86STATE92099

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 092099 
 
FOLLOWING BEIRUT 1547 DTD 25 MAR SENT ACTION 
SESTATE, INFO DAMASCUS TEL AVIV TUNIS CAIRO 
RIYADH AMMAN ATHENS ROME PARIS LONDON, BEING 
REPEATED FOR YOUR INFO: 
 
QUOTE: 
C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 01547 
 
TERREP 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:  OADR 
TAGS:  PTER, MOPS, LY, US 
SUBJ:  CLAIM EMBASSY BEIRUT ATTACKED BECAUSE OF US-LIBYAN CLASHES 
 
REFTEL:  BEIRUT 01535 (NOTAL) 
 
1.  CONYUDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
2.  REUTERS OFFICE IN BEIRUT RECEIVED FOLLOWING TEXT ON MARCH 25: 
 
QUOTE 
 
IN REPLY TO U.S. ACTIONS AGAINST LIBYA AND TO ASSERT THE PAN- 
ARAB ASPECT OF THE BATTLE, OUR FORCES SHELLED AT 4 P.M. THE 
AMERICAN EMBASSY IN BEIRUT, THE DEN OF ESPIONAGE AND CONSPIRACY 
FROM WHICH OUR ARAB PEOPLE IN LEBANON AND IN ALL PARTS OF THE 
THE ARAB WORLD SUFFER.  IT WAS AN EXPRESSION OF WRATH OF THE 
ARAB MASSES AGAINST AMERICA AND OF DETERMINATION TO CONFRONT 
THE AMERICAN PRESENCE WITH ALL FORMS AND  POTENTIAL AND TO ACT 
IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE ARAB MASSES AND REVOLUTION AND THE 
STRUGGLING LEADER MU'AMMAR QADDHAFI.  OUR FORCES WILL CONTINUE 
TO CONFRONT AMERICAN INTERESTS EVERYWHERE UNTIL THE PIRATES STOP 
THEIR INTRIGUES. 
 
VANGUARDS OF THE REVOLUTIONARY ARAB FORCES 
 
UNQUOTE 
 
3.  COMMENT:  ACCORDING TO LOCAL MEDIA AT 4 P.M. A STALIN ORGAN 
BARRAGE OF ABOUT 40 KATUSHA ROCKETS LANDED IN THE DBAYE PORT AREA, 
ABOUT TWO KILOMETERS FROM THE EMBASSY COMPOUND.  THE ROCKETS WERE 
HEARD BY EMBASSY OFFICERS BUT NOT SEEN, AS THE POINT OF IMPACT 
WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM EMBASSY COMPOUND.  END COMMENT.  BARTHOLOMEW 
UNQUOTE 
 
 
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