Beitaddin Declaration
BEITADDIN DECLARATION
a 1978 attempt by six arab countries to end the lebanese civil war of 1975–1990.
The Beitaddin Declaration was issued following a meeting (15–17 October 1978) in Lebanon, attended by the foreign ministers of the six Arab countries contributing troops to the Arab Deterrent Force (Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Sudan). The meeting took place during the Lebanese civil war, amid heightened tension. A national reconciliation document adopted by the Lebanese parliament (April 1978) had never been implemented. Further, Christian militias of the Lebanese forces and Syrian troops were involved in heavy clashes in east Beirut. In March 1978, Israel had invaded southern Lebanon. The resolutions adopted at Beitaddin (also Bayt alDin, a famous residence of Lebanese amirs) included a recognition of Lebanon's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; a call for the dissolution of all armed presences in the country; and the full implementation of the agreements adopted by Arab heads of state in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Cairo, Egypt (1976), which involved the establishment of a phased program for the rebuilding of the Lebanese army and the creation of a follow-up committee with delegates from Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Kuwait.
see also lebanese civil war (1975–1990); lebanese forces.
George E. Irani