Classified Documents From the 1970s Emerge on Kamal Jumblatt’s Assassination

The story of the Syrian army’s entry into Lebanon remains a subject of controversy, even two decades after it withdrew in 2005. It is significant because it marked the beginning of what later became known as the era of “tutelage” over Lebanon. Former President Hafez al-Assad initially deployed Syrian troops under the guise of the Palestinian Liberation Army, before officially committing them in early June 1976. Their crossing of the border coincided with the arrival of Soviet Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin in Damascus. The United States approved, as conveyed in a message to al-Assad via Jordan’s King Hussein. It also…