Summary of a Meeting of Comrade Hermann Axen with the Representative of the PLO, Salah Khalaf (Abu Iyad), on 12 July 1983

[SED Central Committee]

[Department of International Relations]

[Handwritten notice]

Not for the public!

A. [Hermann Axen ]

Summary

Of a Meeting of Comrade Hermann Axen with the Representative of the PLO,

Salah Khalaf (Abu Iyad), on 12 July 1983

Participants in the meeting from the side of the PLO were the members of the Revolutionary Council of the Fatah, Abbas Zaki and Amin al-Hindi, the staff assistant of Abu Iyad, Atef Bseiso, and the Ambassador of the PLO in the GDR, Dr. Isam Kamel Salam.

Comrade Axen asked for information about the recent developments in the Middle East and in the PLO.

Abu Iyad:

- 16th session of Palestinian National Council was an important event. The documents are supporting the decisions of Fez^[1] and the Soviet peace proposals, and they do reject the Reagan Plan.

- Meeting of Central Committee of Fatah in April in Kuwait passed decisions on shaping of relations between the PLO and Jordan.

- 16th session did define the relationship between PLO and SAR [Syrian Arab Republic] as a strategic alliance in the struggle against imperialism.

- [Hafez] Al-Assad and [Yasser] Arafat were viewing the joint Israeli-Lebanese agreement as a joint act of U.S. policy in the region. The slogan of the PLO leadership: to build an united front of SAR, PLP, and the progressive forces of Lebanon.

- Al-Assaf has supported dissidents within Fatah. Opposition group is consisting of hardened Fatah fighters, some of their demands are not unjustified. Their actions are exploited. The splittist group has only 7 representatives among the overall 73 members in the Revolutionary Council of Fatah. On 27 May the SAR transferred to the splittist group 6 bases of Fatah in Damascus and supply goods of Fatah over a value of 40 million U.S. dollars. After that, military attacks by the splittists on positions of the Fatah occurred.

- Arafat demanded from al-Assad to end the interference in internal matters of the PLO. Then Arafat was expelled from the SAR on 24 June 1983. (In this context Abu Iyad asked, among else, whether the GDR has guarantees that al-Assad is not turning into a second Sadat).

- The analysis of previous years does shine light on some facts.

- In 1976 al-Assad was inspired by the U.S. and acted against the Palestinians and progressive forces of Lebanon. Incursion of Syrian forces into Lebanon followed when progressive forces were about to establish a democratic power in the country.

- During the Lebanon War in 1982 al-Assad made the fight of the PLO difficult. He let the PLO fight alone.

- The PLO leadership is afraid that there might be a solution in the Middle East with participation of the SAR and Jordan, but without the PLO.

- The PLO is still for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state under leadership of the PLO.

- The PLO is calling on all Arabs to support its efforts towards a normalization with the SAR. A positive role is played by the Democratic Front [for the Liberation of Palestine], the Popular Front [for the Liberation of Palestine], the Arab Liberation Front, the VDRJ[People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen], and Algeria.

- The PLO does consider the Soviet Union and the other socialist states as the most important force that can help in the current situation.

- The main interest of the closer PLO leadership around Arafat: to avoid a battle with the SAR. There is readiness for talks with the SAR and the splittists in the Fatah.

- The PLO is asking the SSG [Sozialistische Staatengemeinschaft; socialist community of states aka the Soviet bloc.]for its support to establish a front consisting of the PLO, the SAR, and progressive Lebanese forces. At the same time, the PLO leadership is asking the SED to do everything in its power to contribute towards a strengthening of the relationship between the PLO and the SAR.

Comrade Axen:

- The United States and Israel have not achieved their strategic objectives despite temporary military successes in the Lebanon War. The PLO was able to strengthen its international authority significantly. Now they [U.S. and Israel] are attempting to achieve their objectives by political means.

- The splittist activities within Fatah are damaging and dangerous to the PLO and the cause of the Arab peoples. They are only benefitting the enemy. The PLO is the decisive force of the Palestinian people. Its agenda and is struggle are just. The unity of Fatah and the PLP is decisive. The prestige of Y. Arafat gained in struggle as the representative of the PLO is precious.

- The main task for the PLO leadership remains the struggle against Israel, for the establishment of a Palestinian national state, for a just solution of the NOK [Nahostkonflikt; Middle East Conflict]. And for a contribution in the Middle East towards peace in the world. One must not get diverted from these main talks by splittist tendencies.

- The SSG is supporting the decision by the 16th Session of the National Council. The SED is advocating a joint front between SAR, the PLO, and progressive Lebanese forces.

- The disputes between SAR and the PLO must be resolved by political means. Refraining from public polemics. Maintaining and expanding the strategic alliance with the SAR.

- The SED will use opportunities to work towards the necessary cessation of the conflict and towards a constructive cooperation with the PLO with Arafat at its helm.

- The SAR does remain a decisive bulwark against the Israeli policy of aggression. The SAR has to be guided by the insight that the SAR has no perspective if it is succumbing to imperialism.

- When assessing the in part contradictory tactics of the SAR, it is necessary to be guided by its objectively anti-imperialist role. It is important for the PLO leadership to negotiate with the Syrian leadership.