~ 
:;~$" 
Department of State 
TELEGRAM 
UNCLASSIFIED 380 
PAGE 01 BE I RUT ' 12038 22 t 7HZ 
s.. 
ACTtON EUR 20 


INFO NEA 131USIE 00,CIA 041000 011GPM 041H · 021INR 071L 031NSA 021 
NSC 101P 041RSC 011SP 021SS. 251NIC 01110 13~SA 0i1SAH 02;sAL 011 
R 221'+10Z AUG 68 
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5864 

UNCL~S BEIRUT 12038 
J01NT EMBASSV/USIS MESSAGE 

• USIA FOR IOP1 IAN SUBJ.a LEBANESE REACT1 ON TO CZECH! EVENTS 
I• NO OFF I COL REACTION · FROM GOL TO DATE ·• SOV AMB 
C~LLED ON FONMIN BOUTROS AUG 21 TO CONVEV NOTE REpoRTEDL¥ 
EkPL~INlNG SOWIET POSITION• 

2• RADIO LIBAN COVERAGE IMPLIED CONOEMNAT]ON OF SOWIET ACTION BV GIVING WIDE PLAY TO ADVERSE INTERNATlONAL REAC~10N 10 INVASION• LEBANESE TV NEWSCASTER DESCRIBED D~Y AS "ONE OF MOST PAINFUL IN MODERN HISTORY•" 
NAHAR REPORTED THAT GOL OFF• PUBILC SHOCKED AND OUTRAGED ONL~ E~TREME LEF~lSTS ANO NAH~R ASSERTED• CITING STATE~ 
Department of State TELEGRAM 

UNCLASSIF'IED 
PAOE 02 BEIRUT 12038 2217~~z 
AUG · 21 "SADDEST OF DAXS" • BUT EXPRESSSEO CONFIDENCE THAT 
FREEDOM WILL ' EVENTUALLY TRIUMPH OVER SYSTEM• SIMILAR 
LtNE TAKEN IN O'HER RIGHT•WING · AND MODERAiE PAPERS• STRESS 
LAID UPON FEAR AS SOVIET MOTIVE1 FEAR OF · FREE~OM •• WH~CH 
BAI IS · ENEMY OF SOVIET "EMPIRE"• INDEPENDENT AL ; BA YRAQ SAW 
SOVIET ACTION AS BIRTH· OF A NEW IMPERIALlSM• 
• 
5~ IN VERY SIGNIFICANT EDITORIAL~·LEADING PRO·UAR DAILY AL ' ANWAR PO I NTEO TO ARAB DI LEMA IN JUDGING SOVIET ACT I ON• USSR NUMBER ONE : SUPPORTER OF ARA8S1 BUT ARABS ALSO COMMITTED TO CAUSE OF' HUMAN LIBERATION ANO FREEDOM• AL ANWAR CON• CLUDED THERE NO WAY TO RESOLVE THIS CONTRAOITION• THUS AR~BS CAN BE NO LESS COURAGEOUS TH~N FRENCH ANO ITALf ~N 
CP•S AND MUST CONDEMN SOVIET . INTERVENTION IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA• 
6• ONLY COMMUNIST . DAILY AN NIDA1 PRO•UAR AL MUHARRIR1 AND 
PRO•UAR ASH SHAAB SUPPORTED soviETS. AN NIDAR SIMPLY RE• 
PHRASED TASS STATEMENT AS ITS EDITORIAL, WHILE OTHER TWO RAISED MOTH•EATEN SPECTRE OF ZIONIST INFLUENCE IN C!ECHOSLOVAKIA AS JUSTIFICATION FOR SOVIETS• 
PORTER 

• 

• U CL