21 news for February, March, December 1981
with the booksFebruary 4, 1981wednesday
Four Lebanese militaries were killed in a helicopter accident. The Aircraft crashed on the hills of Sannine.
February 13, 1981friday
The kidnapping on February 6 in Beirut of the chargé d'affaires of Jordan in Lebanon, remained at the center of preoccupation of the country's leaders. They adopted a series of security measures for the protection of embassies.
February 13, 1981friday
A Syrian-Israeli air duel took place in the sky of the Bekaa region.
February 14, 1981saturday
Snipers paralyzed the circulation in Sodeco, the main road connecting East and West Beirut.
February 18, 1981wednesday
The Council of Ministers centered part of its deliberations to the Sodeco region that was catching fire on a daily basis. Chafic Wazzan pledged to cease the fire.
February 19, 1981thursday
His Beatitude Bishop Maximos V Hakim escaped a killing attempt on the road of Bhamdoun. The aggressors' identity was unknown.
February 24, 1981tuesday
Shells from different calibers fell on the Eastern residential neighborhoods, spreading destruction, fires, and terror. The population wondered why these blind bombardments were perpetrated and until when would they continue.
March 1, 1981sunday
The city of Saida went through a day of fear and anguish after four bombs fell in its busiest streets, and especially after Saad Haddad threatened to bomb the city. The next day, the fighting spread to Southern Lebanon.
March 6, 1981friday
A TNT load exploded in Zahleh inside a travel agency, killing three persons and injuring 28 others.
March 10, 1981tuesday
The convoy of the United States ambassador in Lebanon skimmed automatic arm shots in the port's sector.
March 13, 1981friday
A Lebanese Army unit positioned in the Kantara locality following an agreement with the UNIFL commandant. On March 15, 50 soldiers deployed in the village of Chaqra. However, Saad Haddad was opposed to the reinforcement of the Army in the South.
March 16, 1981monday
Israel retorted at the Lebanese decision to send the Army to the frontier region by bombarding the UNIFL. The United Nations Secretary General, Kurt Waldheim was outraged and requested an urgent Security Council meeting.
\_this day in full \_on this day
\_what the books add
Fisk: after shells killed two Nigerian UNIFIL soldiers in March 1981, the force commander, General William Callaghan, blamed Israeli gunners rather than Haddad's militia.
March 17, 1981tuesday
After the last bombardments in Southern Lebanon, the Army pulled back 15 km away from Kantara but redeployed again on March 20.
March 20, 1981friday
The United Nations Security Council condemned Saad Haddad without mentioning Israel.
March 23, 1981monday
Violent confrontations burst in Baalbeck between Amal and the Iraqi Baas.
March 28, 1981saturday
After Sodeco and Berjaoui, the confrontations spread to the Museum sector. The Syrians imposed a cease-fire and tried to compel militiamen to withdraw from Ras El Nabeh.
December 5, 1981saturday
The residential areas were again bombarded with heavy artillery.
December 7, 1981monday
A Sadrist commando hijacked a Libyan airplane at the Beirut International Airport. The air pirates who held 43 hostages, injured a passenger and threatened to execute him in order to have the plane refueled. The aggressors called upon Khadafi to liberate the Imam.
December 10, 1981thursday
Terrorism stroke in Tripoli where an attack caused 12 dead and 75 injured.
December 15, 1981tuesday
A bomb attack destroyed the Iraqi embassy. 20 persons were killed including the ambassador and 100 were wounded.
\_this day in full the books also date it 16 December 1981 \_on this day
\_what the books add
Ménargues dates the bombing to 16 December. The six-storey embassy at Ramlet al-Baida was destroyed by an explosives-laden car driven by Shiite suicide attackers; a group nobody knew claimed it, and the ambassador's body took four days to find. It followed heavy fighting in West Beirut on 4 December between Amal and pro-Iraqi Baathists, and a Lebanese Forces visit to Baghdad.
December 19, 1981saturday
The explosion of a car bomb at the Unesco killed 16 persons and injured 18.