RECENT PROGRESS ON THE ISRAELI BORDER SECURITY STRIP ON THE ISRAEL-LEBANON BORDER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86T01017R000100810001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 7, 2011
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 28, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

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Central Intelligence Agency
DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE
April 28, 1986
MEMORANDUM FOR: April Glaspie
Director, Office of
Lebanon, Jordan, Syrian Arab Republic Affairs,
Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs,
Department of State
Chief, Geography Division, OGI
SUBJECT: Recent Progress on the Israeli Border Security
1. Attached is a memorandum concerning Israeli improvements
to their border security strip since November 1985_
2. The research and analysis were
done by analysts of the Near East ranc Geography Division,
3. If you have any questions concerning this memorandum,
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Attachment:
Israel-Lebanon: The Israeli Border Security Strip,
Changes since November 1985 GIM-86-20104, April 1986
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SUBJECT: Israel-Lebanon: The Border Security Strip,
an update from November, 1985
OGI/GD/NE/E==,
(Apr 1986)
Distribution:
Original - Addressee
1 - Phil Wilcox, State, NEA/AI
1 - Geogre Harris, State, INR/NESA
1 - Jim Maxstedt, State, INR/NESA
1 - G r INR/OG
1 - NIO/NESA
1 - Executive Director
1 - DDI
1 - DDI/PES
1 - D/OGI, DD/OG.I
1 - D/NESA
1 - Ch/OGI/GD
1 - Ch/OGI/GD/NE
8 - OGI/PG
5 - OGI/GD/NE
1 - CPAS/ISS
1 - OIA/TWFD/NE
1 - Ch/NESA/AI
1 - NESA/AI/I
1 - NESA/AI/A
1 - Ch/CPAS/CDP/CC
1 - CPAS/CDP/CC
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I I
Central Intclligcnce Agency
Washington. D. C.20505
DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE
April 28, 1986
Israel-Lebanon: The Border Security Strip,
an update from November 1985
Summary
Construction on the border security strip has continued at a
slow pace since November 1985. No new areas of construction have
been detected on the border security strip in Lebanon, but
progress has been made on portions that were under construction
in November 1985. The most recent work was ongoing on 9 April.
This paper provides details on the work done on the border 25X1
security strip since the publication of the IIM, 'Israel:
Additions to the Border Security Strip on the Israel-
Border'.
I F
This memorandum was prepared by analysts in the Geography
Division, Office of Global Issues. The information contained
herein is updated to 28 April 1986. Comments may be directed to
Chief, Geography Division
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The East West Portion of the Border
No significant changes have been made to the border security
strip along the east-west segment of the boundary between Ra's an
Naqurah and Blida (Fig. 1). Although guerrilla forces have
attempted to penetrate this portion of the border security strip
since November 1985, the only construction activity has been
improvement of the tracked-vehicle lane.
The North-South Portion of the Border
Construction along the northward leg of the boundary between
Blida and Metulla, Israel that was underway when the IIM,
'Israel: Additions to the Border Security Strip on the Israel-
Lebanon Border' was published is nearing completion (Fig. 2). On
April 9 heavy construction equipment was working on the southern-
most portion of the construction project detailed in Figure 6 of
the IIM. Work was nearing completion on straightening the road
and the dragged strip; no tracked-vehicle lane is in place. We
believe preparations are underway to erect a complete security
fence; some segments of fence are in place now, erected since
January. A gate has been established across the road that links
the security road to the civilian Markaba-Hula road just south of
the Markaba Observer Group Lebanon (OGL) facility.
The IIM speculated that this road would link the Misgav'am and
Ramim border security strip salients. Rather, the near-completed
road is an independent salient that encroaches into Lebanon but
does not link with the two older salients. The last 300 meters
of the road are not yet completed; about 100 meters of this
distance will be in Israel. These last few hundred meters are
passable now; should a sense of urgency be applied construction
could be completed in as little as 10 days.
The Metulla Area
The map of the area north and east of Metulla that accompanied
the 18 February 1986 letter from the Permanent Representative of
Lebanon to the United Nations accurately describes conditions in
that area except for the suggestion that fencing parallels the
Since November security fencing has been erected from a point
just east of Kafr Kila northward to the gate at the intersection
of the Tapline and the road to Al Qulay'ah (Fig. 3). The fencing
extends southeast towards and around the north and east sides of
the defensive position, now completed, which was illustrated in
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Figure 7 of the IIM. Tapline and the new road along it are inside
the Metulla salient for this distance. Fencing contunues to
parallel the security road on a serpentine course: southeast
towards Al 'Amrah, then southwest, passing on the west of Al
'Amrah, then back towards the southeast before finally trending
southwest for a short distance and returning to Israel near
Giv'at Eget. There is a gate at this re-entry point. Gates are
also in place west of the defensive position on the Tapline and
southeast of the defensive position near Al 'Amrah.
Further road improvements have not been observed along the Al
'Amrah-Arab al Luwa z - azzani road. The Lebanese letter to
the UN and a report from January sourced to a
civilian employee of an international organization stated that
fencing was going in along this road. As was reported in the IIM,
we see no evidence to date that this fence is under construction.
Observers located in the new Metulla defensive position can visu-
ally inspect the unfenced portion of the Al 'Amrah-Al Wazzani
Conclusions
Salients in the border security strip continue to serve as impor-
tant parts of the tactical defenses for several northern Israeli
settlements. We believe Tel Aviv will seek to retain these
salients for as long as its security zone remains in place in
southern Lebanon. Their intention to retain them would intensify
if the depth of the security zone were to shrink.
In the event that UNIFIL were ordered to deploy to the Israel-Le-
banon boundary, the security strip salients into Lebanon would
become politically very sensitive. Refusal by Israel to withdraw
from the salients would technically make a complete redeployment
impossible. If the salients were relinquished, in our view the
least possible of scenarios, and if civilian casualties resulted
from guerrilla actions against the northern settlements then Tel
Aviv would harshly criticize the withdrawal decision and reoccupy
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Israeli Presence and UNIFIL Area of Operation, Spring 1985-Spring 1986
BEIRUT
Israeli forward line,?
Spring 1985
(approximate) 0
Israeli-controlled security zone,
northern margin, Spring 1986 Kafr
(approximate)
Israel
Boundary representation is
Fig. 1
Golan Heights
(Israeli occupied)
Syria
UNDOF>
Zone'