A mysterious Soviet ship, said to be an intelligence-gathering vessel though it carries no visible antennae or other equipment, has been observed in Lebanese waters recently, several miles off Beirut. According to unconfirmed reports, the ship can monitor wireless messages and can maintain surveillance of other ships and transports on land. Sources here suggested that it may be conducting certain hydrographic measurements. But its presence may also be intended to deter Israeli ships from taking any action in Lebanese waters.
Soviet policy in the Lebanese civil war has been ambiguous. While Moscow has been trying to provide the Moslems and PLO with arms and political backing, it also continues to supply arms to Syria whose forces have battled the Moslems and Palestinians in Lebanon. Despite differences over Syria’s intervention in Lebanon, there has been no deterioration of relations between the Soviet Union and the Syrian regime.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
