Forty years ago today, on February 16, 1985 (December 27, 1984), the Israeli army began to withdraw from Lebanon. In early June 1982, the Israeli army launched a massive invasion of Lebanon with ground troops, marines, and airborne troops, occupied southern Lebanon, and drove Fatah, the Palestinian national liberation movement led by Arafat, out of Lebanon. In February 1985, Israel began to withdraw its troops from Lebanon in stages. But Israel established a "safe zone" in southern Lebanon on the grounds of safeguarding the security of the northern territories, and will remain in Lebanon with the "South Lebanon Army" it supports.