Lebanese Civil War (Phase I)
Date 1975 - 1977 Location Lebanon Result ADF-enforced ceasefire De facto Syrian control over Lebanon
Belligerents
Lebanese Front Syria	LNM PLO Amal Arab Deterrent Force As the Lebanese Civil War escalated in 1976, the Arab League created an intervention force composed almost entirely of Syrian forces with token contributions from other Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and Libya. ... A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war or any armed conflict, where each side of the conflict agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Lebanon. ... The Lebanese Front (Arabic: الجبهة اللبنانية) was a right-wing coalition of mainly Christian parties formed in 1976, during the Lebanese Civil War. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Syria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Lebanon. ... The Lebanese National Movement was led by Kamal Jumblat, a prominent Druze. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Palestine. ... PLO redirects here. ...	Israel
Commanders
Bachir Gemayel Dany Chamoun	Kamal Jumblatt Yasser Arafat	Ariel Sharon

The neutrality and factual accuracy of this article are disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. (February 2008)

The Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) was a multifaceted civil war whose antecedents trace back to the conflicts and political compromises reached after the end of Lebanon's administration by the Ottoman Empire. The conflict became greatly exacerbated by Lebanon's changing demographic trends, the Palestinian refugee influx between 1948 and 1982, Christian and Muslim inter-religious strife, and the involvement of Syria, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). After a short break in the fighting in 1976 due to Arab League mediation and Syrian intervention, Palestinian-Lebanese strife continued, with fighting primarily focused in south Lebanon, occupied first by the PLO, then occupied by Israel. Black Saturday was a series of massacres and armed clashes in Beirut, that occurred in the first stages of the Lebanese Civil War. ... The Karantina massacre took place during the Lebanese Civil War on January 18, 1976. ... The Damour massacre took place on 20 January 1976 during the 1975–1990 Lebanese Civil War. ... The Tel al-Zaatar Massacre took place during the Lebanese Civil War on August 12, 1976. ... The Sabra and Shatila massacre (or Sabra and Chatila massacre; Arabic: مذبحة صبرا وشاتيلا) was a massacre carried out in September 1982 by the Christian Lebanese Forces militia group. ... The War of the Camps was a subconflict within the Lebanese Civil War in which Palestinian refugee camps were besieged by the Shiite Amal militia. ... Belligerents Lebanese Armed Forces Fatah al-Islam Jund al-Sham Commanders Michel Sulaiman Francois al-Hajj Shaker al-Abssi Abu Youssef Sharqieh # Abu Hureira â€  Strength 72,100 troops 450 Fatah militants, 50 Jund militants, unknown number of al-Qaeda bombers Casualties and losses Northern casualties: 168 killed, 400-500 wounded... This article is about the definition of the specific type of war. ... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1683, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–1365) Edirne (1365–1453) Ä°stanbul (1453–1922) Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 (first) Osman I  - 1918–22 (last) Mehmed VI Grand Viziers  - 1320... About 91% of the population of Lebanon is urban and comprises many different ethnic groups and religions, including numerous Christian and Muslim sects. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... PLO redirects here. ... Headquarters Cairo, Egypt1 Official languages Arabic Membership 22 Arab states 2 observer states Leaders  -  Secretary General Amr Moussa (since 2001)  -  Council of the Arab League Sudan  -  Speaker of the Arab Parliament Nabih Berri Establishment  -  Alexandria Protocol March 22, 1945  Area  -  Total 13,953,041 (Western Sahara Included) = 13,687,041...

During the course of the fighting, alliances shifted rapidly and unpredictably. By the end of the war, nearly every party had allied with and subsequently betrayed every other party at least once. The 1980s were especially bleak: much of Beirut lay in ruins as a result of the 1976 Karantina massacre carried out by Lebanese Christian militias, the Syrian Army shelling of Christian neighborhoods in 1978 and 1981, and the Israeli invasion that evicted the PLO from the country. A number of atrocities and terrorist acts were committed by the Palestinian, Lebanese and Israeli factions participating in the war, including the Damour massacre in which Palestinians killed Christian inhabitants (from 25 to almost 600 according to different sources) of the coastal town 20 miles south of Beirut, and the infamous Sabra and Chatila Massacre where Christian and Israeli forces led to the massacre of more than 700 palestinians civilians and refugees. The war deteriorated ever further into sectarian carnage, and in the end Lebanon's effective independence counted among the casualties. This article is about the Lebanese city. ... The Karantina massacre took place during the Lebanese Civil War on January 18, 1976. ... Combatants Israel South Lebanon Army LF (nominally neutral) PLO Syria Amal (switched sides) LCP Commanders Menachem Begin (Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon, (Ministry of Defence) Rafael Eitan, (CoS) Yasser Arafat Strength Israel: 76,000 troops 800 tanks 1,500 APCs 634 aircraft Syria: 22,000 troops 352 tanks 300 APCs 450... An atrocity (from the Latin atrox, atrocious, from Latin ater = matte black (as distinct from niger = shiny black)) is a term used to describe crimes ranging from an act committed against a single person to one committed against a population or ethnic group. ... This article is becoming very long. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... The Damour massacre took place on 20 January 1976 during the 1975–1990 Lebanese Civil War. ... The Sabra and Shatila massacre (or Sabra and Chatila massacre) was carried out in September 1982 by Lebanese Maronite Christian militias in then-Israeli-occupied Beirut, Lebanon. ...

By the time of the Taif Agreement in 1989, Israel held on to a security zone in southern Lebanon as a buffer to prevent attacks on northern Israel. The Israeli Army eventually withdrew in 2000. Syria itself, which had heretofore controlled the rest of the country, did not withdraw its troops until 2005, when it was forced out by the joint pressure created by Lebanese protest and powerful diplomatic intervention from the United States and the United Nations in the aftermath of the assassination of Rafik Hariri. The Taif Agreement was negotiated in Taif, Saudi Arabia by the surviving members of Lebanons 1972 parliament; fathered by Parliament Speaker President Hussein El-Husseini. ... Israeli Security Zone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Southern Lebanon is the geographical area of Lebanon composed of two Governates: the South Lebanon Governate and the Nabatiyeh Governate. ... The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ההגנה לישראל Tsva Ha-Haganah Le-Yisrael ([Army] Force [for] the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces (army, air force and navy). ... Cedar Revolution has become the most commonly used name for the chain of demonstrations and popular civic action in Lebanon (mainly Beirut) triggered by the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005. ... UN redirects here. ... Rafik Bahaeddine Al-Hariri — (November 1, 1944 – February 14, 2005), (Arabic: ) a self-made billionaire and business tycoon, was Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation on 20 October 2004. ...

Formation of militias

This article is part of the series on: Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 884 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): History of Lebanon Phoenicia 1982 Lebanon War Lebanon crisis of 1958 Lebanese Civil War Cedar Revolution 2005 Lebanon... History of Lebanon Map of Lebanon. ...

Ancient History

Phoenicia

Ancient history of Lebanon

Foreign Rule

Assyrian Rule

Babylonian Rule

Persian Rule

Greek Rule

Roman Rule

Byzantine Rule

Arab Rule

Ottoman Rule

French Rule

Modern Lebanon

1958 Lebanon crisis

Lebanese Civil War

1982 Lebanon War

2005 Lebanon bombings

Cedar Revolution

2006 Lebanon War

2006-7 political protests

2007 North Lebanon conflict

Topical

Military history

Economic history

Timeline of Lebanese history This box: view • talk • edit

The influx of Palestinian refugees between 1948 and 1970, the 1950s and 1960s reassertion of pan-Arab nationalism as espoused by Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, the founding of the PLO in 1965, the eviction or squashing of all armed Palestinian resistance movements in Syria, Jordan and Egypt, and the escalating assertion of Palestinian nationalism through armed struggle, unsettled the politically and demographically delicate balance between the Lebanese communities. After its eviction from Jordan by King Hussein during "Black September" in 1970, the PLO and all its affiliate movements settled in Beirut and the Lebanese south from which they vowed to continue liberating Palestine, in violation of every agreement made with the Lebanese authorities to regulate the activities of the Palestinian organizations. The Muslim community in Lebanon saw Monastir Palestinian movements (Sunni in their vast majority) as an opportunity to renege on the 1943 National Pact by using the Palestinian weapons to pressure their fellow Christian Lebanese into abrogating the National Pact.The latter is an extra-constitutional unwritten agreement that guarantees the division of power among the three largest communities: The Presidency to the Maronites, the Speakership of Parliament to the Shiites, and the Prime Ministership to the Sunnis. These and other other constitutionally guaranteed distributions of government posts had come under increasing fire from Muslims, now emboldened by a resurging pan-Arab nationalism and secular left wing groups acting at the behest of the Soviet-Communist Bloc in the 1960s, leading them to join forces as the Front for Progressive Parties and National Forces in 1969. The Muslim-leftist opposition coalition (later evolved into the Lebanese National Movement) called for the taking of a new census (the last one had been conducted in 1932) and the subsequent drafting of a new governmental structure that would reflect the shifts in the actual population balance. The Christian (especially Maronite) community saw this as an attack on the foundations of the State of Lebanon and a reneging on the National Pact. Furthermore, the Christians did not want to renegotiate the Pact or other rearrangements since they wanted to keep their domination on the Lebanese society. Phoenicia (nonstandardly, Phenicia; pronounced [1], Greek: : Phoiníkē, Latin: ) was an ancient civilization centered in the north of ancient Canaan, with its heartland along the coastal regions of modern day Lebanon, Syria and Israel. ... Template:History of Lebanon The history of ancient Lebanon traces the course of events in what is now known as Lebanon from the beginning of history to the beginning of Arab rule. ... During the rise of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, what is today known as Lebanon, came under nominal Assyrian rule on several occasions[1]. The approach of the devastating Assyrian armies would more often than not result in the vassalage of these states. ... Throughout her history, the lands known today as Lebanon came under foreign rule from various powers. ... The history of Lebanon under Arab traces the course of human events in the section of the Middle East now known as Lebanon. ... The State of Greater Lebanon is the name of a territory that was created by France and is the precursor of modern Lebanon. ... The Lebanon crisis of 1958 was a Lebanese political crisis caused by political and religious tensions in the country. ... Combatants Israel South Lebanon Army LF (nominally neutral) PLO Syria Amal (switched sides) LCP Commanders Menachem Begin (Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon, (Ministry of Defence) Rafael Eitan, (CoS) Yasser Arafat Strength Israel: 76,000 troops 800 tanks 1,500 APCs 634 aircraft Syria: 22,000 troops 352 tanks 300 APCs 450... The 2005 Lebanon bombings were a series of bombings that occurred mainly in Beirut, Lebanon and its suburbs. ... Cedar Revolution has become the most commonly used name for the chain of demonstrations and popular civic action in Lebanon (mainly Beirut) triggered by the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005. ... Belligerents Hezbollah Amal[1] LCP[2] PFLP-GC[3] Israel Commanders Hassan Nasrallah Imad Mughniyeh Dan Halutz Moshe Kaplinsky[4] Udi Adam Strength 600-1,000 active fighters 3,000-10,000 reservists[5] Up to 10,000 ground troops. ... The 2006–2007 Lebanese political protests were a series of protests and sit-ins that began on 1 December 2006, led by groups in Lebanon that opposed the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. ... Combatants Lebanese Armed Forces Fatah al-Islam Commanders Michel Sulaiman Shaker al-Abssi Strength ~70,000 troops, ~1000 surrounding the camp ~500 Casualties 35 killed, 58 wounded 37 killed, 20 captured; 60 killed (Lebanese claim) 10 killed (FaI claim) [1]. Civilian casualties: 22 killed Casualties sources: [2] The 2007 North... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... Combatants PLO Jordan Commanders Yasser Arafat King Hussein Casualties 7,000-8,000 killed[1] This article, Black September in Jordan, describes the events surrounding September, 1970 in Jordan. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... Monastir could be a city in the Republic of Macedonia now called Bitola Monastir, Italy - a village near Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, famous for fruit production. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... The National Pact is an unwritten agreement that laid the foundation of Lebanon and has shaped the country to this day. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms that refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially but not exclusively in the American sense of the word... The Front for Progressive Parties and National Forces was a leftist organization that gatherered parties and organizations opposing the Maronite-dominated sectarian order in Lebanon. ... The Lebanese National Movement was led by Kamal Jumblat, a prominent Druze. ... Image:1870 census Lindauer Weber 01. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Maronites (Marunoye ܡܪܘܢܝܐܶ; in Syriac, Mâruniyya مارونية in Arabic) are members of an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope of Rome. ...

Both sides were unable to reconcile their conflicts of interest and began forming militias for self-protection. As the situation escalated these militias grew stronger and soon surpassed the regular army. This rapidly undermined the authority of the central government. The government's ability to maintain order was also handicapped by the nature of the Lebanese Army. One of the smallest in the Middle East, it was composed based on a fixed ratio of religions. As members defected to sectarian militias, the army would eventually prove unable to contain the militant groups, rein in the PLO or monitor foreign infiltration. Since the government was Christian-dominated, especially the officers' ranks, trust among Muslims for central institutions, including the army, was low. The disintegration of the Lebanese Army was eventually initiated by Muslim deserters declaring that they would no longer take orders from the Maronite generals. Lebanese Kataeb militia The term Militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary [1] citizens to provide defense, emergency, law enforcement, or paramilitary service, and those engaged in such activity, without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. ... This article was imported from the CIA World Factbook and needs to be rewritten and/or reformatted in accordance with Wikipedia styles. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (Arabic Munazzamat al-Tahrir Filastiniyyah منظمة تحرير فلسطينية ) is a political and paramilitary organization of Palestinian Arabs dedicated to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state to consist of the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, with an intent to destroy Israel. ... Desertion is the act of abandoning or withdrawing support from someone or something to which you owe allegiance, responsibility or loyalty. ...

Throughout the war most or all militias operated with little regard for human rights, and the sectarian character of some battles, made non-combatant civilians a frequent target. As the war dragged on, the militias deteriorated ever further into mafia-style organizations with many commanders turning to crime as their main occupation rather than fighting. Finances for the war effort were obtained in one or all of three ways: Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Non-combatant is a military and legal term describing civilians not engaged in combat. ... In times of armed conflict a civilian is any person who is not a combatant. ... This article is about the criminal society. ...

• Outside support, generally from one of the rival Arab governments, Iran or Israel, or a superpower like US, often with strings attached. Alliances would shift frequently.
• Preying on the population. Extortion, theft, bank robberies and random checkpoints at which "customs" would be collected, were commonplace on all sides. During cease-fires, most militias operated in their home areas as virtual mafia organizations.
• Smuggling. During the civil war, Lebanon turned into one of the world's largest narcotics producers, with much of the hashish production centered in the Bekaa valley. But much else was also smuggled, such as guns and supplies, all kinds of stolen goods, and regular trade - war or no war, Lebanon would not give up its role as the middleman in European-Arab business. Many battles were fought over Lebanon's ports, to gain smugglers access to the sea routes.

For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Superpowers redirects here. ... United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ... Extortion is a criminal offense, which occurs when a person either obtains money, property or services from another through coercion or intimidation or threatens one with physical harm unless they are paid money or property. ... A young waif steals a pair of boots Stealing redirects here. ... For other uses, see Bank (disambiguation). ... The term checkpoint may refer to: A place at which vehicles or pedestrians are stopped in order to enforce laws or security measures. ... Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting customs duties and for controlling the flow of animals and goods (including personal effects and hazardous items) in and out of a country. ... An armistice is the effective end of a war, when the warring parties agree to stop fighting. ... The term narcotic, derived from the Greek word for stupor, originally referred to a variety of substances that induced sleep (such state is narcosis). ... Hashish Hashish (from Arabic: , lit. ... ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ...

The major militias

See also: Lebanese Front and Lebanese National Movement

Most militias claimed that they were non-sectarian forces, but in fact they recruited mainly from the community or region of their chiefs. The Lebanese Front (Arabic: الجبهة اللبنانية) was a right-wing coalition of mainly Christian parties formed in 1976, during the Lebanese Civil War. ... The Lebanese National Movement was led by Kamal Jumblat, a prominent Druze. ...

Christian militias

Lebanese Forces logo

Christian militias acquired arms from Romania and Bulgaria as well as from West Germany, Belgium and Israel ^[1], and drew supporters from the larger Christian population in the north of the country. They were generally right-wing in their political outlook, and all the major Christian militias were Maronite-dominated, and other Christian sects played a secondary role. Image File history File links Logo_of_Lebanese_Forces. ... Image File history File links Logo_of_Lebanese_Forces. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Maronites (Marunoye ܡܪܘܢܝܐܶ; in Syriac, Mâruniyya مارونية in Arabic) are members of an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope of Rome. ...

The most powerful of the Christian militias was that of the Kataeb, or Phalange, under the leadership of Bachir Gemayel. The Phalange went on to help found the Lebanese Forces in 1977 which came under the leadership of Samir Geagea in 1986. A smaller faction was the nationalist Guardians of the Cedars. These militias quickly established strongholds in Christian-dominated East Beirut, also the site of many government buildings. In the north, the Marada Brigades served as the private militia of the Franjieh family and Zgharta. The Kataeb Party, better known in English-speaking countries as the Phalange, is a Lebanese political party that was first established as a Maronite nationalist youth movement in 1936 by Pierre Gemayel. ... The Kataeb Party, better known in English-speaking countries as the Phalange, is a Lebanese political party that was first established as a Maronite nationalist youth movement in 1936 by Pierre Gemayel. ... Bachir Gemayel Bachir Gemayel, first name also spelt Bashir (Arabic: بشير الجميل), (November 10, 1947 – September 14, 1982) was a Lebanese military commander, politician and president elect. ... Lebanese Forces (LF) (Arabic: القوات اللبنانية al-quwat al-lubnāniyya) is a Lebanese political party and a former militia, which fought on the Christian side during the civil war that ravaged Lebanon from 1975 to 1990. ... Samir Farid Geagea (Arabic: سمير فريد جعجع, also Samir Ja`ja`) born October 25, 1952 is the leader of the right wing Lebanese Forces (LF) political party. ... The logo of the Guardians of the Cedars. ... This article is about the Lebanese city. ... The Marada Brigade was a Maronite Christian faction in the Lebanese civil war. ... Suleiman Frangieh Suleiman Frangieh, last name also spelt Frangié, Franjieh, or Franjiyeh, (15 June 1910 - 23 July 1992, was President of Lebanon from 1970 to 1976. ... Zgharta, or Zghorta (زغرتا Arabic) is a large town in North Lebanon, with an estimated population of around 70,000. ...

Shi'a militias

The Shi'a militias were slow to form and join in the fighting. Initially, many Shi'a had been drawn to the Palestinian movement and the Lebanese Communist Party, but after 1970's Black September, there was a sudden influx of armed Palestinians to the Shi'a areas. The Palestinian movement quickly squandered its influence with the Shi'a, as radical factions ruled by the gun in much of Shi'a-inhabited southern Lebanon, where the refugee camps happened to be concentrated, and the mainstream PLO proved either unwilling or unable to rein them in. Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... The Lebanese Communist Party (LCP, Arabic, الـحـزب الشـيـوعـي اللبـنـانـي hizbu-sh-shuy‘uÄ«-l-lubnānÄ«) is a Marxist political party in Lebanon. ... Combatants PLO Jordan Commanders Yasser Arafat King Hussein Casualties 7,000-8,000 killed[1] This article, Black September in Jordan, describes the events surrounding September, 1970 in Jordan. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ...

The Palestinian radicals' secularism and behaviour had alienated the traditionalist Shi'a community, but simultaneously presented a model for revolutionary politics that appealed to the young of Lebanon's poorest and most downtrodden community. After many years without their own independent political organizations, there suddenly arose Musa Sadr's Amal Movement in 1974-75. Its moderate Islamist ideology immediately attracted the urban poor, and Amal's armed ranks grew rapidly. Later, in the early 1980s, a hardline faction would break away to join with Shi'a groups fighting Israel to form the Hezbollah guerrillas, who to this day remain the most powerful militia of Lebanon. The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... This article is about secularism. ... Revolutionary, when used as a noun, is a person who either advocates or actively engages in some kind of revolution. ... Musa al-Sadr (Persian امام موسى صدر) also transliterated Moussa Sader, and many other variants, was an Iranian philosopher and a prominent Shiite religious leader who spent many years of his life in Lebanon as a religous and political leader. ... For other uses of Amal, see the disambiguation page. ... Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ... For other uses, see Hezbollah (disambiguation). ... Guerrilla redirects here. ...

The Lebanese Alawites, followers of a sect of Shia Islam, were represented by the Red Knights Militia of the Arab Democratic Party, which was pro-Syrian due to the Alawites being dominant in Syria, and mainly acted in Northern Lebanon around Tripoli. Alawite is a Middle Eastern Syria. ... This page refers to Tripoli, the city in Lebanon. ...

Sunni militias

Al-Murabitun logo

Some Sunni factions received support from Libya and Iraq, and a number of minor militias existed, the more prominent with Nasserist or otherwise pan-Arab and Arab nationalist leanings, but also a few Islamist ones, such as the Tawhid Movement. The main Sunni-led organization was the al-Murabitun. To compensate for weakness on the battlefield, the Sunni leadership turned early in the war to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which was dominated by Palestinian Sunnis, although it also had a Christian (mainly Greek Orthodox) minority. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... President Gamal Abdel Nasser Nasserism is an Arab nationalist political ideology based on the thinking of the former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. ... Pan-Arabism is a movement for unification among the Arab peoples and nations of the Middle East. ... Arab nationalism is a nationalist ideology in Arab world. ... Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ... Al-Murabitun (al-murabitÅ«n, also transliterated as al-Mourabitoun, an Arabic term literally meaning The Sentinels, but with Muslim historical connotations) was an alternative name for the Independent Nasserist Organization of Lebanon. ... PLO redirects here. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Orthodox icon of Pentecost. ...

The Druze

The small Druze sect, strategically and dangerously seated on the Chouf in central Lebanon, had no natural allies, and so were compelled to put much effort into building alliances. Under the leadership of the Jumblatt family, first Kamal Jumblatt (the LNM leader) and then his son Walid , the Progressive Socialist Party ( (PSP) served as an effective Druze militia, building excellent ties to the Soviet Union mainly, with Israel upon its invasion to Lebanon and with Syria upon the withdrawal of Israel to the south of the country. Religions Druzism Scriptures Rasail al-hikmah (Epistles of Wisdom), Quran Languages Arabic. ... Chouf (also spelled Shouf, Shuf or Chuf) is a historical region of Lebanon, and also an administrative district in the governorate (mohafazat) of Mount Lebanon. ... The Jumblatt Family (Joumblatt, Junblat, Junblatt, ...) is an influential Druze family who settled in the Lebanon mountains (coming from Syria) around the 15-16th century, fleeing persecution from the Ottoman governor. ... Kamal Jumblatt (Arabic: كمال جنبلاط; (December 6, 1917 – March 16, 1977) was an important Lebanese politician. ... The Lebanese National Movement was led by Kamal Jumblat, a prominent Druze. ... Picture of Walid Jumblatt Walid Jumblatt (Arabic: وليد جنبلاط‎) (born August 7, 1949) is the current leader of the Progressive Socialist Party of Lebanon and the most prominent leader of the Druze community. ... The Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) (Arabic al-hizb al-taqadummi al-ishtiraki) is a political party in Lebanon. ...

Non-religious groups

SSNP logo

Although several Lebanese militias claimed to be secular, most were little more than vehicles for sectarian interests. Still, there existed a number of non-religious groups, primarily but not exclusively of the left and/or Pan-Arab right. This article is about secularism. ... Pan-Arabism is a movement for unification among the Arab peoples and nations of the Middle East. ...

Examples of this was the Lebanese Communist Party (LCP) and the more radical and independent Communist Action Organization (COA). Another notable example was the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), which promoted the concept of Greater Syria, in contrast to Pan-Arab or Lebanese nationalism. The SSNP was generally aligned with the Syrian government, although it did not ideologically approve of Hafez al-Assad's Ba'thist regime, and up to this day, it still opposes the Syrian Government's regime. The Lebanese Communist Party (LCP, Arabic, الـحـزب الشـيـوعـي اللبـنـانـي hizbu-sh-shuy‘uī-l-lubnānī) is a Marxist political party in Lebanon. ... The Communist Action Organization (COA) or Organization of Communist Action (Arabic munażżamatu-l-‘amali-sh-shuyū‘ī fī lubnān, French Organisation de lAction Communiste du Liban, OCAL) was a minor Marxist-Leninist political party and militia in Lebanon. ... SSNP flag The Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) is a nationalist political party in Syria and Lebanon. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Pan-Arabism is a movement for unification among the Arab peoples and nations of the Middle East. ... Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolizing French nationalism during the July Revolution 1830. ... Hafez al-Assad (Arabic: ) (October 6, 1930 – June 10, 2000) was president of Syria for three decades. ... Baath Party flag The Baath Parties (also spelled Baath or Bath; Arabic: اﻟﺒﻌﺚ) comprise political parties representing the political face of the Baath movement. ...

Two competing Baath party factions were also involved in the early stages of the war: a nationalist one known as "pro-Iraqi" headed by Abdul-Majeed Al-Rafei (Sunni) and Nicola Y. Firzli (Greek Orthodox Christian), and a Marxist one known as "pro-Syrian" headed by Assem Qanso (Shiite). Baath Party of Iraq Baath son of Magog of Milesian tradition This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Orthodox icon of Pentecost. ... Shi‘as (the adjective in Arabic is شيعى shi‘i; English has traditionally used Shiite) which mean follower in Arabic make up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%-35% of all Muslim. ...

The Palestinians

PLO logo

The Palestinian movement relocated most of its fighting strength to Lebanon at the end of 1970 after being expelled from Jordan in the events known as Black September. The umbrella organization, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)—by itself undoubtedly Lebanon's most potent fighting force—was little more than a loose confederation, and its leader, Yassir Arafat, proved unable to control rival factions. This undermined both the PLO's operative strength and the sympathy of the Lebanese for the PLO, as the organization's image in Lebanon was increasingly marred by radical factions whose "Communist revolutionary order" rarely turned out to be anything other than protection rackets. In the end, the PLO was held together more by shared interests and Arafat's continual attempts at intra-organizational mediation, than by any coherent organizational structure. The official PLO emblem shows the Palestinian flag above a map of the land they claim as Palestine (roughly, present-day Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip) Source: [1] This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... The official PLO emblem shows the Palestinian flag above a map of the land they claim as Palestine (roughly, present-day Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip) Source: [1] This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... Combatants PLO Jordan Commanders Yasser Arafat King Hussein Casualties 7,000-8,000 killed[1] This article, Black September in Jordan, describes the events surrounding September, 1970 in Jordan. ... PLO redirects here. ... The monarchs of the member states of the German Confederation meet at Frankfurt in 1863. ... Yasser Arafat Yasser Arafat (August 4 or August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born Muhammad `Abd ar-Rauf al-Qudwa al-Husayni (Arabic محمد عبد الرؤوف القدوة الحسيني) and also known as Abu `Ammar (ابو عمّار), was co-founder and Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969–2004... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ...

The mainstream PLO, represented by Arafat's powerful Fatah [[guerrilla warfare|-socialist- doctrine. Among the most important were the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and its splinter, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). Lesser roles were played by the fractious Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF) and another split-off from the PFLP, the Syrian-aligned Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC). To complicate things, the Ba'thist systems of Syria and Iraq both set up Palestinian puppet organizations within the PLO. The as-Sa'iqa was a Syrian-controlled militia, paralleled by the Arab Liberation Front (ALF) under Iraqi command. The Syrian government could also count on the Syrian brigades of the Palestinian Liberation Army (PLA), formally but not functionally the PLO's regular army. Some PLA units sent by Egypt were under PLO (Arafatist) control, but never played the same dominant role as the heavily armed Syrian-backed factions. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (Arabic Munazzamat al-Tahrir Filastiniyyah منظمة تحرير فلسطينية ) is a political and paramilitary organization of Palestinian Arabs dedicated to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state to consist of the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, with an intent to destroy Israel. ... Not to be confused with Fatah Revolutionary Council or Fatah al-Islam. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) (Arabic: الجبهة الديموقراطية لتحرير فلسطين, transliterated Al-Jabha al-Dimuqratiya Li-Tahrir Filastin) is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist, secular political and military organization. ... The Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) was founded to create a Palestinian state; it was headquartered first in Lebanon, and later in Tunisia. ... The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين - القيادة العامة) is a left-wing Palestinian nationalist organization, backed by Syria. ... Baath Party flag The Baath Parties (also spelled Baath or Bath; Arabic: اﻟﺒﻌﺚ) comprise political parties representing the political face of the Baath movement. ... As-Saiqa (Arabic: الصاعقة meaning thunderbolt) is a Palestinian political and military faction supported by Syria. ... ALF symbol Arab Liberation Front (Arabic: جبهة التحرير العربية, jabha at-tahrir al-arabia) is a minor Palestinian political movement, politically tied to the Baath Party of Saddam Hussein. ... The Palestinian Liberation Army (PLA) was set up as the military wing of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1964, with the mission of fighting Israel. ...

In 1974, a stone was added to Arafat's burden with the near-formal breakup of the PLO. A controversial proposal (the Ten Point Program) that aimed to make way for a two-state solution had been advanced by Arafat and Fatah in the Palestinian National Council (PNC). Under furious accusations of treason, many of the PLO's hard line anti-Israel factions simply walked out of the organization. With Iraqi, and later Syrian and Libyan, backing, they formed the Rejectionist Front, espousing a no-compromise line towards Israel. The defectors included the PFLP, the PFLP-GC, the PLF, as-Sa'iqa, ALF and several others, and discontent mounted also within Fatah. Arafat would eventually manage to patch up the differences, but this would come back to haunt him throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, and the split effectively prevented organizational unity in crucial stages of PLO's involvement in the Lebanese civil war. The two-state solution is the name for a class of proposed resolutions of the long-running Arab-Israeli conflict now explicitly backed by the Israeli and United States governments. ... Arafat may refer to: Arafat Waheed Khan (born 1981), 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot suspect Fathi Arafat (1933-2004), Palestinian physician Moussa Arafat (circa 1940-2005), cousin of Yasser Arafat Raed Arafat (born 1964), Romanian physician Suha Arafat (born 1963), widow of Yasser Arafat Yasir Arafat (cricketer) (born 1982), Pakistani... Not to be confused with Fatah Revolutionary Council or Fatah al-Islam. ... The Palestinian National Council (PNC) is the parliament in exile of the Palestinian people. ... The Rejectionist Front, official name Front of the Palestinian Forces Rejecting Solutions of Surrender, was a political coalition formed in 1974 by hardline Palestinian factions. ... The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command is a left-wing Palestinian nationalist organization. ... The Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) was founded to create a Palestinian state; it was headquartered first in Lebanon, and later in Tunisia. ... As-Saiqa (Arabic: الصاعقة meaning thunderbolt) is a Palestinian political and military faction supported by Syria. ... Not to be confused with Fatah Revolutionary Council or Fatah al-Islam. ...

The PLO and regional conflict

Arafat in Palestinian refugee camp in Southern Lebanon in 1978

Due to major Arab political pressure, the Cairo Agreement brokered by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1969, the Lebanese were forced to allow a foreign force (the PLO) to conduct military operations against Israel from inside their own territory. Although initially very reluctant to sign, the Lebanese government saw this accord as its last hope of regaining control of the country whereby it was agreed that attacks would be carried out in co-ordination with the Lebanese army. The PLO were granted full control over the refugee camps, but soon much of southern Lebanon fell under their effective rule and rarely was the accord abided by. As fighters poured in from Jordan after the Black September destruction of the PLO's apparatus there, the PLO's presence became overbearing to many of inhabitants of these areas. The radical factions operated as a law unto themselves, and quickly alienated conservative Shi'a villagers. Much the same way that the PLO had lost its welcome in Jordan, Muslim support for the Palestinians began to erode in Lebanon. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Southern Lebanon is the geographical area of Lebanon composed of two Governates: the South Lebanon Governate and the Nabatiyeh Governate. ... Secret agreement between Palestine Liberation Organization and the government of Lebanon granting the PLO the right to operate on Lebanese soil. ... Nasser redirects here. ... A territory (from the word terra, meaning land) is a defined area (including land and waters), usually considered to be a possession of an animal, person, organization, or institution. ... bjhgfshudgfgbfsfas Refugee camp for Rwandans located in what is now the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo following the Rwandan Genocide A camp in Guinea for refugees from Sierra Leone. ... Combatants PLO Jordan Commanders Yasser Arafat King Hussein Casualties 7,000-8,000 killed[1] This article, Black September in Jordan, describes the events surrounding September,