The LF Under Bachir Gemayel (1976–1982) Christian
East Beirut was ringed by heavily fortified Palestinian camps and as the war progressed a strong organized force was needed. The Lebanese Forces was soon after established on 30 August 1976 with an agreement that the direct military commander would be a Kataeb member and the vice-commander an Ahrar member. Bachir led his troops in the infamous
Hundred Days War in Lebanon in 1978, in which the Lebanese Forces successfully resisted the Syrian shelling and attacking of Eastern Beirut for about three months before an Arab-brokered agreement forced the Syrians to end the siege. Syrians took high buildings such as Burj Rizk Achrafieh and Burj El Murr using snipers and heavy weapons against civilians. The soldiers stayed for 90 days. Another major clash took place near the Sodeco area in Achrafieh where the Lebanese Forces fought ferociously and drove the Syrian army out of the Rizk Building. At this time, Israel was the primary backer of the Lebanese Front's militia. In July 1980, following months of intra-Christian clashes between the Tigers, the militia of
Dany Chamoun, and the Phalangists, who by now were under the complete leadership of
Bachir Gemayel, the Phalangists launched an operation in an attempt to stop the clashes within the Christian areas, and to unite all the Christian militias under Gemayel's command. This operation resulted in
a massacre of tens of Tigers' members at the Marine beach resort in
Safra, 25 km north of
Beirut. Camille Chamoun's silence was interpreted as acceptance of Gemayel's controls, because he felt that the Tigers led by his son were getting out of his control. In 1981 at Zahlé in the Beqaa, the largest Christian town in the East, confronted one of the biggest battles – both military and political – between the Lebanese Forces and the Syrian occupying forces. The Lebanese Forces was able to confront them even though there was a big mismatch in military capabilities and was able to reverse the result of the battle of 1981. This victory was due to the bravery of the inhabitants and 92 Lebanese Forces soldiers (L.F Special Forces: The Maghaweer) sent from Beirut. The Syrian occupying forces used all kind of weapons (e.g., heavy artillery, tanks, war planes) against the town, and they cut all kind of backup that may come from the Mountain. Regardless of the very bad weather and heavy bombing, convoys were sent in the snow to Zahle. Two Lebanese Forces soldiers died on a hill due to bad weather, they were found later holding each other till they died (Fouad Nammour and George Nakhle). The battle of Zahle gave the Lebanese Cause a new perspective in the International Communities, and the victory was both military and diplomatic. It made the Leadership of President
Bachir Gemayel much stronger because of his leadership and important role in this battle. The battle started in April the 2nd 1981, and finished with a cease fire and Lebanese Police were sent to Zahle. The 92 Lebanese Forces heroes returned to Beirut on 1 July 1981.
Israeli invasion In June 1982,
Israel invaded Lebanon, arguing that a military
intervention was necessary to root out PLO
guerrillas from the southern part of the country. Israeli forces eventually moved towards
Beirut and laid siege to the city, aiming to reshape the Lebanese political landscape and force the PLO out of Lebanon. The Israeli forces had demanded that Gemayel and the Lebanese Forces play a larger role in Israel’s invasion of Beirut however, Gemayel would refuse. In the end, the only action the Lebanese Forces would take during the Israeli invasion of Beirut would be the battle against the Syrian forces occupying the Lebanese University - Faculty of Science in Hadath. The Lebanese Forces would come out victorious successfully expelling the Syrian forces from the university. After the PLO had been expelled from the country and moved its headquarters to Tunisia, in a negotiated agreement, Gemayel became the youngest man to ever be elected
president of Lebanon. He was elected by the parliament in August; most Muslim members of parliament boycotted the vote. On 3 September 1982, during the meeting,
Menachem Begin demanded that Gemayel sign a peace treaty with Israel as soon as he took office in return for Israel's earlier support of Lebanese Forces and he also told Gemayel that the IDF would stay in South Lebanon if the Peace Treaty was not directly signed. Gemayel was furious with Begin and told him that the Lebanese Forces did not fight for seven years and he also told Begin that they did not sacrifice thousands of soldiers to free Lebanon from the Syrian Army and the PLO so that Israel could take their place. The meeting ended in rage and both sides were not happy with each other. Begin was reportedly angry with Gemayel for his public denial of Israel's support. Gemayel refused to accept the offer of immediate peace by arguing that time was needed to reach a consensus with the Lebanese Muslims and the Arab nations. Gemayel was quoted telling David Kimche, the director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, a few days earlier, "Please tell your people to be patient. I am committed to make peace with Israel, and I shall do it. But I need time – nine months, maximum one year. I need to mend my fences with the Arab countries, especially with Saudi Arabia, so that Lebanon can once again play its central role in the economy of the Middle East." In an attempt to fix the relationship between Gemayel and Begin,
Ariel Sharon held a secret meeting with Gemayel in Bikfaya. In this meeting, they both agreed that, after 48 hours, the IDF would cooperate with the Lebanese Army in order to force the Syrian Army out of Lebanon. After that was done, the IDF would peacefully leave Lebanese territory. Concerning the Peace Negotiations, Sharon agreed to give Gemayel time to resolve the internal conflicts before signing the negotiations. The next day, Begin's office issued a statement which said that the issues which Gemayel and Sharon had agreed upon were accepted. On 13 September 1982, LF chief of staff
Fadi Frem, who was married to one of Gemayel’s nieces, would be elected commander in chief of the Lebanese Forces taking Gemayel’s place as the latter was expected to assume his term as president. Fadi Frem was a known advocate of federalism and went as far as to travel to the US to advocate for its implementation in Lebanon. Nine days before he was to take office, on 14 September 1982, Gemayel was
assassinated along with 25 others when a bomb exploded in the Kataeb headquarters in
Achrafieh. The attack was carried out by
Habib Shartouni, a member of the
Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), believed by many to have acted on instructions of the Syrian government of
President Hafez al-Assad. The next day, Israel moved to occupy the city, allowing Phalangist members under a young
Elie Hobeika's command to enter the centrally located
Sabra and the Shatila refugee camp; a
massacre followed, in which Phalangists killed between 800 and 3,500 (number is disputed) civilians, mostly
Palestinians and
Lebanese Shiites, with many victims found raped and tortured. The massacre caused great international uproar, especially towards Sharon. Gemayel’s assassination would demoralize the men of the Lebanese Forces who were sure that with Gemayel's election, peace would prevail throughout the country and that the victory was theirs. The Israeli invasion and their cooperation with the Lebanese government allowed many displaced Christians to return to areas they had previously been expelled from. These areas include the Druze majority mountain from where Christians had been expelled following the massacres that followed
Kamal Jumblatt’s assassination by Syria. Other areas consist of the coastal Chouf, including the town of Damour, and southern villages, such as
Aishiyeh.
Post-Bachir Gemayel Era (1982–1986) Mountain War logo, adopted in 1984 after the
Mountain War After the Israeli invasion, the
IDF troops settled in the
Chouf and
Aley from party militias, the Lebanese Forces returned to the Christian villages which had been occupied by the PSP for seven years, and many Christian civilians from the districts returned after having fled earlier in the war. However, soon after, clashes broke out between the Lebanese Forces and the
Druze militias, who had now taken over the districts and had earlier kicked out the Christian inhabitants. The main Druze militiamen came from the
Progressive Socialist Party, led by
Walid Jumblatt, in alliance with the
Syrian Army and Palestinian militants who had not departed Lebanon in 1982. For months, the two fought what would later be known as the "Mountain War." At the peak of the battle, Israeli troops infamously abandoned the area, handing the best tactical positions over to the Druze militias and their allies as punishment for the Christians' refusal to sign the 17 May peace agreement with Israel, and leaving the Christian forces to fight. At the same time, a small number of ill-equipped Lebanese Forces troops also fought battles against the Palestinian and Druze militias and the Syrian troops east of the southern city of
Sidon. The outcome was also a Progressive Socialist Party victory and a contiguous Druze Chouf district with access to Lebanese sea ports. Jumblatt's militia then overstepped itself by advancing further into
Souk El Gharb, a village also held by the Lebanese Forces. After fierce battles and severe casualties, the attackers were pushed back. However, the
Lebanese Forces eventually handed over their positions in
Souk El Gharb to the
Lebanese army which had great interests in defending the town due to the strategic importance it holds for the army and the Lebanese government, as the town lies on the flanks of the Ministry of Defense and the Presidential Palace. After the retreat, the Lebanese Forces freed up more than 2,500 fighters, including elite units to fight on other fronts. On 9 October 1984, Fadi Frem would be replaced as commander in chief by Gemayel’s nephew
Fouad Abou Nader. His election was supported by
Amin Gemayel, and the Kataeb, who sought to establish his influence over the Lebanese Forces. Fadi Frem and Amin Gemayel were in disagreement in regards to Syria as Amin was more reconciliatory while Frem was strict in his refusal to deal with the Syrians.
First Internal Lebanese Forces Uprising On 12 March 1985,
Samir Geagea,
Elie Hobeika and
Karim Pakradouni rebelled against Abou Nader's command, ostensibly to take the Lebanese Forces back to its original path and away from Amin Gemayel’s control. Leading up to the rebellion, President Amin Gemayel’s rapprochement with Damascus, as well as his treatment of the Lebanese Forces, had caused major dissatisfaction among the ranks of the Lebanese Forces which had been growing for years at that point. Amin Gemayel ordered Geagea to remove the
Barbara checkpoint north of Beirut, which oversaw the passage between territory still under the control of the Lebanese government and territory occupied by the Syrian army. Geagea, who staunchly opposed Syria, would refuse, leading to the Kataeb political bureau’s decision to remove him from the party on 11 March. Commander in Chief at the time, Fouad Abou Nader, would agree to step down and give up his leadership to join the rebellion against President Gemayel and avoid violence between Christians. This uprising would see the installment of a "group command" over a single commander in chief. Geagea’s forces would arrive from the North facing absolutely no resistance. The relationship between Geagea and Hobeika soon broke down, however, and Hobeika began secret negotiations with the Syrians.
Battle of East Sidon and Withdrawal On 18 March 1985, clashes began pitting the Palestinian militants and their local Lebanese Muslim allies against the local Christians in the villages of East Sidon caused by the kidnapping of three local Christians. The area which had been under the control Israelis saw the introduction of Lebanese Forces militants who installed themselves in the previously defenseless Christian villages that feared the same fate as Christians in the mountain two years earlier. This fear came reality as clashes began after Israeli forces withdrew from the city of Sidon on 16 February 1985. For the region this meant renewed fighting as the Israelis served as buffer between the local militias preventing them from fighting. The Lebanese Forces in the region, led by regional commander Nazar Najarian, had chosen to be loyal to the new Lebanese Forces management under Samir Geagea and Elie Hobeika in their fight for control of the leadership of the Christian community against Amine Gemayel. The LF led the battle against the PLO which was still present in South Lebanon as well as
Nabih Berri’s Lebanese Shia militia, the
Amal Movement and
Walid Jumblatt’s Druze militia
People’s Liberation Army (Lebanon). The battle would end with the withdrawal of the Lebanese Forces on 24 April as announced by Samir Geagea two days earlier. LF troops were allowed to leave for East Beirut by sea leaving from the port Jiyeh north of Sidon while others left for the Christian town of Jezzine where the
South Lebanon Army was based. The
Battle of East Sidon and its result saw the displacement of more than 60,000 Christians from the region.
The Tripartite Agreement And The Second Internal Lebanese Forces Uprising On 28 December 1985, Elie Hobeika signed the
Tripartite Accord, against the wishes of Geagea and most of the other leading Christian figures. Claiming that the Tripartite Accord gave Syria unlimited power in Lebanon, Geagea mobilized factions inside the Lebanese Forces and on 15 January 1986, attacked Hobeika's headquarters in
Karantina. Hobeika surrendered and fled, first to
Paris and subsequently to
Damascus,
Syria. He then moved to
Zahlé with tens of his fighters where he prepared for an attack against East Beirut. On 27 September 1986, Hobeika's forces tried to take over the
Achrafieh neighborhood of Beirut but the Lebanese Forces of Geagea's command held them back. This failed attempt by Hobeika was the last episode of internal struggles in East Beirut during Amine Gemayel's mandate. As a result, the Lebanese Forces led by Geagea were the only major force on ground. During two years of frail peace, Geagea launched a drive to re-equip and reorganize the Lebanese Forces. He also instituted a
social welfare program in areas controlled by Geagea's party. The Lebanese Forces also cut its relations with Israel and emphasized relations with the
Arab states, mainly
Iraq but also
Saudi Arabia,
Jordan, and
Egypt.
The LF under Samir Geagea (1986–1994) Two rival governments contended for recognition following Amine Gemayel's departure from the Presidency in September 1988, one a mainly Christian government and the other a government of Muslims and Lebanese Leftists. The Lebanese Forces initially supported the military Christian government led by Gen.
Michel Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese Army. However, clashes erupted between the Lebanese Forces and the
Lebanese Army under the control of
Michel Aoun on 14 February 1989. These clashes were stopped, and after a meeting in
Bkerké, the Lebanese Forces handed the national ports which it controlled to Aoun's government under pressure from the Lebanese National Army. Geagea initially supported Aoun's "
Liberation War" against the Syrian army, but then agreed to the
Taif Agreement, which was signed by the Lebanese deputies on 24 October 1989 in Saudi Arabia and demanded an immediate
ceasefire. Aoun's main objection to the Taif Agreement was its vagueness as to Syrian withdrawal from the country. He rejected it vowing that he "would not sign over the country." Fierce fighting in East Beirut broke out between the two, called the "Elimination War" on 31 January 1990.
Territory Handover to the LAF On 1 April 1990, following an agreement between Geagea and Hrawi, General Elie Hayek (who had been appointed commander of the Mount Lebanon governorate two weeks prior) was mandated by the executive to begin the transfer of military and political administrations in the Christian enclave from the LF to the West Beirut government. The territories in the Christian North Governorate and East Beirut would remain under complete LF control, in addition to the 30000 reservist 10000 active men strong militia remain intact for the moment. In response, Aoun announced that he would not accept any alliance between the two, and transferring the regions of the Metn was thus impossible due to the raging Elimination War. To further demonstrate his commitment to Taif and willingness to extend civilian administration in "Marounistan", Geagea placed Hayek's bureau at the LF HQ in Jounieh. Following the defeat and surrender of Aoun at Baabda on 13 October 1990, the LAF under Hayek's command began extending its influence South into the Metn and Baabda. On 30 April 1991 – final date imposed by the government for the total surrender of weapons and heavy artillery – all LF areas were ceded to the army command for the first time since 1975.
The Second Republic (1990–2005) After Aoun surrendered on 13 October 1990 to the rival Syrian-backed President Hrawi, Geagea was offered ministerial posts in the new government. He refused several times, because he was opposed to Syrian interference in Lebanese affairs, and his relationship with the new government deteriorated. On 23 March 1994, the Lebanese government headed by
Rafic Hariri ordered the dissolution of the LF. On 21 April 1994, Geagea was arrested on charges of setting a bomb in a church at
Zouk Mikael, of instigating acts of violence, and of committing
assassinations during the Lebanese Civil War. Although he was acquitted of the first charge, Geagea was subsequently arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment on several different counts, including the assassination of former
Prime Minister Rashid Karami in 1987. He was incarcerated in solitary confinement, with his access to the outside world severely restricted.
Amnesty International criticized the conduct of the trials and demanded Geagea's release, and Geagea's supporters argued that the Syrian-controlled Lebanese government had used the alleged crimes as a pretext for jailing Geagea and banning an anti-Syrian party. Many members of the Lebanese Forces were arrested and brutally tortured in the period of 1993–1994. At least one died in Syrian custody and many others were severely injured. ==Military structure==