The Lebanese Forces – LF (), also known as Ouwet (lit. "Forces") for short or Forces Libanaises (FL) in French, was the main Lebanese Christian faction during the Lebanese Civil War. Resembling the Lebanese Front, which was an umbrella organization for different parties, the Lebanese Forces was a militia that integrated fighters originating from the different Christian right-wing paramilitary groups, the largest of which was the Kataeb Regulatory Forces. It was mainly staffed by Maronites and Christians of other denominations loyal to Bachir Gemayel, and fought against the Lebanese National Movement, the Palestine Liberation Organization, and the Syrian Armed Forces among others. The group gained infamy for the perpetration of the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre, which primarily targeted Palestinian refugees following Bachir Gemayel's assassination.
Foundation A meeting was convened by members of the Lebanese Front on 30 August 1976.Snider, The Lebanese Forces: their origins and role in Lebanon's politics (1984), p. 8. The success of the Siege of Tal al-Zaatar being due to the combined forces of the Kataeb Regulatory Forces, Tigers Militia, Lebanese Youth Movement (MKG), Al-Tanzim, and the Guardians of the Cedars convinced the Lebanese Front leaders, especially Etienne Saqr and Bachir Gemayel, that a unitary militia was needed to further face their enemies. Most importantly, the militia leaders were wary of the increased Syrian presence. During this meeting, the Lebanese Forces would be founded with Bachir Gemayel elected as its leader.Nisan, The Conscience of Lebanon: A Political Biography of Etienne Sakr (Abu-Arz) (2003), p. 65. This new Lebanese Forces militia was meant to centralize the right-wing Christian forces, improve organization, and would allow to later bring end to years of infighting that had been going between the different right-wing militias.
History
The LF Under Bachir Gemayel (1976–1982) Following the escalation of the Lebanese Civil War, Christian militias in East Beirut and surrounding areas began coordinating their military efforts against Palestinian armed groups and allied Lebanese factions. After the Battle of Tel al-Zaatar in August 1976, leaders of several Christian militias agreed to create a unified military organization, creating the Lebanese Forces. This initiative was led by Bachir Gemayel, who worked with Fawzi Mahfouz, the leader of Al-Tanzim, to further the unification of the Christian militias that were involved in the battle.
In July 1978, fighting broke out between Syrian forces and Christian militias in Beirut, leading to the Hundred Days' War. The confrontation turned into a major conflict between Syria and the Lebanese Christian militias, with the latter seeking to preserve their military and political influence and resist Syrian influence in Lebanon.
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.Elie Hobeika interview | https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=wJr7eI7_4JZLFx16&v=nn-pUeS-_JA&feature=youtu.be |35:47
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 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.تاريخ في رجل ← من قتل بشير - إنقلاب بشيري أم إنقلاب إسرائيلي
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."President Reagan and the World by Eric J. Schmertz, Natalie Datlof, Alexej Ugrinsky, Hofstra UniversitySpecial to the New York Times (1982-09-04). "Begin Said to Meet in Secret With Beirut's President-Elect". The New York Times. "Begin Said to Meet in Secret With Beirut's President-Elect"
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.أسرار الحرب في لبنان
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.الزعامة المارونية من حبيب السعد إلى سمير جعجع |1985 pp. 93–94 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
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.Zahar, Marie-Joëlle. Lebanese Forces and the Ta’if Accord: Militia Decision-Making in Theoretical Perspective. 1994. pp. 33
First Internal Lebanese Forces Uprising