MONGABAY.COM
Mongabay.com seeks to raise interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife, while examining the impact of emerging trends in climate, technology, economics, and finance on conservation and development (more)
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
|
|
Lebanon
Index
Because it was skeptical about the willingness and capability
of the Lebanese Army to implement the Shtawrah Accord by displacing
the PLO in southern Lebanon and securing the border area, in 1977
Israel started to equip and fund a renegade Christian remnant of
the Lebanese Army led by Major Saad Haddad. Haddad's force, which
became known as The Free Lebanon Army, and later as the South
Lebanon Army (SLA), grew to a strength of about 3,000 men and was
allied closely with Israel. Haddad eventually proclaimed the
enclave he controlled "Free Lebanon." The insulation provided by
this buffer area permitted Israel to open up its border with
Lebanon. Under this so-called "Good Fence" policy, Israel provided
aid and conducted trade with Lebanese living near the border.
On March 11, 1978, PLO terrorists made a sea landing in Haifa,
Israel, commandeered a bus, and then drove toward Tel Aviv, firing
from the windows. By the end of the day, the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF) had killed the nine terrorists, who had murdered thirty-seven
Israeli civilians. In retaliation, four days later Israel launched
Operation Litani, invading Lebanon with a force of 25,000 men. The
purpose of the operation was to push PLO positions away from the
border and bolster the power of the SLA. The IDF first seized a
security belt about ten kilometers deep, but then pushed north and
captured all of Lebanon south of the Litani River, inflicting
thousands of casualties.
Data as of December 1987
|
|