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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Lebanon
Index
Shihab was succeeded by Charles Hilu (also seen as Helou), who
was selected president by the Chamber of Deputies on August 18,
1964. President Hilu, a journalist, jurist, and diplomat, was known
for his high moral and intellectual qualities. Despite his efforts
to promote Lebanon's development, during his tenure the ArabIsraeli June 1967 War, in which Lebanon did not participate, had
serious repercussions on all aspects of Lebanese life. The most
significant impact was the increased role of Palestinian guerrilla
groups in the struggle against Israel and the groups' use of
Lebanon as a base of operations. The Palestinian presence impinged
on the effort to maintain the confessional balance, for it tended
to pit Muslim Lebanese against Christian Lebanese. On the whole,
the former group initially viewed the Palestinian guerrillas as
upholding a sacred cause that deserved full-scale support. The
latter, who strongly favored Lebanese independence, tended to be
more concerned with the effects of unrestricted guerrilla activity
on Lebanese security and development. They feared both Israeli
reprisals and the general undermining of governmental authority
within Lebanon if curbs were not imposed on the guerrillas. The
Hilu government did its best to satisfy the conflicting demands
made on it by guerrillas, Arab governments, Israel, and the
internal political and religious elements.
The Chamber of Deputies elections of 1968 and the subsequent
disagreements over forming a cabinet had already receded into the
background when Israel launched a raid on Beirut International
Airport on December 28, 1968. This attack set the stage for the
government crises that marked Lebanese life for the next five
years, until the Arab-Israeli October 1973 War. Moreover, it
highlighted the delicate balance of internal political forces in
Lebanon and the connection between that balance and the extent to
which Lebanese identified with the Arab position in the ArabIsraeli conflict.
Periodic clashes between the guerrillas and the Lebanese Army
continued throughout the late spring, summer, and fall of 1969. In
the late summer of 1969, several guerrilla groups moved to new
bases, better located for attacks against Israel. Israel regularly
raided these bases in reprisal for guerrilla raids on its
territory. In October the Lebanese Army attacked some guerrilla
camps in order to restrict their activity, an action that led to
several demonstrations in support of the guerrillas.
On November 2, 1969, the Lebanese commander in chief and Yasir
Arafat, the head of Al Fatah, the leading faction within the
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), agreed in Cairo to a
cease-fire. The secret Cairo Agreement set limits on Palestinian
guerrilla operations in Lebanon and helped to restore calm.
The Lebanese government's efforts to curtail guerrilla
activities continued through late 1969 and 1970. Migration from
southern Lebanon, particularly of large numbers of Shias,
increased, primarily because of inadequate security against Israeli
shelling and raids along with lack of economic opportunity. In
Beirut the migrants, estimated to exceed 30,000, often could not
find adequate shelter and met with indifference on the part of
predominantly Christian military leaders. These problems resulted
in occasional clashes between the migrants and government forces.
To deal with the problems caused by the fighting in the south,
a governmental committee was formed, and funds were allocated for
Al Janub Province. On January 12, 1970, the government announced a
plan to arm and train Lebanese civilians in southern villages and
to fortify the villages against Israeli raids. This action was
apparently the result of an intentional government policy to avoid
committing the army to action in southern Lebanon, presumably for
fear of polarizing the religious groups that composed the army--
mainly Christian Maronite officers and Muslim or Druze enlisted
personnel. But the problem was exacerbated by increasing activity
by Palestinian guerrillas operating from southern Lebanon into
Israel and by Israeli reprisals.
On January 7, 1970, General Emil Bustani, the army commander,
was replaced by General Jean Njaim, suggesting a government effort
to take a harder line toward the guerrillas and to defend southern
Lebanon more actively. Clashes between the army and the guerrillas
recurred, but southern Lebanese villagers continued to protest
governmental inaction. After several bloody clashes between the
guerrillas and the Lebanese Army and a nationwide general strike in
May 1970, the government approved additional appropriations for the
defense of the south, and it pressed the guerrillas to abide by the
Cairo Agreement and to limit their activity.
Data as of December 1987
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