Memory and Creation / Lebanon
Chronology / 1984
82 events in 1984
A double Israeli raid in the region of Baalbeck caused tens of victims and buried many persons under the debris. In Beirut, the electric power was severely rationed by the EDL due to damaged installations in the Iqlim El Kharroub. The acts of resistance against the Israeli occupation continued in South Lebanon. Until the end of 1984, not a single day passed without one, two or three killing attempts perpetrated against Israeli troops or the local militias that they created.
An anti-French killing attempt at the Résidence des Pins killed a paratrooper and wounded two others. Attacks against US and French troops of the Multinational Force continued until their departure in March.
One person was killed and many others were wounded in Achrafieh in a blind bombardment of residential areas. These bombings continued until July 4, causing thousands of deaths and injuries. Meanwhile, the dollar broke a new record in Beirut, reaching 5.55 LP.
Ships from the sixth US fleet were positioned off Beirut. They were retaliating to the bombing of Marines' headquarters in the capital.
Saad Haddad, commander of the Army of Free Lebanon, died from a generalized cancer. He was 47 years old and was buried in his birthplace, Marjeyoun.
Blind bombardments killed 16 persons and wounded 75 others in Beirut. Anxiety and fear prevailed. Schools and hospitals received their daily lot of bombs, amid international indifference. Panic reached the Lebanese stock exchange market where the Dollar amounted almost for six Lebanese Pounds.
The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the killing attempt that cost the life of Malcolm Kerr, President of the American University in Beirut, shot in front of his office.
Walid Joumblatt, president of the Progressive Socialist Party, requested the resignation of the Lebanese government.
The schools closed their doors in the Eastern sector of the capital due to the blind shelling of Beirut and its suburbs.
President Gemayel announced his intention to form a national union government and presented a program of 8 points to save the country. He also convoked a new conference for national reconciliation in Geneva on February 27. The resignation of the Wazzan government presented on September 26, 1983, was finally accepted.
In a matter of hours, Amal took control over West Beirut. The capital was heavily bombed, while the Army gave up the control of the Western sector of the Capital to Amal and to the Islamic militias.
The ' New Jersey ', the most powerful battleship in the world from the 6 US fleet, bombed for several hours anti-governmental positions in the mountain.
Foreign diplomats and nationals were evacuated form the Western regions where anarchy prevailed.
French porpoises and Internal Security forces took in charge the Museum crossing point.
Amal and PSP met in Khaldeh, while only Souk El Gharb was still controlled by the Army in the mountain.
Mechref and Damour fell under the control of the PSP, while violent combats raged around Souk El Gharb, the last obstacle in the mountain.
The Marines withdrew from Beirut. The Italian contingent of the Multinational Force was soon to follow. The capital was left on its own.
President Amine Gemayel visited Damascus. The observers expected a normalization soon after. Indeed, the Syrian President approved the opening of new round Israeli-Lebanese negotiations.
The Wazzan government met under the presidency of Gemayel and abrogated the Israeli-Lebanese agreement of May 17. A new reconciliation conference was to be held on the 12th of March in Lausanne.
The Lausanne conference began and lasted until March 20. The observers considered it a camouflaged failure. The participants decided to execute a security plan, stop slanderous campaigns, create a constituent assembly, and resume the dialog under the patronage of the chief of State.
The PSP, backed up by Amal, forced the Mourabitun out of Beirut.
It was the French contingent's turn to leave Beirut while the Eastern regions remained the target of blind and murderous bombardments.
While a deluge of fire fell on residential areas killing 26 persons and wounding 148 others, 40 French observers arrived in Beirut to supervise the cease-fire. The high political and military committee created during the Lausanne conference held its first meeting in Baabda.
The retired General Antoine Lahd took his functions as head of the South Lebanon Army (SLA) created and financed by Israel. This new militia replaced Saad Haddad's Army of Free Lebanon. Artillery duels continued in Beirut and in the mountain, making the month of April one of the worst months in the Lebanese crisis. In Tripoli, the confrontations between the Islamic Unification Movement and the Arab Democratic Party continued violently for several months.
The forces disengagement plan was to be applied on the demarcation line in Beirut, in the suburbs, and in the mountain. An interposition force of 1,8000 men and French observers would separate the fighters.
An agreement was signed during the new Assad-Gemayel summit in Damascus. It included the following points: forming a national union government, consolidating of the cease-fire, and reorganizing the Army.
Rachid Karameh, who was in charge of forming the national union government, started his parliamentary consultations.(bio)
The new national union government was as follows: Rachid Karameh: President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Osseirane: Minister of Defense and Agriculture Nabih Berri: Minsiter of Hydroelectric resources and Justice Camille Chamoun: Minster of Finance, Housing, and Cooperatives Pierre Gemayel: Minster of Posts and Telecommunications, Health and Social Affairs. Walid Joumblatt: Minister of Public Works, and Tourism Selim Hoss: Minister of Labor and National Education Joseph Skaff: Minister of Information Abdallah Racy: Minister of Interior Victor Cassir: Minister of Economy and Trade and Minister of Industry and Oil
A new round of murderous violence killed 22 persons and wounded 107 others. The bombardments reached the Baabda Palace, forcing the organizers of a peace walk to express national dissatisfaction, to cancel the event.
The Greek Orthodox school of Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation in Achrafieh was bombed, killing one student and wounding 23 others. All schools were shut in protest against this barbarian act.
In the camp of Ain El Heloueh, the Israelis dynamited 70 houses and arrested 150 persons.
The US embassy in Beirut announced that it will open a temporary office in East Beirut. It also confirmed that extremists were preparing an anti-American attack in Beirut.
It was impossible to put an end to the blind shelling. No one, neither a national union government, nor a 4-party military commission, was able to stop the bombardment of the residential areas which started 24 hours ago and had caused 5 dead and 37 injured persons so far.
16 French observers positioned on the 888 hill and at Kalaat El Hosn in the mountain.
This is one of the most violent days since 1976. No words are enough to describe the ongoing butchery. 90 persons lost their lives and 353 were wounded on this single day.
While Lebanon was burying its dead, the Parliament voted the confidence by 53 votes against 15, and 3 abstentions. The Chamber extended its mandate for 2 years.
As a result of marathon debates launched by Khaddam in Bickfaya, Gemayel, Karameh, Berri and Joumblatt agreed on a global security plan.
54 days after its formation, the Karameh government adopted a new security plan as well as a new defense law. A military council comprising six members was created and Michel Aoun was appointed commander in chief of the Army.
Michel Aoun was born in 1935 in Haret Hreik, in the Southern suburbs of Beirut. He started his military carrier in 1955 when he was 20 years old. He specialized in artillery, and accomplished several military trainings in France and the United States before spending 2 years, from 1978 to 1980, at the Ecole de Guerre (War Academy) in Paris. Back to Lebanon, he was promoted to corporal and, on the 24th of June 1984, he became commander in chief of the Army.