Search the chronologies

Al-Qaa, a Christian village of the northern Bekaa, comes under attack.
Several villagers were killed and houses and fields burned when gunmen besieged al-Qaa, a Christian village by the Syrian border. De Clerck and Malsagne date the Christian exodus from the northern Bekaa from this attack. Amal fighters from neighbouring villages later shielded al-Qaa and other Christian villages.

Sources differ: Attackers: fedayeen (Tegho Bou Nassif), local Shiites (de Clerck and Malsagne), or Fatah, Saiqa, SSNP, Communists and a Shiite clan (Hanf). Dead: 5 or 7. Hanf places the attack before the Karami cabinet was formed (late June).

\_this day in full \_on this day

March 1976

Thursday, 11 March 1976

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

After a day marked by the resignation of Rachid Karameh and the aggravation of the war of barracks in Tripoli, a military Coup was executed by Corporal Aziz Ahdab, commanding the place of Beirut. Corporal Ahdab was supported by the Commander of the army, 270 loyalist officers, Syria, and the Palestine Liberation Army. He claimed the resignation of Sleiman Frangieh, but the President refused to give up and locked himself in Baabda.

What the books addOn 11 March Brigadier-General Aziz al-Ahdab, Beirut garrison commander (retired, says Traboulsi), seized the television station, named himself interim military governor and called for Frangieh's resignation and an early election. Few troops stood behind him and Syria opposed him: on 15 March PLA and Saiqa units under Syrian control blocked his men and Khatib's Lebanese Arab Army on their way to Baabda. Backed by Chamoun, Gemayel and President Assad, Frangieh refused to go.

Other date in the books: Monday, 15 March 1976

\_this day in full \_on this day

April 1976

Friday, 2 April 1976

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

A ten-day truce had bee decided, in order to elect a new President of the Republic after the expected departure of Sleiman Frangieh.

What the books addParliament used the truce to amend Article 73 of the constitution so that Frangieh's successor could be elected early: on 9 April according to Hanf, 10 April according to Yara El Khoury. The truce had coincided with the arrival on 31 March of the US envoy Dean Brown.

Other dates in the books: Wednesday, 31 March 1976, Friday, 9 April 1976, Saturday, 10 April 1976

\_this day in full \_on this day

March 1978

Saturday, 11 March 1978

The Lebanese war · Added from the books

A Fatah commando lands near Haifa and hijacks a bus on the coastal road; 37 Israelis are killed.
Nine Fatah gunmen from Lebanon came ashore near Haifa, shot several people on a beach and seized a bus, which they drove towards Tel Aviv. All nine and many of the passengers died when Israeli troops halted it; the Israeli toll was 37. Three days later Israel invaded South Lebanon.

Sources differ: Hanf dates the attack to 14 March and gives 34 dead; Fisk and Quéméner give 37 dead. Fisk's 11 March agrees with de Clerck and Malsagne's 'three days' before 14 March, but Fisk calls it a Sunday, whereas 11 March 1978 was a Saturday.

Other date in the books: Tuesday, 14 March 1978

\_this day in full \_on this day

May 1978

Thursday, 11 May 1978

The Lebanese war · Added from the books

Sleiman Frangieh leaves the Lebanese Front.
The Lebanese Front's links with Israel led former president Sleiman Frangieh to quit it, costing the Front its hold on the Christian north.

Sources differ: De Clerck and Malsagne (p. 288) also date his withdrawal to after the Ehden killings, which would be later in June.

\_this day in full \_on this day

April 1981

Thursday, 2 April 1981

The Lebanese war · Added from the books

The battle of Zahleh begins.
From December 1980 the Syrian army held positions on the edge of Zahleh. Lebanese Forces fighters in the town repulsed its attack, and a siege of roughly 90 days followed, which Bashir Gemayel portrayed as a fight for 'the last Christian town' of the East.

Sources differ: Ménargues ends the siege on 30 June 1981 and Fisk by 1 July; de Clerck & Malsagne (p. 80) place the end of hostilities in May–June.

\_this day in full \_on this day

September 1981

Friday, 11 September 1981

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The Museum roadway was officially reopened after several days of shilly-shallying.

What the books addMénargues sets the agreement at the Vigilance Committee meeting of 11 September, where Syria's Mohammad Ghanem came out for deploying the Lebanese Army from Sodeco to the port. The Museum crossing, almost completely shut for five months, reopened on 12 September.

Other date in the books: Saturday, 12 September 1981

\_this day in full \_on this day

November 1981

Monday, 2 November 1981

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The Arab Strike Force launched a security operation in the West of the capital where Palestinian, Libyan and Iranian influence multiplied lately.

Other date in the books: Friday, 11 September 1981

\_this day in full \_on this day

June 1982

Friday, 11 June 1982

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

207 civilians died and 647 were wounded as a result of the Israeli barbarian operations.

What the books addRobert Fisk cites Red Cross and police counts of 9,583 killed and 16,608 wounded across Lebanon by 14 June; Israel's own civilian casualty figure for 4-21 June was 460. Hanf notes that the Syrian-Israeli ceasefire of 11 June excluded the PLO.

Other dates in the books: Friday, 4 June 1982, Monday, 14 June 1982

\_this day in full \_on this day

August 1982

Monday, 2 August 1982

The Lebanese war · Added from the books

Israel launches a major offensive against West Beirut.
By Israel's own figure, the opening 48 hours of non-stop bombardment came to 280,000 shells and bombs. Palestinian fighters and their allies then held its columns at the Museum, the port and Bir Hassan.

Sources differ: Original event 585 is dated 1 August; Fisk describes the peak of the bombardment on 4 August.

\_this day in full \_on this day

January 1984

Monday, 2 January 1984

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The year started like the previous one ended : everyone was talking about a new security plan for the mountain and the Southern suburbs of Beirut. Nevertheless, the fights continued intermittently in these regions between the Army and the Lebanese Forces on one side and the Progressive Socialist Party and Amal on the other.

What the books addOn 29 January the Druze resumed attacking the army at Souk al-Gharb, after Shi'i militia sniping at the army and French troops from mid-January, Hanf's next escalation.

Other date in the books: Sunday, 29 January 1984

\_this day in full \_on this day

February 1984

Thursday, 2 February 1984

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The schools closed their doors in the Eastern sector of the capital due to the blind shelling of Beirut and its suburbs.

Other date in the books: Wednesday, 1 February 1984

\_this day in full \_on this day

September 1987

Friday, 11 September 1987

The Lebanese war · Added from the books

Amal and the Palestinians agree to end the war of the camps.
Picard puts the end of the war of the camps on this day, with an Amal-Palestinian agreement. Other historians date the end of the siege differently: to a ceasefire on 5 April 1987, and to 18 January 1988, when Amal finally lifted the blockade after the Palestinian intifada had begun.

Sources differ: End of the camps war or siege: 5 April 1987 ceasefire (de Clerck and Malsagne; original entry 989), 11 September 1987 (Picard), 18 January 1988 (Hanf), January 1988 for Chatila (de Clerck and Malsagne, who date the war 1985-1987).

Other dates in the books: Sunday, 5 April 1987, Monday, 18 January 1988

\_this day in full \_on this day

May 1988

Wednesday, 11 May 1988

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

Iran and Syria sponsored a seven-point agreement destined to consolidate the end of combats in the southern suburbs that made, in 6 days, 157 death and 666 injured. The agreement was revised a few days later.

What the books addThe suburb fighting began on 6 May 1988 (de Clerck). The sources disagree on who attacked first: Hezbollah with Iranian support (Hanf) or Amal (de Clerck and Malsagne, Confluences). Quéméner puts the toll at 600 dead over two weeks.

Other dates in the books: Friday, 6 May 1988, Tuesday, 17 May 1988

\_this day in full \_on this day

April 1989

Tuesday, 11 April 1989

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The French Secretary of State to the Human Action, Bernard Kouchner, arrives in Beirut in order to prepare and explain the arrival of the hospital ship 'La Rance' and the oil tanker 'Penhors'.

What the books addBadly wounded people from East and West Beirut were evacuated on French ships. Hanf says France sent its hospital ship and petrol tanker to back Aoun, then, after Syrian threats, called them humanitarian aid for all Lebanese.

Other date in the books: Saturday, 22 April 1989

\_this day in full \_on this day

May 1989

Tuesday, 2 May 1989

The Lebanese war · Added from the books

Aoun recasts his 'war of liberation' as a diplomatic campaign; Syrian shelling starts again.
Within a week Syrian shelling of the enclave was back at full intensity; Hanf says Syria and its allies kept the Arab League ceasefire only a few days. Aoun, having accepted it, recast his war as a diplomatic struggle.

Sources differ: Hanf gives 2 May both for Aoun's statement and for the renewed shelling; the shelling date may be a misprint.

\_this day in full \_on this day

February 1990

Sunday, 11 February 1990

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The Kesrouan was now at the center of the Aoun-Geagea conflict. Despite all mediations and attempts to maintain the precarious truce, belligerents were fighting on the new front of Daraya, separating the Metn and the Kesrouan.

What the books addColonel Paul Fares declared himself head of a 'neutral army' on 10 February 1990, as a Lebanese Forces push on the army's Kleiat mountain position stalled (Hanf).

Other date in the books: Saturday, 10 February 1990

\_this day in full \_on this day

October 1990

Thursday, 11 October 1990

The Lebanese war · Added from the books

Hrawi asks Assad for military support against Aoun.
Syrian jets flew low over Baabda on that day and the next, and Israel did not react; Hanf concludes that its 'red line' on Syrian air power no longer held. The flights followed a letter in which Hrawi, acting on a cabinet decision, asked Assad for the Syrian military support for the Lebanese army that Taif provided.

Sources differ: Entry 1210 on the same day speaks of last-minute efforts to avoid an operation.

\_this day in full \_on this day

November 1990

Sunday, 11 November 1990

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

Amal, the P.S.P., and the Hizbollah evacuated their militiamen from the capital. This evacuation was part of the 'Great Beirut' project, aiming at the reunification and disarmament of the capital. As for the Lebanese Forces, they had to leave Achrafieh on November 19 at the latest.

What the books addHanf: the militias were ordered out of Beirut on 17 November 1990, as army units deployed across the capital under a security plan cleared in advance with Syria. Amal (to the south) and the PSP (to the Chouf) left at once, Hezbollah three days later. The Lebanese Forces first set conditions; their pull-out, opened by a military parade on 23 November, ended by 3 December.

Other date in the books: Saturday, 17 November 1990

\_this day in full \_on this day