179 entries on 158 dates · the books disagree on 51
dates 1–60 of 158 next
May 1973
Thursday, 17 May 1973
The road to war · From the books
The Melkart protocol ends the army-PLO fighting.
On 17 May, after Frangieh bowed to Arab pressure and halted the army, a West Beirut hotel hosted the Melkart signing: no more Palestinian raids into Israel, and a joint army-Palestinian commission. Hanf says it reaffirmed Cairo and proved as ineffective.
Sources differ: 17 May (de Clerck & Malsagne, Picard) or end of fighting on 18 May followed by the agreement (Hanf). De Clerck & Malsagne say it amended the Cairo Agreement; Hanf that it reaffirmed it.
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May 1974
Friday, 31 May 1974
The road to war · From the books
Syria and Israel sign the Golan disengagement agreement.
When the Golan disengagement took effect, UN troops stood between the Syrian and Israeli armies. Hanf concludes that Lebanon's border was now the only front open to Palestinian armed action, and that Lebanon, main arena of the conflict since 1970, bore it alone.
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May 1975
Saturday, 31 May 1975
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Zahleh's young militia takes position above the town.
Tajammu fighters, from a Zahleh group of intellectuals and young men whose first leaflet appeared on 24 May, took the Virgin statue hill at the town's northern entrance, a front-line post watching the Saadnayel road.
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July 1975
Wednesday, 9 July 1975
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Zahleh's bishop approves arming the town.
Arms for Zahleh's young fighters got Bishop Yuhanna Bassul's go-ahead at a meeting with the Tajammu and Elias Hraoui, deputy and minister. The author sees him thereafter as the town's main decision-maker, backed by notables like Skaf and Hraoui.
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August 1975
September 1975
Wednesday, 17 September 1975
The Lebanese war · Added from the books range
Fighting reaches downtown Beirut; the souks are destroyed.
On the night of 17-18 September the war reached central Beirut. The old souks, where Christian and Muslim traders alike worked, were largely destroyed by Kataeb shelling.
Sources differ: Existing entry 28 records the fighting on 19 September.
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January 1976
Friday, 9 January 1976
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
The siege of Damour begins.
The Red Cross could not reach Damour to evacuate its wounded, and water, power and supplies were cut: Palestinian and leftist forces besieged the mainly Maronite coastal town of some 20,000 south of Beirut.
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Saturday, 31 January 1976
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
The 'Front for Freedom and Man in Lebanon' is formed.
Maronites including Camille Chamoun, Pierre Gemayel and Father Charbel Qassis, with the Greek Orthodox Charles Malek, founded the short-lived Front for Freedom and Man in Lebanon, from which the Lebanese Front emerged months later.
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February 1976
March 1976
Wednesday, 31 March 1976
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
US envoy Dean Brown arrives in Beirut.
Dean Brown recalled telling Maronite leaders that Syria, not American or international action, held the answer. Ford sent him to Beirut as envoy on Kissinger's advice; the US-brokered Syrian intervention took shape over his two-month stay.
Sources differ: Traboulsi's chronology gives 1 April.
Other date in the books: Thursday, 1 April 1976
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April 1976
Friday, 9 April 1976
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Parliament amends the constitution to allow an early presidential election.
With Syria enforcing a truce, deputies changed Article 73 of the constitution so that Frangieh's successor could be elected up to six months before his term ended, not two.
Sources differ: Hanf gives 9 April, Yara El Khoury 10 April.
Other date in the books: Saturday, 10 April 1976
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Syrian forces enter the Bekaa; Saiqa moves to relieve besieged Zahleh.
Syrian army tanks appeared at Anjar, Judaydat Yabus and Bayadir al-Adas, inside Lebanon, while Saiqa fighters came in and began to relieve besieged Zahleh. When Jumblatt asked, Dean Brown said the Syrians were clearing roads.
Sources differ: The original entry 62 dates the Syrian entry into the Bekaa to 10 April.
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June 1976
Wednesday, 9 June 1976
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
The Arab League decides to send an Arab peace force.
Meeting in Cairo, the Arab League Council appealed for a ceasefire and voted to deploy an Arab peace force. That day an official Tass statement openly condemned Syria's intervention.
Sources differ: Traboulsi and Picard's Liban-Syrie call this force the ADF; Hanf distinguishes it from the Arab Deterrent Force created at Riyadh in October.
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Thursday, 17 June 1976
The Lebanese war · Added from the books 17-19 June
President Assad makes an official visit to Paris.
In de Clerck and Malsagne's view, Hafez al-Assad's official visit to Paris signalled implicit French backing for Syria's intervention on the Christians' side.
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August 1976
Tuesday, 17 August 1976
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
The Upper-Metn battle started. Over 600 shells fell on Faraya-Oyoune El Simane while Palestinians and Progressive forces continued their insane bombing of the capital.
What the books addHanf has the Syrian army moving again only once Tal al-Za'tar had fallen, increasing pressure on the encircled Palestinian and leftist forces in the Upper Metn; these were expelled at the end of September.
Other date in the books: Thursday, 12 August 1976
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Amine Gemayel lists atrocities attributed to the defenders of Tal al-Za'tar.
Days after Tal al-Za'tar fell, Amine Gemayel told a press conference the camp's Palestinian fighters and allies had committed some twenty atrocities. De Clerck and Malsagne cite this as leaders inventing or inflating enemy crimes to justify operations.
Other date in the books: Thursday, 12 August 1976
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Tuesday, 31 August 1976
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
The Christian militias form a unified command, the Lebanese Forces.
Drawing lessons from Tal al-Za'tar, where Christian forces had fought under separate commands, Bashir Gemayel set up a unified command council, headed by himself, with two members per militia.
Sources differ: De Clerck and Malsagne date the official founding of the unified command to 25 March 1976 (see addition 1976-03-25-lf-command).
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October 1976
Sunday, 17 October 1976
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
A restricted summit was held in Ryad.
While shells kept falling by hundreds on residential neighborhoods in Beirut, killing and injuring tens of persons, an Arab summit was held in Ryad attended by Presidents Elias Sarkis, Anwar Sadate, Hafez El Assad, the Emir of Kuwait, King Khaled of Saudi Arabia, and Yasser Arafat chairman of the PLO.
This meeting aimed at reaching an agreement ending the Lebanese crisis. It contained the following clauses:
•Starting October 21, putting a final end to fights on all the Lebanese territory.
•Reinforcing the Arab Peace Force in Lebanon
•Entrusting the Arab Strike Force counting 30,000 men, with the duty of ending the combats and repressing any party that violates the cease-fire. It was also in charge of executing the Cairo agreement, as well as maintaining security in the country, collecting heavy armaments and helping the Lebanese authorities to regain control of all public services and institutions.
What the books addRatified by an Arab summit in Cairo on 25 October, the Riyadh decisions required all parties to surrender heavy weapons and the Palestinians to return to the zones granted by the 1969 Cairo Agreement, and created a 30,000-man Arab Deterrent Force under President Sarkis, its largest contingent by far, 25,000-27,000 men, being the Syrian troops already in Lebanon. Saudi Arabia had sent the invitations on 15 October; the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon met the PLO chairman in Riyadh on 16, 17 or 18 October, depending on the historian. The cease-fire's start is dated 16 October (Hanf), 21 October (Traboulsi) or 15 November (de Clerck and Malsagne).
Other dates in the books: Friday, 15 October 1976, Saturday, 16 October 1976, Monday, 18 October 1976
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November 1976
Tuesday, 9 November 1976
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
President Elias Sarkis appointed Colonel Ahmad Hajj commander of the Arab Strike Force.
What the books addMénargues names only Sami al-Khatib. Traboulsi confirms that the Arab Deterrent Force's first Lebanese commander was Ahmad al-Hajj, who did not gain Syria's favour and was quickly replaced by al-Khatib.
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Phase 1of the peace plan assigned to the Arab Strike Force takes effect tonight.
The 'Green Helmets' began their deployment at midnight and headed towards the mountain on four simultaneous axes. This positioning was difficult due to the blind bombings of the residential districts of Beirut.
What the books addFisk: Kahhaleh showed white flags and Hazmiyeh's Christians threw rice and rose water at the crews as at least 20 miles of Syrian tanks, guns and troop carriers came down on Beirut from dawn on 10 November.
Other date in the books: Wednesday, 10 November 1976
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December 1976
Thursday, 9 December 1976
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
President Sarkis asked Salim El Hoss to form the Government.
The new Cabinet included: Salim El Hoss: Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Trade, Industry and Oil, and Information. Fouad Boutros: Vice-President of the Council, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, and National Defense. Salah Salman: Minister of Interior, and Housing and Cooperatives. Ibrahim Cheaito: Minister of Health and Hydraulic and Electric Resources. Amine Bizri: Minister of Public Works, Transportation, and Tourism. Michel Doumit: Minister of Plan Assaad Risk: Minster of Social Affairs, National Education and Fine Arts, and Agriculture. Farid Raphael: Minister of Justice, Finance, and Posts and Telecommunications.
What the books addIts members were technocrats and businessmen; the one politician, Fouad Boutros, held both foreign affairs and defence (Traboulsi). Early on, at Syria's behest, it brought in press censorship (Hanf, Fisk); Traboulsi also mentions an order for militias to surrender their arms.
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January 1977
March 1977
Thursday, 17 March 1977
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Kamal Jumblatt is buried at Mukhtara; his son Walid succeeds him.
Before the burial, Sheikh Aql Abu Shakra laid Kamal Jumblatt's black cloak on the shoulders of his son Walid, not yet thirty; by this rite Walid succeeded him at the head of the family, the Druze, the PSP and the National Movement. He soon sided with Syria.
Sources differ: Ménargues calls 17 March the day of the assassination; de Clerck and Malsagne date it 16 March, which would make 17 March the burial.
Art and memory- testimony Kamal Jumblatt's funeral, where white-veiled women mourners appeared to talk to the dead leader.
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August 1977
October 1977
Sunday, 9 October 1977
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Charbel Makhlouf was proclaimed Saint of the Catholic Church during a moving religious ceremony that Pope Paul VI presided in the Saint Paul Basilica in the Vatican. Thousands of people attended the ceremony, including some miraculous Lebanese. It was a touching moment for the whole Christian community in Lebanon. The Lebanese Maronite delegation carried gifts to the Saint: markouk bred, wine, fruits from the Kesrouan, a partridge and a cedar. The hermit of Annaya became the first Orient Saint canonized by Rome.
What the books addOnce canonised, Saint Charbel stood for 'Maronite identity' and for the protection of a predominantly Christian Lebanon.
Art and memory- memorial Canonised in 1977, Saint Charbel turned into an emblem of 'Maronite identity' and of Christian Lebanon's protection.
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Monday, 17 October 1977
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Strong effervescence reigned in Nabaa, as a result of rumors over an apparition of Saint Charbel followed by miraculous recoveries. Thousands of sick people hurried to the scene.
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November 1977
Wednesday, 9 November 1977
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Israel launched an assault in the South. An air and sea Israeli bombing of Lebanese towns and Palestinian camps claimed the lives of 110 civilians. The town of Ezzieh was razed.
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May 1978
Wednesday, 31 May 1978
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
A Sarkis-Assad summit was held in Lattaquieh. They discussed the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon, the military cooperation between the two countries, and the difficulties encountered in the pacification process in Lebanon.
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June 1978
Saturday, 17 June 1978
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
President Sleiman Frangieh declared that no Phalangist member will stay alive in the North of Lebanon. The vendetta caused the death of tens of persons. Phalangist militiamen were forced to flee towards Batroun then Jbeil.
What the books addHanf writes that the Lebanese Front was left with an enclave of roughly a tenth of Lebanon once Syrian troops had moved into the northern Christian mountains, Koura, Batroun and the coast as far as the Madfoun bridge. Frangieh gave Kataeb members in the north until the month's end to give up their weapons and quit the party, or else leave.
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July 1978
Monday, 31 July 1978
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Lebanese Army units were dispatched to South Lebanon.
They remained there until the end of the year. Christian militias supported by Israel in the South stopped their advance.
What the books addHanf writes that Major Haddad's forces fired at Kaukaba on the units sent south in early August, men of the 'vanguard' Syria trusted, and drove them into retreat. Haddad later rebelled openly against the army command, and Israel took over paying his men.
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September 1978
Sunday, 17 September 1978
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Egypt and Israel sign the Camp David accords.
Syria could not prevent the Camp David accords, which Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin signed with President Carter as sponsor. Damascus drew closer to the PLO, and within days its guns were again heavily shelling East Beirut.
Sources differ: Hanf gives 18 September and calls it the 'peace treaty'; the treaty itself was signed in March 1979 (Traboulsi).
Other date in the books: Monday, 18 September 1978
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March 1979
Saturday, 17 March 1979
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Saudi soldiers packed and got ready to leave Lebanon without warning. The next day, after it had been decided that 1200 Lebanese soldiers would replace them, the Saudis changed their minds.
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May 1979
Wednesday, 9 May 1979
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
President Elias Sarkis urged the United Nations and the Arabs to assume their responsibilities. The chief of the State violently condemned the repeated Israeli aggressions against Lebanon qualifying them of flagrant challenge to human principles.
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Thursday, 31 May 1979
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
At the meeting of the Security Council, Lebanon claimed the reinforcement of the UNIFL. Moreover, Beirut requested the condemnation of Israel and the re-activation of the Armistice Commission.
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August 1979
Friday, 17 August 1979
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
While the truce was being confirmed at the port and downtown, the situation escalated in the South where the Israeli artillery and Saad Haddad's artillery bombarded several localities. In the North, the Marada attacked a Phalange checkpoint in Barbara located between Jbeil and Batroun. The operation resulted in 3 dead and 5 injured among the Phalangist militiamen.
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Friday, 31 August 1979
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
On the occasion of the first anniversary of the disappearance of Imam Moussa Sadr, a general strike paralyzed Beirut. For the first time Sheikh Mohammed Mehdi chamseddine accused the Libyans of his disappearance.
Other date in the books: Friday, 25 August 1978
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September 1979
October 1979
Wednesday, 17 October 1979
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
A wooden Christ that has been in the Ain Trez Greek Catholic convent since the last century could be the work of Michel-Angelo. The authenticity of this work had been guaranteed with 90% confidence by a first appraisal in Rome last September.
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February 1980
Saturday, 9 February 1980
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Bahige Takieddine, Minister of Interior and Tourism, and deputy of the Chouf, died from a heart attack.
The Presidency of the Republic ordered national funerals and three days of mourning. Bahige Takieddine was born in 1909 in Baakline in the Chouf. He studied at the French Lycée then went to the Law School at Saint Joseph University. He was minister several times since 1974.
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March 1980
April 1980
Wednesday, 9 April 1980
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
The Council of Ministers raised the wages in the private sector by 29%. The ceiling of the raise was fixed at 625 Lebanese Pound, while the floor of the raise was fixed at 150 Lebanese pounds. The minimum salary increased therefore from 525 to 675 Lebanese Pounds.
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May 1980
June 1980
July 1980
August 1980
Saturday, 9 August 1980
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
President Takieddine Solh announced that he will suspend his efforts to form a new Cabinet. 'It is still not possible to put together a government of active forces,' he said.
What the books addMénargues attributes Solh's failure to a Syrian veto.
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October 1980
Friday, 17 October 1980
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Israel perpetrated a new aggression against a Fedayeen base in the central area of South Lebanon. At the same time, confrontations between the Phalange Party and the NLP were reported in Zahle. A car bomb exploded in the airport of the BIA, injuring 6 persons.
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Friday, 31 October 1980
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
The Lebanese army evacuated Ain el Remmaneh and gathered on the Damascus road and on major Streets.
What the books addDe Clerck and Malsagne date Lebanese Forces control of East Beirut to this day; Ménargues dates the final takeover of Ain el-Remmaneh to late November. See the note on 27 October.
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November 1980
Monday, 17 November 1980
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Prime Minister, Chafic Wazzan announced that sanctions will be taken against militaries and officers responsible for the Army's passive attitude during the Ain el Remmaneh incidents.
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December 1980
Tuesday, 9 December 1980
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Michel Aoun is proposed for the Beirut front-line command.
Seeking closer militia–army cooperation, Zahi Boustani proposed Lieutenant-Colonel Michel Aoun to Johnny Abdo to command the sector along Beirut's demarcation line, from the port to Kfarchima. Abdo, who rated Aoun poorly, said a formal appointment must wait until mid-January and the return of the army commander, whose signature was required.
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Wednesday, 17 December 1980
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Israel's chief of staff secretly visits the Lebanese Forces.
At 3 a.m. an Israeli CH-53 helicopter set General Rafael Eitan down by the Zouk power station with General Aharon Yariv, Colonel Shakhan Mulla and Reuven Merhav of the Mossad. Greeted with Israeli and Lebanese flags and anthems, he inspected Lebanese Forces lines on Beirut's demarcation line, viewed the Syrian and Palestinian positions on Mount Sannine and promised military aid, including 36 Soviet-built T-54 tanks captured from Arab armies. He flew out at about 11 p.m.
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Wednesday, 31 December 1980
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
A Syrian-Israeli air fight took place in the Lebanese sky. Damascus admited that its two Migs were hit and that two Israeli airplanes were shot down. Tel-Aviv denied this information.
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January 1981
Friday, 9 January 1981
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
A new phase of the war started in Lebanon: the war of televisions. The 'Lebanese Forces' wanted to broadcast under the name 'Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation' and the Mourabitun seemed to be willing to give them hard time. As a result, they both emitted on the same channel and thus jammed the image.
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Saturday, 31 January 1981
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
A violent storm hit Lebanon.
50 cars were totally stuck between Sofar and Mdeirej and their occupants spent the night in their vehicles. The Army was able to rescue 200 persons in the mountain.
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March 1981
Tuesday, 31 March 1981
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Syrian fire on a Lebanese Forces road crew above Zahleh sets off the battle.
Within two days of 31 March fighting had spread around Zahleh. It began when Syrian troops hit a bulldozer at work on a Lebanese Forces position with a rocket; the militia fired back, and a Syrian assault on a key LF position failed.
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April 1981
Thursday, 9 April 1981
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
For the first time in Zahleh since the beginning of the confrontations, the Red Cross was able to evacuate 19 persons seriously injured.
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
US envoy Morris Draper in Beirut.
State Department envoy Morris Draper saw President Sarkis and Prime Minister Wazzan, then Bashir Gemayel, whom he told that the militias must leave Zahleh; he asked whether Bashir would accept the Lebanese Army there.
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May 1981
Saturday, 9 May 1981
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Both sectors in Beirut witnessed a day of terror. Blind bombardments caused 21 dead and 98 wounded. The shelling reached Jounieh, Bkerkeh, and Beit Mery.
What the books addFor 8 May, a day of shelling throughout Habib's meetings, Ménargues gives the US embassy toll: 21 dead and 98 wounded.
Other date in the books: Friday, 8 May 1981
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Sunday, 17 May 1981
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Words were no longer enough to describe the horror of the war. How to describe the endless artillery duels, the depression of civilians buried in shelters, the magnitude of destructions? The guns didn't stop for 9 continuous hours on both sides of the dividing lines; 25 persons were killed and 118 wounded. What was at stake in this endless battle of Beirut?
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June 1981
July 1981
Friday, 17 July 1981
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Tel Aviv launched the bloodiest attack against Lebanon.
Israel bombarded the central district in Beirut, the headquarters of the Fateh, of the Democratic Palestinian Liberation Front and of the Popular Palestinian Liberation Front, killing 141 and injuring 730. This was the first time that Israel targeted the heart of a residential area in Beirut.
What the books addThe raid targeted PLO offices in the Fakhani district of West Beirut. Tolls differ: Ménargues gives 191 dead and over 730 wounded; Fisk and Picard about 300 dead; Hanf hundreds killed and over a thousand hurt, chiefly civilians.
Art and memory- place Fisk describes a small Sabra cemetery through its gravedigger, Abu Tayeb; it held victims of Israel's 1981 air raid on Beirut, which had killed 300 Lebanese and Palestinians.
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dates 1–60 of 158 next
