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111101 entriesfrom the booksonly where the books disagree
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34 entries on 32 dates · the books disagree on 34

October 1975

Tuesday, 21 October 1975

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

Kamal El Assad was reelected president of the Chamber by 47 votes against one. At the same time, Beirut was still under fire and the list of victims, whether kidnapped, executed, or shot by snipers or mortar shells, kept growing.

Other date in the books: Monday, 20 October 1975

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January 1976

Wednesday, 21 January 1976

The Lebanese war · Added from the books 21-22 January

Army helicopters and boats evacuate Jiyeh but not Damour or Saadiyat.
Damour and Saadiyat, defended only by National Liberal Party militiamen, were not evacuated, while on 21 and 22 January army helicopters and boats took refugees from neighbouring Jiyeh to Jounieh.

Other date in the books: Tuesday, 20 January 1976

The Lebanese war · Added from the books

Ta'labaya, near Zahleh, falls to the PLA.
Bishop Yuhanna Bassul of Zahleh's diary records the dawn fall of Ta'labaya, a Bekaa village, to a surprise assault by the Palestine Liberation Army and Yarmouk brigades, and the forced departure of its Christians.

Sources differ: Hanf (p. 210) dates a Palestinian seizure of Ta'labaya, with its people expelled, to December 1975; de Clerck and Malsagne (p. 154) record 35 killed there from that month.

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March 1976

Sunday, 21 March 1976

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The ' Holiday Inn ' occupied by the Phalange Party fell in the hands of the Mourabitun and their allies.
According to some sources, the Phalange Party succeeded in evacuating some of its militiamen who took with them seven dead bodies, three of which were young girls. According to other sources, 65 militiamen were able to run away using an underground passage. The Holiday Inn had been subject to repeated assaults for the past ten months.
What the books addMourabitoun and Palestinian fighters, backed by Lebanese Arab Army artillery, took the 24-storey Holiday Inn after a fight waged floor by floor, day and night, from 20 to 22 March 1976 (Traboulsi dates the fall to 22 March). The Kataeb withdrew to the Fattal building near the port. The five-month Battle of the Hotels was over, and Beirut was split along the Green Line.
Art and memory
  • novel Rabee Jaber's novel Birds of the Holiday Inn (2011) is set around the hotel during the battles for downtown Beirut.
  • photograph In November 2002 Haugbolle photographed the ruined Holiday Inn behind a huge banner of the Roman temple at Baalbek; the picture illustrates his discussion of nostalgia.
  • novel George Shami's documentary novel What Is Left of the Fighting (Madha baqa min al-qital, 2003) followed young militiamen through the 1976 hotels battle.

Other dates in the books: Saturday, 20 March 1976, Monday, 22 March 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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November 1976

Tuesday, 9 November 1976

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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January 1977

Friday, 21 January 1977

The Lebanese war · Added from the books

The Lebanese Front's seminar defines Lebanon as a 'plurality of civilisations'.
Lebanese Front leaders met in seminar at the Sayyidat al-Bir convent. They discussed partition, dismissed the independence-era institutions as outdated and called Lebanon a set of 'civilisational groups'. The Front also issued constitutional reform proposals.

Sources differ: Original entry 110 dates a three-day Lebanese 'Forces' seminar at Broumana to 23 January; it may be the same meeting.

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March 1978

Tuesday, 21 March 1978

The Lebanese war · Added from the books

Israel announces a ceasefire in the south; Operation Litani ends.
Fisk puts the cost of Operation Litani at as many as 2,000 Lebanese and Palestinian dead and 20 Israelis. On 21 March, its last day, Israel announced a ceasefire, but its guns shelled Tyre from nine that morning; it held the south up to the Litani except the Tyre pocket.

Other date in the books: Tuesday, 14 March 1978

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January 1980

Monday, 21 January 1980

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The Lebanese army projected to deploy in South Lebanon while Israel was strongly opposed to this project.
What the books addDeploying the army, Sarkis insisted on his return from an Arab meeting at Ta'if in February 1980, should come before political reform (Traboulsi). Amal and the Phalange newspaper al-Amal also called for the army to be sent south (Traboulsi; Hanf).

Other date in the books: Thursday, 20 March 1980

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December 1980

Sunday, 21 December 1980

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The situation worsened in Zahleh under heavy bombardments. These confrontations between Zahliotes and soldiers from the Arab Strike Force continued until December 26 when a cease-fire eased the tension.
What the books addThe crisis began on 20 December when Elias Hannouche, a former Tiger commander backed by Syria, seized the old National Liberal office in Zahle. After an ambush inside the town killed five Syrian soldiers on 22 December, Syrian artillery opened fire on it (Ménargues; Hanf counts an officer and five soldiers). De Clerck and Malsagne date the bombardment to 21 December and call it the first round of the battle of Zahle. Most of the former Tigers then joined the Lebanese Forces, and Syrian troops stayed positioned around the town until the siege of spring 1981.

Other dates in the books: Saturday, 20 December 1980, Monday, 22 December 1980

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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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June 1981

Tuesday, 9 June 1981

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The American envoy Philip Habib began a new round of visits in the region.

Other date in the books: Wednesday, 10 June 1981

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July 1981

Tuesday, 21 July 1981

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

While the bombardment continued in South Lebanon, the Security Council ordered a cease-fire; but the latter wasn't observed despite the presence of the US envoy Philip Habib in the region.
What the books addMénargues dates to 22 July Reagan's indefinite freeze on F-16 deliveries to Israel and a unanimous Security Council call for an immediate cease-fire, which Arafat accepted at once.

Other date in the books: Wednesday, 22 July 1981

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April 1982

Wednesday, 21 April 1982

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

Six successive raids were reported within 90 minutes against Aramoun, Naameh and Damour, putting an end to a cease-fire that lasted 9 months. This new aggression claimed the lives of 80 victims.
What the books addFisk, on the coast road when it began, dates the Damour raid to 22 April: Israeli jets struck for over two hours, killing at least 19 Palestinians; Israel cited the death of a soldier on a mine in the south. For Fisk it previewed the invasion.

Other date in the books: Thursday, 22 April 1982

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May 1982

Sunday, 9 May 1982

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

Israel launched several raids in Southern Lebanon.

Other date in the books: Monday, 10 May 1982

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June 1982

Wednesday, 9 June 1982

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

A gigantic air battle took place over the Bekaa. The Israelis were 10 kilometers away from Beirut.
What the books addOn 9 June Israeli aircraft destroyed the Syrian SAM missile batteries in the Bekaa and fought a long air battle with Syrian MiGs. Figures: 22 MiGs downed and 19 batteries destroyed that day (Ménargues); more than 80 planes and all missile batteries lost in five days (Picard). The same evening Israeli paratroopers took Damour, on the coast south of Beirut.

Other dates in the books: Tuesday, 8 June 1982, Thursday, 10 June 1982

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July 1982

Friday, 9 July 1982

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

While Beirut and its suburbs were severely bombed, Damascus refused to receive the Fedayin.
What the books addIn Ménargues, Damascus unofficially signalled no objection to transit through Latakia on 7 July, then officially refused the fighters on 9 July, the day Israeli troops took the Beit Eddine army barracks.

Other date in the books: Wednesday, 7 July 1982

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October 1982

Saturday, 9 October 1982

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The situation in the capital was back to its normal course of action, since the policemen were addressing citations to drivers, the campaign against squatters was intensified, and the confiscation of weapons continued.
What the books addHistorians describe this 'return to normal' as harsh for West Beirut. The army's first task was to evict squatters, most of them refugees from the south, and street hawkers, with no rehousing (Hanf). Police backed by bulldozers razed shanty areas in Ouzai and Raml al-Ali and fired on protesting residents (Traboulsi). Fisk describes arrests of anyone without valid papers on 3 October, when thousands of troops sealed off a whole district. Hundreds of Palestinians and Lebanese Muslims seized in these weeks disappeared.

Other dates in the books: Tuesday, 21 September 1982, Sunday, 3 October 1982

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November 1982

Sunday, 21 November 1982

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

In a message addressed to the nation, the chief of State declared : 'Lebanon will recover its independence by all means.'

Other date in the books: Monday, 22 November 1982

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August 1983

Sunday, 21 August 1983

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The first signs of an imminent Israeli redeployment in the south of the Awali river multiplied. Lebanon urged the United States to intervene in order to delay this initiative.
What the books addIsrael announced the pullback on 20 July. On 16 August Moshe Arens told Gemayel in East Beirut that Israel would leave the mountains even if the fighting had not stopped, and he announced a withdrawal for 15 September. According to de Clerck and Malsagne, the United States tried without success to dissuade Israel.

Other date in the books: Tuesday, 16 August 1983

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October 1984

Tuesday, 9 October 1984

The Lebanese war · Added from the books

Fouad Abou Nader is elected commander of the Lebanese Forces.
On 9 October the Lebanese Forces elected the President's candidate, Fouad Abou Nader, Amine Gemayel's nephew and Pierre Gemayel's grandson; it was seen as a Kataeb win. The 'intifada' of 12 March 1985 ousted him.

Sources differ: Ménargues says Gemayel removed Fadi Frem in October 1984; that agrees on the month.

Other date in the books: Tuesday, 12 March 1985

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May 1985

Thursday, 9 May 1985

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The executive committee of the Lebanese Forces elected Elie Hobeika president and Samir Geagea chief of staff.
What the books addDates differ: 9 May (de Clerck and Malsagne), 12 May (Hanf, who describes a meeting of the LF command council after Geagea had signed a declaration of loyalty to state institutions), 9 September (Traboulsi). Geagea kept the post of chief of staff.

Other dates in the books: Tuesday, 12 March 1985, Sunday, 12 May 1985, Saturday, 28 December 1985

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March 1986

Sunday, 9 March 1986

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The black series continued. Terrorism hit this time Jeetaoui where a car bomb killed 3 persons and wounded 40 others.
Four French journalists from Antenne 2 were kidnapped in Bir El Abed.
What the books addDe Clerck and Malsagne date the kidnapping of the Antenne 2 crew to 8 March 1986. It was claimed by the "Revolutionary Justice Organisation".

Other date in the books: Saturday, 8 March 1986

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October 1986

Tuesday, 21 October 1986

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

Hussein Husseini was reelected Speaker of the National Assembly. A seventh US national, Edward Tracy was kidnapped in West Beirut.

Other date in the books: Tuesday, 9 September 1986

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November 1988

Wednesday, 9 November 1988

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

Adel Osseirane names General Sami Khatib, former Chief of the Arab Strike Force, Chief Commander of the Army.
What the books addDe Clerck (p. 283) dates the appointment to 10 November and says Hoss made it; Hanf (p. 571) says early November. On 12 November Aoun's cabinet referred al-Khatib to the military court.

Other date in the books: Thursday, 10 November 1988

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February 1990

Friday, 9 February 1990

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

New dividing lines appeared in the Eastern region and the medias war raged. Hospitals suffered from a serious penury and the Lebanese continued to flee by thousands. That week, 417 were killed and 1,655 wounded.
What the books addTotals for the whole army-Lebanese Forces war differ. De Clerck and Malsagne count over 1,500 victims, fighters and civilians, and say the first three weeks claimed more than the six months of the 1989 war against Syria; the army alone lost 21 officers and 221 soldiers, about 100,000 people moved elsewhere in Lebanon and close to 200,000 went abroad. Hanf estimates about 1,000 dead and 3,500 wounded; Picard 1,000 dead and 3,000 wounded for January-July; Fisk 'well over a thousand' dead in Beirut from end January to end May.

Other date in the books: Wednesday, 31 January 1990

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May 1990

Monday, 21 May 1990

The Lebanese war · Added from the books

A Vatican-mediated ceasefire between the army and the Lebanese Forces takes effect.
A Vatican-mediated ceasefire took effect between Aoun's army and the Lebanese Forces. Mutual exhaustion held it; their hatred did not abate, and the Christian enclave stayed divided between them through the summer.

Sources differ: De Clerck and Malsagne date the truce to 26 May. Accounts of when the war ended differ: March (Quéméner), May (Traboulsi, Fisk), July (Picard).

Other date in the books: Saturday, 26 May 1990

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August 1990

Tuesday, 21 August 1990

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The second Lebanese Republic was born and the National Assembly approved with a majority of 48 deputies the constitutional reforms included in the Taef agreement. However, General Aoun continued to contest the legality of the Chamber.
What the books addSources disagree on the dates. Hanf dates the parliamentary vote (48 for, 1 against, 2 abstentions out of 51 deputies) to 26 August 1990 and its promulgation by President Hrawi to 21 September 1990. De Clerck and Malsagne, and Picard, give 21 September as the date the constitutional law was adopted. Haugbolle says parliament approved the Taif Agreement in August 1990. Traboulsi's postscript gives '21 September' but places it in 1991, probably by mistake. The vote started the Taif timetable: six months to disband the militias, and two years before Syrian troops withdrew to the Bekaa. Aoun called it a comedy, arguing that parliament had been dissolved.

Other dates in the books: Sunday, 26 August 1990, Friday, 21 September 1990

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September 1990

Friday, 21 September 1990

The Lebanese war · Added from the books

President Hrawi promulgates the amended Constitution of the Second Republic.
Hrawi promulgated the revised Constitution, with the Taif reforms written in, and announced on air that it would found the Second Republic. Three ex-army commanders then urged Aoun's soldiers to accept General Lahoud's authority; some officers did.

Sources differ: Hanf calls 21 September the promulgation, after a vote on 26 August; de Clerck and Malsagne and Picard call it the adoption. Entry 1204 dates the vote to 21 August.

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October 1990

Sunday, 21 October 1990

The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology

The leader of the National Liberal Party, Dany Chamoun, his wife Ingrid and his two kids Tarek and Julian were savagely assassinated in there home in Baabda.
What the books addDe Clerck and Malsagne count the murder of Dany Chamoun, his wife and two of their children as the last act of violence between Christian factions. The place is given as Baabda (Confluences) or 'his east Beirut home' (Fisk). Chamoun had backed Aoun, though critically, and was opposed to Syria's presence. Hanf notes that many blamed Syria, but judges that killing a whole family suggests a militia vendetta; Fisk likens it to the Phalangists' earlier killing of Tony Frangieh, his wife and baby. Samir Geagea was later tried for the murder (Picard).

Other date in the books: Saturday, 13 October 1990

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January 1991

Wednesday, 9 January 1991

After the war · From the books

Parliament votes confidence in Omar Karami's cabinet of former warlords.
Karami's thirty-minister cabinet, formed on 24 December 1990, won thirty-four votes of the forty deputies attending. Its policy statement took up the whole Taif agenda: militias dissolved, Syrian treaties, the displaced home, rebuilding. Seven militia leaders, Berri, Jumblatt, Geagea and Hobeika included, were ministers of state.

Other date in the books: Monday, 24 December 1990

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May 2008

Wednesday, 21 May 2008

Since 2005 · From the books

The Doha agreement ends the crisis.
Talks in Doha under Qatari and Arab League mediation ended the fighting. The parties undertook to elect a president at once, renounce political violence, lift the opposition sit-in, form a unity government with an opposition blocking third and redraw constituencies for 2009. Hezbollah's weapons went unmentioned.

Sources differ: De Clerck and Malsagne's narrative (pp. 462-463) has 21 May; their chronology (p. 578) has 25 May, combining the Doha accord with Sleiman's election.

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