43 entries on 42 dates · the books disagree on 43
November 1969
Monday, 3 November 1969
The road to war · From the books
The Cairo Agreement is signed between the Lebanese army and the PLO.
Only Raymond Eddé and his bloc voted against the agreement, which deputies ratified without seeing its full, secret text. Concluded in Cairo through Egyptian mediation by Yasir Arafat and army commander General Emile Bustani, it affirmed Lebanese sovereignty but let guerrillas keep armed units in the camps and observation posts near the border and move to and from the Arqoub.
Sources differ: Three dates: 3 November (de Clerck & Malsagne, Traboulsi's chronology; Hanf's negotiation of 1-3 November ends that day), 8 November (Traboulsi's chapter 9) and 13 November (Picard). 3 November has the most, and mutually independent, support; Traboulsi contradicts himself.
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Wednesday, 26 November 1969
The road to war · From the books
Karami's national unity cabinet gives Kamal Jumblatt the Interior Ministry.
Kamal Jumblatt became interior minister, in charge of carrying out the Cairo Agreement, in the government of national union Rashid Karami formed once the Syrian border reopened, ending a cabinet vacancy of over seven months.
Sources differ: 26 November (Traboulsi, twice) or 25 November (de Clerck & Malsagne).
Other date in the books: Tuesday, 25 November 1969
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November 1972
Friday, 3 November 1972
The road to war · From the books
Workers at the Ghandour factories begin an open-ended strike.
On 3 November 1972 an indefinite strike began at the Ghandour confectionery group, Lebanon's largest non-unionised industrial workforce. Workers wanted their factory committee recognised, the right to unionise, equal wages for women and higher pay.
Sources differ: Workforce: 1,200 in Shiyah (Traboulsi) or about 1,250 in Choueifat plus 350 in Chiyah (Tufaro).
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Saturday, 11 November 1972
The road to war · From the books
Police fire on Ghandour strikers, killing two.
Two workers died on 11 November 1972 when security forces opened fire outside Ghandour's Chiyah plant: Fatima al-Khawaja of the Communist Party and Yusuf al-Attar of the OCA's workers' committees. Others were wounded. De Clerck & Malsagne call it the first workers' protest since independence put down with deadly force.
Sources differ: Wounded: 14 (Traboulsi) or 19, including 13 policemen (de Clerck & Malsagne).
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November 1975
Monday, 10 November 1975
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
An emissary of Pope Paul VI arrived to Beirut holding a papal message
Cardinal Bertoli called all leaders to start working for the restoration of peace.
What the books addCardinal Paolo Bertoli's mission lasted from 9 to 14 November 1975 (de Clerck and Malsagne's chronology). Like the French envoy Couve de Murville, he backed a limited revision of the National Pact.
Other date in the books: Sunday, 9 November 1975
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Wednesday, 19 November 1975
The Lebanese war · Added from the books range
French envoy Maurice Couve de Murville begins a mediation mission.
Giscard d'Estaing's envoy Maurice Couve de Murville was in Beirut on 19-30 November, then Damascus until 2 December. Paris did not call it a mediation (Picard: a fact-finding mission); de Clerck and Malsagne find it made no headway.
Sources differ: Picard calls the mission successful; de Clerck and Malsagne say it achieved nothing notable.
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November 1975: day not established
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Peace demonstrations in Beirut.
Gunmen held their fire until the crowd dispersed: tens of thousands from East and West Beirut had answered an appeal against the fighting by the television announcer Sharif Akhawi. Haugbolle also notes widespread protests on National Day.
Sources differ: The existing entry 34 dates Akhawi's demonstration to 25 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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Monday, 15 November 1976
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Phase 2 of the peace plan started.
The Arab Strike Force including mainly Syrians started to advance on various axes leading to the heart of the capital, as well as the Chouf, the Kesrouan, and Jbeil. 8,000 infantrymen and 250 armored vehicles converged towards the districts of Beirut and the front line.
What the books addHanf puts the entry of about 6,000 Syrian soldiers, in the peace force's green helmets, into East and West Beirut on 14 November. Fisk's report in The Times of 16 November dated their occupation of the whole city to the previous morning, with 6,000 men and hundreds of tanks; the last firing, near the port, ended on 16 November, Fisk recounts.
Other dates in the books: Sunday, 14 November 1976, Tuesday, 16 November 1976
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November 1977
Saturday, 19 November 1977
The Lebanese war · Added from the books range
Sadat's visit to Jerusalem overturns alliances in Lebanon (context).
Sadat was in Jerusalem from 19 to 21 November and spoke to the Knesset; he had said on 9 November that he was willing to go. Historians see the Lebanese camps realigning from then on: Syria, left isolated, moved towards the PLO, whose fighters resumed operations from the south, and the Lebanese Front looked to Israel. Hanf concludes that Egypt's peace made war in Lebanon inevitable.
Sources differ: Traboulsi gives 19-21 November; Hanf gives the arrival on 19 November.
Other date in the books: Wednesday, 9 November 1977
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November 1979
Monday, 12 November 1979
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
The work document that Lebanon was going to present in Tunis, contained 6 main points: exercising pressure on the United States to end Israeli aggressions, freezing the actions of the Fedayin, laying the Lebanese authority in the South, banning any illegal armed presence, re-activating the Beiteddine Committee, and grouping guerillas in some specified zones.
Other date in the books: Tuesday, 20 November 1979
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Friday, 23 November 1979
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
The Tunis summit was disappointing. Lebanon received only a solemn proclamation of support doubled by a financial assistance up to 2 billion dollars, but the Southern Lebanon problem remained unsolved, the summit having just called the State and the resistance to get along.
What the books addThe Arab summit met in Tunis from 20 to 22 November 1979.
Other date in the books: Tuesday, 20 November 1979
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November 1980
Thursday, 20 November 1980
The Lebanese war · Added from the books about 20 November (range 20-28 November)
The Lebanese Forces storm the last Tiger stronghold in Ain el-Remmaneh (Ménargues's dating).
In Ménargues's account Ain el-Remmaneh, long a National Liberal district, sheltered those who refused Bashir Gemayel's authority, under Elias Hannouche ('Hannache'). About ten days after the two car bombs of 10 November, Bashir sent in his elite units. Hannouche and many of his men slipped across the demarcation line into Syrian-protected West Beirut, and the LF secured the district only after 48 hours of fighting. Afterwards a single LF insignia replaced the militia badges on every unit's uniform, on Bashir's orders.
Sources differ: Entries 403-405 end the Ain el-Remmaneh fighting in late October; de Clerck and Malsagne have LF control of East Beirut on 31 October; Hanf, about three months after 7 July.
Other date in the books: Friday, 28 November 1980
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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
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November 1982
Monday, 8 November 1982
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Massacre at Kfar Nabrakh in the Chouf, the first of the 'Mountain War'.
PSP fighters attacked a Christian funeral at this mixed village after the Lebanese Forces set up a checkpoint nearby, leaving eleven dead and eleven wounded. They also kidnapped nine villagers, a child and two teenagers among them, and burned about twenty houses; the captives were found dead in a well on 23 November, raising the Christian toll to twenty. LF leaders and press then invoked the 1860 massacres against the Druze.
Other date in the books: Tuesday, 23 November 1982
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Tuesday, 16 November 1982
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
The Israelis reinforced their control in the Chouf and Aley. The leaders in the mountain called upon Amine Gemayel who seemed determined to speed the settlement of the crisis in the Druze-Christian regions.
Other date in the books: Tuesday, 14 September 1982
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Saturday, 20 November 1982
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
The Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party militiamen started a merciless war in the cazas of Aley and the Chouf.
What the books addOn 8 November 1982 PSP men attacked a Christian funeral in Kfar Nabrakh, a mixed Chouf village, killing eleven, in reaction to a Lebanese Forces checkpoint set up nearby. Some twenty houses were burned and nine villagers abducted; their bodies were found in a well on 23 November. De Clerck and Malsagne call it the Mountain War's first massacre.
Other dates in the books: Monday, 8 November 1982, Tuesday, 23 November 1982
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November 1983
Wednesday, 30 November 1983
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
President Gemayel met with the American President at the White House.
What the books addHanf writes that in Washington on 1 December the Americans pressed Gemayel to come to terms with the Druze and Shi'is and ruled out any change to the 17 May agreement.
Other date in the books: Thursday, 1 December 1983
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November 1985
Wednesday, 13 November 1985
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
The Eastern regions went on strike to protest against the suicide truck killing attempt perpetrated against the leaders of the Lebanese Front gathered in the St Georges convent in Awkar. The assault caused 4 dead and 36 wounded, including Elie Karameh, Edouard Honein, and Fouad Ephrame Boustany who were slightly injured.
What the books addHobeika and President Gemayel escaped injury only because they were not in their cars when these were attacked; Chamoun, Elie Karami and other Lebanese Front leaders were hurt. Hanf places these attempts in a series that, in his view, hardened the confrontation over the Damascus agreement.
Other date in the books: Saturday, 28 December 1985
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Wednesday, 20 November 1985
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Violent combats opposed Amal and the PSP in West Beirut. Five days of hell followed for the residents of this region. 65 persons were killed and 250 were wounded.
What the books addHanf's 'Flag War': on 21 November alone, Shi'i and Druze fighters fought with tanks and artillery, leaving 65 dead and over 400 abducted. PSP militiamen had replaced the national flags Sixth Brigade soldiers put on public buildings for Independence Day with their party banner.
Other date in the books: Thursday, 21 November 1985
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November 1986
Monday, 24 November 1986
The Lebanese war · Added from the books range
Palestinian fighters take Maghdousheh; the village changes hands three times.
Some residents of Maghdousheh, a Christian village, were evacuated as it changed hands: PLO fighters from the Sidon camps took it on 24 November, Amal on the 25th, the PLO on the 26th.
Sources differ: Entry 960 dates the fighting to 25 November.
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Tuesday, 25 November 1986
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
The armed conflict between Amal and the Palestinians spread to Maghdoucheh. Ferocious combats took place in this Christian strategic town. Ultimately, it fell partially in the hands of Palestinians and its residents were forced to flee from their homes.
What the books addHanf: the PLO took Maghdousheh on 24 November, lost it to Amal on the 25th and retook it on the 26th. De Clerck and Malsagne say the aim was to forestall an attack on Ain el-Helweh; Amal answered by besieging the southern camps and pressing the Beirut ones harder.
Other date in the books: Monday, 24 November 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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Saturday, 12 November 1988
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Aoun's cabinet sends General Sami al-Khatib before the military court.
Aoun's cabinet referred Sami al-Khatib to the military court. Two days earlier Salim al-Hoss had made him, a Sunni, army commander, a post normally held by a Maronite, and Aoun's government had at once called it an attempt at partition. The army was split: about 15,000 men under Aoun, 12,000 under Hoss.
Sources differ: De Clerck dates al-Khatib's appointment to 10 November; existing entry 1105 gives 9 November; Hanf says early November.
Other date in the books: Thursday, 10 November 1988
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Friday, 25 November 1988
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
West Beirut was the stage of a fresh outbreak of combats between Amal militiamen and the Hezbollah, despite the Syrian army presence.
What the books addPicard dates this round to 28 November 1988, Hanf to early December.
Other date in the books: Monday, 28 November 1988
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November 1989
Thursday, 16 November 1989
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
US ambassador John McCarthy makes a televised statement aimed against General Aoun.
De Clerck and Malsagne cite the statement alongside sources saying that Samir Geagea accepted a mission to remove Aoun, given first by the Americans and later by President Hrawi.
Sources differ: Original entry 1150 says McCarthy left Lebanon in early September.
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Friday, 17 November 1989
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
While Selim Hoss is asked to form the new government, retaliations take place against some deputies from Eastern regions.
What the books addAoun, Hanf writes, warned that any Christian deputy joining a Moawad-Hoss government would lose the right to live in the 'free areas'. When bombs hit the homes of many Christian deputies after the election, his condemnation was half-hearted: he voiced 'understanding for the anger of the people'.
Other date in the books: Sunday, 5 November 1989
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Friday, 24 November 1989
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Elias Hraoui is elected President of the Republic by an Assembly reunited at the Chtaura Park Hotel, on the eve of the National Funerals of the defunct President.
What the books addHanf: Elias Hrawi, the only candidate, won on the second ballot with 47 votes of the 53 deputies present, 5 abstaining, under Syrian protection; at the same sitting parliament gave itself four more years. Speaker Husseini had gone to Damascus on the night of 22 November. Traboulsi's chronology places the election on 22 November.
Other date in the books: Wednesday, 22 November 1989
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Saturday, 25 November 1989
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
President René Moawad is buried in Zghorta.
At the Zghorta funeral, Fisk writes, nobody knew whether the coffin, carried on a gun-carriage from the family church's crypt, held Moawad or one of his bodyguards. Assad and his generals sent wreaths.
Sources differ: Original entry 1167 says Hrawi was elected 'on the eve of the national funerals', which fits this date.
Other date in the books: Wednesday, 22 November 1989
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Crowds ring Baabda palace as President Hrawi fires Aoun and sets a 48-hour deadline to leave.
The deadline lapsed with nothing done. Hrawi had warned those lacking legitimacy could be handled 'in a few hours', yet within hours tens of thousands, many young, were camped round Baabda palace for a weeks-long sit-in.
Sources differ: De Clerck and Malsagne say Aoun held the command until 27 November (p. 281). Original entry 1169 dates the gathering at Baabda to 28 November.
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Sunday, 26 November 1989
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
The government created by Selim Hoss gets the Parliament's confidence.
What the books addHanf sees the cabinet as falling short of Taif's national unity government, since Michel Sassine stayed in Paris and Kataeb leader Georges Saadé wavered.
Other date in the books: Friday, 24 November 1989
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Tuesday, 28 November 1989
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
Several reports mentionned important Syrian movements towards the Eastern fronts. In response to General Aoun's call, thousands of Lebanese went to Baabda and watched the Palace day and night.
What the books addThe crowds began gathering at Baabda as soon as Hrawi gave Aoun his ultimatum, according to Hanf the day after the election. The sit-in lasted weeks. Fisk saw the Syrian army move hundreds of tanks and guns into the mountains above Beirut in early December. Emile Lahoud was named army commander on 28 November (de Clerck and Malsagne).
Other date in the books: Saturday, 25 November 1989
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November 1990
Monday, 5 November 1990
The Lebanese war · 111101 entry in the original chronology
The Damascus agreement between the Hezbollah and Amal is a copy of the one agreed upon on January 30th 1989. The cease-fire takes effect in the Iqlim-el-Touffah.
What the books addSources differ on dates. Picard has Damascus and Tehran imposing an Amal–Hezbollah ceasefire on 6 November 1990; de Clerck and Malsagne date the inter-Shi'i accord signed in Damascus to 9 November and, with Aoun's fall, treat it as formally ending the 'civil' war. Hanf says both movements withdrew their fighters from Iqlim al-Tuffah after drawn-out Syrian and Iranian mediation. That final round began in December 1989 (de Clerck and Malsagne, Confluences) or, in Hezbollah's official version, in July 1990, with an Amal siege of nearly 100 days.
Other dates in the books: Tuesday, 6 November 1990, Friday, 9 November 1990
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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
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Saturday, 17 November 1990
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
Greater Beirut security plan: the army deploys and the militias are ordered out of the capital.
Syria, with large forces in West Beirut and the Metn, had cleared the plan beforehand. Troops, their numbers doubled by most of Aoun's former units, took up positions across the capital and all militias were told to go: Amal (south) and the PSP (Chouf) at once, Hezbollah three days later.
Sources differ: Entry 1217 dates the Amal, PSP and Hezbollah withdrawal to 11 November.
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Friday, 23 November 1990
The Lebanese war · Added from the books
The Lebanese Forces begin leaving Beirut.
On 23 November the Lebanese Forces began leaving Beirut, with a parade to show their strength. They had wanted pro-Syrian militias out of the Metn; the government did give the Kataeb its offices back and posted to Ashrafieh troops from the mostly neutral Sarba garrison rather than units that had fought for Aoun.
Sources differ: Entry 1217 says the Lebanese Forces had to leave Ashrafieh by 19 November at the latest.
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November 1998
Tuesday, 24 November 1998
After the war · From the books
Army commander Emile Lahoud becomes president.
Backed by Bashar al-Assad, who had taken charge of the Lebanese file, Lahoud promised to fight corruption. He soon broke with Hariri.
Sources differ: September 1998 and October 1998 (both in Picard 2002), November (Picard 2016, 33 jours) and 24 November (de Clerck). The later dates may be the start of the term rather than the vote.
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November 2007
November 2007: day not established
Since 2005 · From the books
Émile Lahoud's term ends with no successor: the presidency is vacant.
With the rival blocs deadlocked over who should succeed Lahoud, the presidency stayed empty until May 2008.
Sources differ: Picard starts the vacuum in September 2007, when the electoral sessions began to fail; the other books date it from November 2007, the end of Lahoud's term.
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November 2013
Tuesday, 19 November 2013
Since 2005 · From the books
Double suicide attack on the Iranian embassy in Bir Hassan.
The Iranian cultural attaché was among the dead. Responsibility was claimed by the Abdallah Azzam Brigades, an al-Qaeda-linked group that objected to Hezbollah fighting in Syria.
Sources differ: 23 dead (de Clerck & Malsagne) against nearly 30 (Quéméner).
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November 2015
Thursday, 12 November 2015
Since 2005 · From the books
Double suicide bombing in Burj al-Barajneh, the deadliest since the civil war.
Two suicide bombers struck in quick succession beside a community centre and a bakery in Burj al-Barajneh, in the Shi'i southern suburb; the Islamic State claimed responsibility. Parliament had sat that day for the first time in months.
Sources differ: Dead: 43 in de Clerck and Malsagne's chronology, 44 in their epilogue and Quéméner's calendar, 50 in his narrative, which also places the attack in 'Dbaiyeh', evidently a slip, since the calendar says Burj al-Barajneh.
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November 2018
Monday, 12 November 2018
Since 2005 · From the books
Parliament adopts Law 105 on the missing and forcibly disappeared.
Wadad Halwani, head of the committee of families of the kidnapped and disappeared, whose husband was taken in 1982, broke down as deputies applauded. The law created a commission to trace detainees believed alive in Syria, identify remains in mass graves and investigate wartime forced disappearances.
Sources differ: Estimates differ. The most quoted figure, 17,415, comes from the Committee of the Kidnapped and Disappeared (founded 1982); NGOs count 5,000 to 8,000 forced disappearances (Hassoun Abou Jaoudé; de Clerck & Malsagne p. 419).
Art and memory- testimony Wadad Halwani founded the Committee of the Families of the Kidnapped and Disappeared after her husband was abducted in 1982. He is still missing; the vote renewed her hope.
- film De Clerck and Malsagne cite Daniele Rugo's documentary The Soil and the Sea (2023), co-produced with Carmen Hassoun Abou Jaoudé, among war-memory works inspired by the missing.
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