Chronology / 1980

Lebanese war chronology - 1980

October 22, 1980		Chafic Wazzan was asked to form a new government, while Israel launched an air strike againt Damour. The aerial Traffic at the Beirut International Airport was interrupted.
October 23, 1980		A dialog government was formed. The new team included 22 Ministers of which 5 were State Ministers. Chafic Wazzan: Prime Minister, Minister of Interior Fouad Boutros: Vice-President of the Council, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Joseph Skaff: Minister of Defense Nazih Bizri: Minister of Health Khatchig Babikian: Minister of Health Rene Moawad : Minister of National Education and Fine Arts Khaled Joumblatt: Minister of Economy and Commerce Joseph Aboukhater: Minister of State Michel Murr: Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Anouar Sabbah: Minister of Hydraulic and Electric Resources Ali El Khalil: Minister of Finance Mahmoud Ammar: Minister of State Elias Hraoui: Minister of Public Works and Transports Mounir Aboufadel: Minister of State Mohammed Youssef Beydoun: Minister of Industry and Oil Cesar Nasr : Minister of State Sami Younes: Minister of State Selim Jahel : Minister of Housing and Cooperatives Abdel Rahman Labban: Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Mostapha Dernayka: Minister of Agriculture Marwan Hamade : Minister of Tourism
October 27, 1980		The Phalange Party and the NLP fought in Ain el Remmaneh. Camille Chamoun threatened to withdraw from the Lebanese Front.
October 31, 1980		The Lebanese army evacuated Ain el Remmaneh and gathered on the Damascus road and on major Streets.
November 1, 1980		The Safir press was dynamited in Hamra. Ain el Remmaneh recovered its calm. The cease-fire concluded between the army and the Lebanese Forces was fully respected. Nevertheless, a profound discomfort persisted in the country at higher levels because the tension persisted, and the Army lost some of its credibility due to its withdrawal.
November 1, 1980		Over 2000 persons watched the Marlboro Rally Mountain 1980.
November 5, 1980		After Bechir Obeid and Kamal Kheir Beik, two leaders from the Social National Syrian Party, were killed in West Beirut, as well as a civilian called Mounir Fatha, bloody confrontations opposed the Mourabitoun to the SNSP.
November 7, 1980		An agreement was reached between Camille Chamoun and Pierre Gemayel to unify the Lebanese Forces.
November 9, 1980		Three young men from Hammana were killed in awful conditions. Their bodies were found in a well in the Chouf.
November 10, 1980		A double assault spread terror in Achrafieh. Two car bombs stuffed with 140 kg of TNT exploded and killed 10 persons and injured 70 others. The first explosion occurred at a busy hour, when school busses were taking students back home, in one of Achrafieh’s streets. The second car blew up twenty minutes later, on Elias Baaklini street, next to the Shell gas station. The second explosion was aiming to kill those who would rush on the street after the first one went off.
November 17, 1980		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.
November 23, 1980		The short movie made by the Lebanese Randa Chahal, Autrefois, won the special prize of the Seventh Carthage Cinematographic Days.
December 3, 1980		The government held its first meeting on October 25. Despite the opposition of the Amal movement, the four Shiite ministers attended the meeting.
December 3, 1980		A murderous Israeli raid was perpetrated between Damour and Saadyat. A Lebanese memorandum presented to the UN reported 15 deaths and 13 injuries.
December 21, 1980		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.
December 31, 1980		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.