Traboulsi counts this among the early-1975 protests, a southern general strike and Beirut demonstrations, over the Palestinian presence and the south's defence.

Historians date Lieutenant Ahmad al-Khatib's breakaway to 21 January (de Clerck and Malsagne, in the Bekaa) or 22 January (Julie Tegho Bou Nassif, from the diary of the Greek Catholic bishop of Zahleh); Hanf places the mutiny in the south. About 300-400 Muslim soldiers followed him at first. The entry of 30 January may record a later step.

Its unprecedented powers spanned planning, funding and running reconstruction. It replaced the Planning Ministry in 1977; Picard calls it the economy's 'superministry'.

See the note on the entry of 25 January 1980.

Officially no killer was named, but al-Lawzi's murder was widely blamed on his criticism of Syrian rule (Fisk; Picard). Fisk: he was seized near a Syrian army checkpoint heading for the airport.

Ménargues has some 600 Internal Security Forces gendarmes entering Zahleh on 30 June, ending the siege, and the 95 fighters from outside the town leaving by bus over a mountain road behind a Syrian colonel's car, past Syrian troops posted along it; Hanf says they left under Saudi escort. Siege toll: 200 dead and over 2,000 wounded (Ménargues), over 200 and 2,000 (de Clerck and Malsagne), 300 and 3,000 by the Phalange's count (Fisk).

The cease-fire came from separate talks with Israel and the PLO, helped by Saudi diplomats (Hanf), with the UN relaying to the PLO (Ménargues, Fisk). Border fire was to stop; Syria could keep its Bekaa missiles unused, and Israeli overflights continued. In Ménargues's account a last Israeli demand held up Israel's public acceptance for two days.

Claude Cheysson met Yasser Arafat in Beirut on 30 August. De Clerck and Malsagne see the meeting as a sign of France's new pro-Palestinian line under Mitterrand.

Malsagne counts eleven dead on the spot and many wounded. The Mar Takla chancery then gained weight and Baabda became the ambassador's residence.

Bashir Gemayel announced his candidacy on 24 July on the Kataeb radio Voice of Lebanon, introduced by his brother Amine (Ménargues; Hanf gives 25 July). The Lebanese Front had already endorsed him on 26 May.

De Clerck and Malsagne note that no French president had visited Lebanon since independence before Mitterrand's trip.

Hanf 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.

Picard dates the government to the beginning of May 1984. Portfolios differ by source: de Clerck and Malsagne give Jumblatt Public Works and Transport, Tourism, and a Ministry of State for Reconstruction and the South. Picard says the 'Ministry of the South' was created in 1984 for the Shi'is, that is, for Berri. Picard also counts Frangieh's son-in-law among the ministers.

Picard dates the end of the talks with Israel to January 1985 and links it to the Lebanese Forces' revolt two months later.

Hanf: Lahad's South Lebanon Army halted the Palestinian and Sunni advance at Kfar Falous, midway between Sidon and Jezzine, and on 24 April the Lebanese Forces' fighters from other regions shipped out to Beirut with their heavy artillery. De Clerck and Malsagne date Lahad's creation of the SLA to April 1985, after Israel left Tyre.