lebanese war
chronology
1975/1990
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January 30, 1975thursday
15,000 persons demonstrated in Beirut to express their solidarity with South Lebanon, which had been regularly bombed by Israel.

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\_what the books add

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

September 30, 1975tuesday
A Tupolev 154 belonging to the Hungarian company Malev exploded in the air at 10 kilometers from Beirut, killing 60 persons, 34 of which were Lebanese.

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January 30, 1976friday
While the normalization process continued, the Superior Military Committee decided to dispatch the Lebanese Army to Damour, Mkalles, and Dbayeh, as well as to the road leading to the Beirut International Airport.

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January 30, 1976friday
Lieutenant Ahmed Khatib left the Hasbaya barracks and announced the creation, in the Bekaa, of the Army of Arab Lebanon.

\_this day in full the books also date it 21 January 1976, 22 January 1976 \_on this day

\_what the books add

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.

May 30, 1976sunday
An avalanche of missiles and shells hit Beirut while combats continued on all fronts. The bombings reached the airport, imposing the closure of runways to air traffic at night.

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June 30, 1977thursday
On the last day of its full-powers, the Council of Ministers published a series of decree-laws. The most important ones stipulated the revision of certain laws relative to the Lebanese University, the amendment of some press censorship laws, and the adoption of the mandatory car insurance.

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July 30, 1977saturday
The Arab Strike Force deployed around the camps in Beirut, Tripoli, Saida and in the Bekaa region.

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March 30, 1978thursday
A little bit of cheerfulness in the midst of despair ! The Boney M gave a flamboyant show to a heartbroken Lebanese audience.

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June 30, 1979saturday
The 'race for peace' organized by the Lebanese Federation of Athletics under the patronage of L'orient-Le Jour was a manifestation of the Lebanese sportsmen in favor of national unity. Departed from Achrafieh, the 66 participants representing 18 clubs from all the Lebanese regions met in Manara after having crossed the Fouad Chehab Ring.

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January 30, 1980wednesday
The situation worsened in Ehmej. Some sources reported 4 dead and 10 injured persons.

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\_what the books add

See the note on the entry of 25 January 1980.

June 30, 1980monday
The Israelis attacked a base belonging to the Arab Liberation Front in Kasmieh. This operation killed 11 persons and injured 29 others.

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July 30, 1980wednesday
The nightmare continued. A car bomb exploded in a busy street of Achrafieh killing three persons and wounding 15 others.

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June 30, 1981tuesday
95 militiamen from the Lebanese Forces were evacuated from Zahleh with their individual weapons after having surrendered their heavy weapons to the Arab Strike Force and to the Internal Security Forces. An Internal Security Forces unit was positioned in the neighborhoods of Zahleh.

\_this day in full the books also date it 1 July 1981 \_on this day

\_what the books add

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).

August 30, 1981sunday
The Internal Security Forces destroyed the illegal constructions in Ouzaï.

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August 30, 1981sunday
Claude Cheysson, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, declared after his 24-hour visit to Lebanon: 'It would be criminal to question the unity of Lebanon'.

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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.

November 30, 1981monday
The Arab Strike Force conducted a spectacular raid in West Beirut. Hundreds of persons were arrested and taken to a barrack for questioning.

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January 30, 1983sunday
A bomb storm fell on East Beirut. While a constructive beginning of the week was expected, mainly concerning the project of a disarmed and open 'Greater Beirut', blind violence hit again. Following the degradation of the situation in the mountain between the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party, mortar shells, Katiouchas and other Grad fell on East Beirut causing important material damages.

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November 30, 1983wednesday
President Gemayel met with the American President at the White House.

\_this day in full the books also date it 1 December 1983 \_on this day

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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.

April 30, 1984monday
The new national union government was as follows: Rachid Karameh: President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Osseirane: Minister of Defense and Agriculture Nabih Berri: Minsiter of Hydroelectric resources and Justice Camille Chamoun: Minster of Finance, Housing, and Cooperatives Pierre Gemayel: Minster of Posts and Telecommunications, Health and Social Affairs. Walid Joumblatt: Minister of Public Works, and Tourism Selim Hoss: Minister of Labor and National Education Joseph Skaff: Minister of Information Abdallah Racy: Minister of Interior Victor Cassir: Minister of Economy and Trade and Minister of Industry and Oil

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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.

April 30, 1985tuesday
It was hell in Beirut. Insane bombing continued in both sectors of the capital, crossing points had been closed illustrating the gravity of the situation, while 20,000 Christians from South Lebanon took refuge in the region of Marjeyoun.

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Israeli helicopters dropped leaflets urging the Christians who fled in 1985 to stay in the occupied zone; most went north to the Christian areas. Hanf counts 86,000 refugees in Jezzine and the zone.

July 30, 1985tuesday
Syria delivered 46 tanks to the Amal movement while surprise bombardments continued in Beirut and civilians were still being kidnapped on the crossing points.

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Hanf counts fifty tanks for Amal, thirty for the army's Sixth Brigade and none for the PSP; Picard mentions T-54 tanks.

August 30, 1985friday
The Lebanese Forces ended their military presence in Zahleh and closed their offices in the town.

\_this day in full the books also date it 11 August 1985 \_on this day

\_what the books add

Hanf dates the Lebanese Forces' withdrawal to 31 August, after Shia militias had shelled Zahleh from 11 August and Christian notables mediated; Syrian troops entered on 7 September.

September 30, 1985monday
Three diplomats from the Soviet embassy and the chancellery's doctor were kidnapped in West Beirut. One of them was killed later, while the three others were released on October 30. Twelve Western nationals remained held hostages by Islamist organizations.

\_this day in full the books also date it 1 October 1985 \_on this day

\_what the books add

Fisk dates it 1 October 1985, de Clerck and Malsagne September. Arkady Katkov was killed. Fisk thinks Sunni fundamentalists wanted Moscow to make Syria halt its Tripoli offensive against Tawheed. The others' release is credited probably to the KGB and Syria by de Clerck and Malsagne, to Syrian mediation by Hanf.

October 30, 1986thursday
The Lebanese Pound reached a historical exchange rate record with the dollar. One dollar was equivalent to 52.25 to 53 Lebanese Pounds.

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April 30, 1988saturday
The body of Bishop Albert Khoreiche was discovered in the forest of Chnaiir, provoking consternation in every milieu. He had disappeared eight days earlier in mysterious conditions.

\_this day in full the books also date it 1 May 1988 \_on this day

\_what the books add

De Clerck and Malsagne (p. 420) identify the victim as head of the Maronite religious court and nephew of the former Patriarch Khoreiche. His body was discovered in a Ghazir forest on 1 May 1988, and the killing was attributed to the Lebanese Forces.

May 30, 1988monday
A car bomb explodes in the region of Rmeil, killing 15 and injuring 61.

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January 30, 1989monday
Following negotiations conducted in Damascus, the pro-Syrian Amal movement and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah sign an agreement putting an end to their armed conflict that cost the life of 400 persons in 10 months.

\_this day in full the books also date it 25 January 1989 \_on this day

\_what the books add

The dates differ: Hanf says Amal and Hezbollah suspended their war on 25 January, and also writes that the Syrian-Iranian ceasefire took until the spring. De Clerck and Malsagne date the ceasefire to February 1989. Picard names Syria and Iran as sponsors. Death tolls depend on the source and the period: some sources put civilian deaths at about 2,000 for 1988-1990 (de Clerck and Malsagne); an al-Nahar-based count gives 635 dead across 147 incidents between 1985 and 1991; Georges Corm estimated 2,000 dead for 1988-1989.

March 30, 1989thursday
Hit by a shell, a butane reservoir explodes in Dora resulting in 66 injured and considerable damages.

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June 30, 1989friday
The pounding of Achrafieh continues and causes a large number of victims.

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March 30, 1990friday
The battle on the ground starts again with violence and reaches, besides regions of the Kesrouan, Achrafieh's neighborhoods.

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