Army of Free Lebanon
Encyclopedia
The Army of Free Lebanon – AFL (Arabic: Lubnan al-Jaiysh al-Horr) or ‘Colonel Barakat’s Army’ (Arabic: Jaiysh Barakat), also designated Armée du Liban Libre (ALL) or ‘Armée du Colonel Barakat’ in French
, was a predominantely Christian splinter faction of the Lebanese Army that came to play a major role in the 1975-77 phase of the Lebanese Civil War.
by Lebanese Colonel
Antoine Barakat who declared loyalty to them President of Lebanon Suleiman Frangieh
. A Maronite from Frangieh’s hometown Zgharta
, Barakat rose with the troops of the Beirut Command in response for Lieutenant
Ahmed al-Khatib’s rebellion two days earlier at the head of the breakway Lebanese Arab Army (LAA). Another officer, the head of Jounieh
garrison Major Fouad Malek, supported the Barakat-led faction, as did Major Saad Haddad
the commander of the Marjayoun
garrison in the south.
complex at Yarze
, the AFL numbered some 3,000 uniformed regulars, mostly Christian Maronites
and Greek-Catholics. Like the LAA, the AFL retained much of the regimental structure of the old Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF), with the bulk of the force comprising some 2,000 soldiers in four battalions allocated at Fayadieh serving under Col. Barakat’s direct orders. Outside Beirut, a 500-strong battalion was based at Jounieh barracks headed by Maj. Malek, whilst another battalion of equal strength led by Maj. Haddad was stationed at Marjayoun.
Each fraction fielded conventional armour, infantry and artillery companies, provided with Panhard AML-90
and Staghound armoured cars, AMX-13
and M41 Walker Bulldog
light tanks, M42 Duster
SPAAGs, and tracked M113 or wheeled Panhard M3 VTT
armoured personnel carrier
s, along with British QF Mk III 25 Pounder field guns and French Mle 1950 BF-50 155mm howitzers
.
, the AFL battled the leftist Lebanese National Movement
(LNM), the LAA and the Palestine Liberation Organization
(PLO) guerrilla factions at Beirut, but also fought in northern Lebanon.
In early March 1976, a number of Christian AFL soldiers from the Jounieh garrison even departed without permission from their commanding Officer to their home town of Kobayat
in the Akkar region of Northern Lebanon, which was being threatened by LAA attacks.
That same month, Barakat’s troops bolstered the hard-pressed Republican Guard battalion and Marada Brigade
militiamen loyal to President Frangieh in defending the Presidential Palace at Baabda
from a two-pronged combined LNM-LAA assault, though prior to the attack the President had decamped to the safety of Jounieh.
They also provided armour and artillery support to the Christian militias on the closing stages of the Battle of the Hotels
and later in the sieges of the PLO-held Palestinian
refugee camps of Jisr el-Basha and Tel al-Zaatar
at East Beirut between June and August 1976.
During the “Hundred Days War
” in early February 1978, the AFL was itself besiged and bombarded by the Syrian Army
in their Fayadieh barracks, though they later helped the NLP Tigers
and the newly-constituted Lebanese Forces
’ Command in driving the Syrians out from East Beirut.
began slowly to reorganize the battered Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF) structure, which had split into four sectarian factions. The first fraction of the AFL to be re-integrated into the official battle order of the re-organized Lebanese Army in June 1977 was the Jounieh garrison, whose commander Fouad Malek was promoted to Colonel
and sent to the École de Guerre in Paris
, where he deserted in 1978 to become the head of the Lebanese Forces
(LF) official representation at the French Capital. In March 1978 at Beirut, Col. Barakat handed over the Fayadieh barracks back to the official authorities, thus effectively signalling the disbandment of the AFL and the return of his troops to the LAF structure.
A different fate however, awaited the ex-AFL troops of the Marjayoun garrison in the south. By late 1976, pressure from PLO and LNM-LAA militias finally forced Major Saad Haddad
to evacuate the town and withdraw unopposed to the town of Qlayaa, close to the border with Israel
. Here Major Haddad and his men placed themselves under the protection of the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF), eventually providing the cadre – after merging with local Christian, Shia Muslim and Druze
militias – of the so-called ‘Free Lebanese Army’ (FLA), otherwise known as the South Lebanon Army
(SLA).
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, was a predominantely Christian splinter faction of the Lebanese Army that came to play a major role in the 1975-77 phase of the Lebanese Civil War.
Emblem
Upon its formation, the AFL adoped as logo a rectangular (or square) red and blue ‘flash’ with a stylished white cedar tree in the middle, which was hastly painted on its armoured and transport vehicles. Sometimes the motto ‘Free Lebanon’ (Arabic: Lubnan al-Horr) written in Arabic script was painted alongside the flash on the hull and turret of the tanks.Origins
The AFL was created on January 23, 1976 at BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
by Lebanese Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Antoine Barakat who declared loyalty to them President of Lebanon Suleiman Frangieh
Suleiman Frangieh
Suleiman Kabalan Frangieh, last name also spelled Frangié, Franjieh, or Franjiyeh , was President of Lebanon from 1970 to 1976...
. A Maronite from Frangieh’s hometown Zgharta
Zgharta
Zgharta, or Zghorta is a large town in North Lebanon, with an estimated population of around 70,000.Zgharta is about 150 metres above sea level and lies between the rivers of Jouit and Rashein...
, Barakat rose with the troops of the Beirut Command in response for Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Ahmed al-Khatib’s rebellion two days earlier at the head of the breakway Lebanese Arab Army (LAA). Another officer, the head of Jounieh
Jounieh
Jounieh is a Mediterranean coastal city about 16 kilometers north of Beirut, Lebanon. Jounieh is known for its seaside resorts, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, as well as its old stone souk, ferry, and cablecar , which takes passengers up the mountain to the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in...
garrison Major Fouad Malek, supported the Barakat-led faction, as did Major Saad Haddad
Saad Haddad
Saad Haddad was the founder and head of the South Lebanon Army . Several sources have suggested Haddad's involvement in the Sabra and Shatila massacres in 1982.-Lebanese Civil War:...
the commander of the Marjayoun
Marjayoun
Marjayoun is a Lebanese town and administrative district, Marjeyoun District, in the Nabatieh Governorate in Southern Lebanon...
garrison in the south.
Structure and organization
Headquartered at Fayadieh barracks, a major military facility situated in the vinicty of the Ministry of DefenseMinistry of Defense (Israel)
The Ministry of Defence of the government of Israel, is the governmental department responsible for defending the State of Israel from internal and external military threats...
complex at Yarze
Yarze
Yarze is a village in Baabda District southeast of Beirut in Lebanon. The most significant public institution is the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. The city also has the famous The Hope for Peace Monument designed and gifted to Lebanon in 1995 by Arman....
, the AFL numbered some 3,000 uniformed regulars, mostly Christian Maronites
Maronites
Maronites , is an ethnoreligious group in the Middle East that have been historically tied with Lebanon. They derive their name from the Syriac saint Mar Maron whose followers moved to Mount Lebanon from northern Syria establishing the Maronite Church....
and Greek-Catholics. Like the LAA, the AFL retained much of the regimental structure of the old Lebanese Armed Forces
Lebanese Armed Forces
The Lebanese Armed Forces or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the Lebanese Army according to its official Website The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) (Arabic: القوات المسلحة اللبنانية | Al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥa al-Lubnāniyya) or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the...
(LAF), with the bulk of the force comprising some 2,000 soldiers in four battalions allocated at Fayadieh serving under Col. Barakat’s direct orders. Outside Beirut, a 500-strong battalion was based at Jounieh barracks headed by Maj. Malek, whilst another battalion of equal strength led by Maj. Haddad was stationed at Marjayoun.
Each fraction fielded conventional armour, infantry and artillery companies, provided with Panhard AML-90
Panhard AML
-Former Operators:: unknown number of AML-60s and AML-90s in service between 1960-1975.: 34 Eland 90s and Eland 60s in service with the Rhodesian Security Forces in 1979, passed on to successor state.-Trivia:...
and Staghound armoured cars, AMX-13
AMX-13
The AMX-13 is a French light tank produced from 1953 to 1985. It served with the French Army and was exported to over twenty-five other nations...
and M41 Walker Bulldog
M41 Walker Bulldog
The M41 Walker Bulldog was a U.S. light tank developed to replace the M24 Chaffee. It was named for General Walton Walker who died in a jeep accident in Korea...
light tanks, M42 Duster
M42 Duster
The M42 40 mm Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun, or "Duster," is an armored light air-defense gun built for the U.S. Army from 1952 until December 1959. Production of this vehicle was performed by the tank division of the General Motors Corporation. It used components from the M41 light tank...
SPAAGs, and tracked M113 or wheeled Panhard M3 VTT
Panhard M3
The Panhard M3 VTT , armoured personnel carrier was designed as a private venture with the first prototype completed in 1969. The prototype had a single door in each side of the hull and twin doors in the hull rear...
armoured personnel carrier
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
s, along with British QF Mk III 25 Pounder field guns and French Mle 1950 BF-50 155mm howitzers
Obusier de 155 mm Modèle 50
Obusier de 155 mm Modèle 50 was a French 155 mm 30 calibre howitzer of Cold War era that remained in service with some nations until the 1990s. The gun has a split trail, large slotted muzzle-break, four-wheeled bogie and a retractable firing pedestal beneath the axles...
.
The AFL in the Lebanese civil war 1976-78
Closely allied with the Christian rightist militias of the Lebanese FrontLebanese Front
The Lebanese Front or Front libanais in French, also known as the "Kufur Front", was a coalition of mainly Christian parties formed in 1976, during the Lebanese Civil War...
, the AFL battled the leftist Lebanese National Movement
Lebanese National Movement
The Lebanese National Movement or Mouvement National Libanais in French, was a front of parties and organizations active during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War...
(LNM), the LAA and the Palestine Liberation Organization
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
(PLO) guerrilla factions at Beirut, but also fought in northern Lebanon.
In early March 1976, a number of Christian AFL soldiers from the Jounieh garrison even departed without permission from their commanding Officer to their home town of Kobayat
Kobayat
Al Qoubaiyat Al Qoubaiyat Al Qoubaiyat (Arabic: القبيات; is the biggest Christian village in Akkar District of North Governorate, Lebanon. All its population are Maronites numbering around 12000 persons according to the civil state registers. (among them were 8300 registered voters in 1992)...
in the Akkar region of Northern Lebanon, which was being threatened by LAA attacks.
That same month, Barakat’s troops bolstered the hard-pressed Republican Guard battalion and Marada Brigade
Marada Brigade
The Marada Movement is a Lebanese political party and a former militia active during the Lebanese civil war, named after the legendary Syriac Marada or Mardaites warriors of the early Middle Ages...
militiamen loyal to President Frangieh in defending the Presidential Palace at Baabda
Baabda
Baabda is the capital city of Baabda District as well as the capital of Mount Lebanon Governorate, western Lebanon. Baabda was the capital city of the autonomous Ottoman Mount Lebanon....
from a two-pronged combined LNM-LAA assault, though prior to the attack the President had decamped to the safety of Jounieh.
They also provided armour and artillery support to the Christian militias on the closing stages of the Battle of the Hotels
Battle of the Hotels
The Battle of the Hotels, also known as the “Hotel front” or “Front des Hotels” in French, was a subconflict within the 1975-77 phase of the Lebanese Civil War which occurred in the Minet-el-Hosn hotel district of downtown Beirut...
and later in the sieges of the PLO-held Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
refugee camps of Jisr el-Basha and Tel al-Zaatar
Tel al-Zaatar Massacre
The Tel al-Zaatar massacre took place during the Lebanese Civil War on August 12, 1976. Tel al-Zaatar was a UNRWA administered Palestinian Refugee camp housing approximately 50,000-60,000 refugees in northeast Beirut.-Background:...
at East Beirut between June and August 1976.
During the “Hundred Days War
Hundred Days War
The Hundred Days War , also known as La Guerre des Cent Jours in French was a subconflict within the 1977–82 phase of the Lebanese Civil War which occurred at the Lebanese Capital Beirut...
” in early February 1978, the AFL was itself besiged and bombarded by the Syrian Army
Syrian Army
The Syrian Army, officially called the Syrian Arab Army, is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It is the dominant military service of the four uniformed services, controlling the senior most posts in the armed forces, and has the greatest manpower, approximately 80 percent of the...
in their Fayadieh barracks, though they later helped the NLP Tigers
Tigers Militia (Lebanon)
The Tigers Militia , also known as NLP Tigers or Tigers of the Liberals and PNL "Lionceaux" in French, was the military wing of the National Liberal Party during the Lebanese Civil War.- Origins :The NLP militia was first raised in October 1968 by Camille Chamoun at his own home town...
and the newly-constituted Lebanese Forces
Lebanese Forces
The Lebanese Forces is a Lebanese political party. Founded as a militia by Bachir Gemayel during the Lebanese Civil War, the movement fought as the main militia within the Christian-dominated Lebanese Front...
’ Command in driving the Syrians out from East Beirut.
Disbandment
On March 1977, the newly-elected President of Lebanon Elias SarkisElias Sarkis
Elias Sarkis was the President of the Lebanese Republic from 1976 to 1982.-Early career:Born in Shabbaniah, Sarkis graduated with a Law degree from Saint Joseph University in 1948. After joining the judicial corps in 1953, he became a judge with the Accounting Department...
began slowly to reorganize the battered Lebanese Armed Forces
Lebanese Armed Forces
The Lebanese Armed Forces or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the Lebanese Army according to its official Website The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) (Arabic: القوات المسلحة اللبنانية | Al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥa al-Lubnāniyya) or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the...
(LAF) structure, which had split into four sectarian factions. The first fraction of the AFL to be re-integrated into the official battle order of the re-organized Lebanese Army in June 1977 was the Jounieh garrison, whose commander Fouad Malek was promoted to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and sent to the École de Guerre in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he deserted in 1978 to become the head of the Lebanese Forces
Lebanese Forces
The Lebanese Forces is a Lebanese political party. Founded as a militia by Bachir Gemayel during the Lebanese Civil War, the movement fought as the main militia within the Christian-dominated Lebanese Front...
(LF) official representation at the French Capital. In March 1978 at Beirut, Col. Barakat handed over the Fayadieh barracks back to the official authorities, thus effectively signalling the disbandment of the AFL and the return of his troops to the LAF structure.
A different fate however, awaited the ex-AFL troops of the Marjayoun garrison in the south. By late 1976, pressure from PLO and LNM-LAA militias finally forced Major Saad Haddad
Saad Haddad
Saad Haddad was the founder and head of the South Lebanon Army . Several sources have suggested Haddad's involvement in the Sabra and Shatila massacres in 1982.-Lebanese Civil War:...
to evacuate the town and withdraw unopposed to the town of Qlayaa, close to the border with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Here Major Haddad and his men placed themselves under the protection of the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
(IDF), eventually providing the cadre – after merging with local Christian, Shia Muslim and Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
militias – of the so-called ‘Free Lebanese Army’ (FLA), otherwise known as the South Lebanon Army
South Lebanon Army
The South Lebanon Army , also "South Lebanese Army," was a Lebanese militia during the Lebanese Civil War. After 1979, the militia operated in southern Lebanon under the authority of Saad Haddad's Government of Free Lebanon...
(SLA).
See also
- Battle of the HotelsBattle of the HotelsThe Battle of the Hotels, also known as the “Hotel front” or “Front des Hotels” in French, was a subconflict within the 1975-77 phase of the Lebanese Civil War which occurred in the Minet-el-Hosn hotel district of downtown Beirut...
- Hundred Days WarHundred Days WarThe Hundred Days War , also known as La Guerre des Cent Jours in French was a subconflict within the 1977–82 phase of the Lebanese Civil War which occurred at the Lebanese Capital Beirut...
- Lebanese Armed ForcesLebanese Armed ForcesThe Lebanese Armed Forces or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the Lebanese Army according to its official Website The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) (Arabic: القوات المسلحة اللبنانية | Al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥa al-Lubnāniyya) or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the...
- Lebanese civil warLebanese Civil WarThe Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
- Lebanese FrontLebanese FrontThe Lebanese Front or Front libanais in French, also known as the "Kufur Front", was a coalition of mainly Christian parties formed in 1976, during the Lebanese Civil War...
- Lebanese ForcesLebanese ForcesThe Lebanese Forces is a Lebanese political party. Founded as a militia by Bachir Gemayel during the Lebanese Civil War, the movement fought as the main militia within the Christian-dominated Lebanese Front...
- South Lebanon ArmySouth Lebanon ArmyThe South Lebanon Army , also "South Lebanese Army," was a Lebanese militia during the Lebanese Civil War. After 1979, the militia operated in southern Lebanon under the authority of Saad Haddad's Government of Free Lebanon...
- Tel al-Zaatar massacreTel al-Zaatar MassacreThe Tel al-Zaatar massacre took place during the Lebanese Civil War on August 12, 1976. Tel al-Zaatar was a UNRWA administered Palestinian Refugee camp housing approximately 50,000-60,000 refugees in northeast Beirut.-Background:...
Further reading
- Leila Haoui Zod, William Haoui, temoin et martyr, Mémoire DEA, Faculté d'Histoire, Université Saint Esprit, Kaslik, Liban 2004. (in FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
)