Jammoul
Encyclopedia
The Lebanese National Resistance Front – LNRF (Arabic: جبهة المقاومة الوطنية اللبنانية | Jabhat al-Muqawama al-Wataniyya al-Lubnaniyya) or Front National de la Résistance Libanaise (FNRL) in French
, but best known by its Arabic acronym, ‘Jammoul’ (جمول) was an underground guerrilla alliance active in Lebanon
in the 1980s. It acted as a successor to the Lebanese National Movement
.
entered West Beirut. The secretary general of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party
(LCP) George Hawi
, the secretary general of the Organization of Communist Action – Lebanon
(OCAL) Muhsin Ibrahim the Arab Socialist Action Party
– Lebanon
(ASAP-L) secretary general Hussein Hamdan, and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party
issued that day a joint communiqué calling for the Lebanese people to raise up in arms and unite into a "Lebanese National Resistance Front" against Israel.
The pro-Syrian Arab Democratic Party
(ADP) and the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions
(LARF) soon rallied to the LNRF banner, which gained full support of Palestine Liberation Organization
(PLO)leftist and marxist factions based in Lebanon, mainly from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
(PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
(DFLP).
. A joint operational HQ was established at the village of Kfar Rumman in the Jabal Amel
region of southern Lebanon
, with Hawi and Ibrahim meeting daily in secret to coordinate the activities of the Front’s underground cells at west Beirut
, Sidon
, Tyre and Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon.
Most observers believe that the Front was a pro-Syrian organization whose membership was primarily Lebanese. However, the PLO stated that the actions claimed by the LNRF were actually carried out by isolated Palestinian guerrilla cells and some radical Lebanese leftists who supported them.
, Mount Lebanon
and the South in June, July and August 1983. At this point it was known as the Lebanese National Salvation Front and was backed by Syria.
and Soha Bechara
were taken prisoner and held in the infamous Khiam detention center
. Several others were liquidated in assassinations against leftist activists in Beirut and southern Lebanon in the late 1980s.
The last recorded Jammoul operation in the south occurred on 1999.
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...
, but best known by its Arabic acronym, ‘Jammoul’ (جمول) was an underground guerrilla alliance active in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
in the 1980s. It acted as a successor to the 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...
.
Origins
This organization was founded on September 16, 1982, the same day the Israeli armyIsrael 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...
entered West Beirut. The secretary general of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party
Lebanese Communist Party
The Lebanese Communist Party – LCP or Parti communiste libanais in French, is a communist political party in Lebanon...
(LCP) George Hawi
George Hawi
George Hawi was a Lebanese politician and former secretary general of the Lebanese Communist Party . He was assassinated in 2005.-Background:...
, the secretary general of the Organization of Communist Action – Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
(OCAL) Muhsin Ibrahim the Arab Socialist Action Party
Arab Socialist Action Party
Arab Socialist Action Party was a Pan-Arab political party, formed by the rightwing faction of the Arab Nationalist Movement. The general secretary of the party was Dr. George Habash...
– Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
(ASAP-L) secretary general Hussein Hamdan, and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party
Syrian Social Nationalist Party
The Syrian Social Nationalist Party , is a secular nationalist political party in Lebanon and Syria. It advocates the establishment of a Syrian nation state spanning the Fertile Crescent, including present day Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, the Palestinian Territories, Israel, Cyprus, Kuwait,...
issued that day a joint communiqué calling for the Lebanese people to raise up in arms and unite into a "Lebanese National Resistance Front" against Israel.
The pro-Syrian Arab Democratic Party
Arab Democratic Party (Lebanon)
The Arab Democratic Party – ADP or Parti Démocratique Arabe in French, is a Lebanese party, based in Tripoli. Its current leader is Ali Eid.- Origins :...
(ADP) and the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions
Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions
The Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions – LARF or Factions Armés Révolutionnaires Libanaises in French, was a small Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group which played an active rôle in the Lebanese civil war.- Origins :Formed in 1979, the LARF emerged from the break-up of the Popular Front for the...
(LARF) soon rallied to the LNRF banner, which gained full support of 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)leftist and marxist factions based in Lebanon, mainly from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist organisation founded in 1967. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation Organization , the largest being Fatah...
(PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist, secular political and military organization. It is also frequently referred to as the Democratic Front, or al-Jabha al-Dimuqratiyah...
(DFLP).
Structure and organization
The LNRF did not have the strength of other larger militant groups in Lebanon, but by all accounts, it was a highly effective force, being estimated at some 200–500 or so fighters drawn from the LCP, OCAL, ADP, LARF, PFLP and DFLP, placed under the overall command of Elias AtallahElias Atallah
Elias Atallah born in 1947, is a Lebanese politician, and an elected member of parliament during the 2005 elections. He is also the chairperson of the Democratic Left Movement, and a prominent member in the March 14 Alliance...
. A joint operational HQ was established at the village of Kfar Rumman in the Jabal Amel
Jabal Amel
Jabal Amel or Amil is a mountainous region of Southern Lebanon.The region is named after the Banu 'Amilah, a Yemenite tribe who, along with the kindred tribes of Hamadan, Lakhm, and Judham, settled in Syria, Palestine, parts of Jordan, and Lebanon. The area was known in ancient times as Jabal...
region of southern Lebanon
Southern Lebanon
Southern Lebanon is the geographical area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. These two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s...
, with Hawi and Ibrahim meeting daily in secret to coordinate the activities of the Front’s underground cells at west Beirut
Beirut
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...
, Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
, Tyre and Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon.
Most observers believe that the Front was a pro-Syrian organization whose membership was primarily Lebanese. However, the PLO stated that the actions claimed by the LNRF were actually carried out by isolated Palestinian guerrilla cells and some radical Lebanese leftists who supported them.
Activities: 1982–85
The LNRF carried out 128 guerrilla attacks against the IDF and Israeli-related targets in 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...
, Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon , as a geographic designation, is a Lebanese mountain range, averaging above 2,200 meters in height and receiving a substantial amount of precipitation, including snow, which averages around four meters deep. It extends across the whole country along about , parallel to the...
and the South in June, July and August 1983. At this point it was known as the Lebanese National Salvation Front and was backed by Syria.
Decline and demise: 1986–2000
A considerable number of LNRF fighters were killed in combat while fighting Israeli and South Lebanese Army (SLA) troops, whereas militants such as Anwar YassinAnwar Yassin
Anwar Yassin is a former Lebanese detainee in Israeli prisons. He was a militant in Jammoul, the military front of the Lebanese Communist Party, since his early youth in the mid 1980s...
and Soha Bechara
Souha Bechara
Souha Fawaz Bechara also spelled Souha Bechara or Soha Bechara is a Lebanese woman who, at the age of twenty one, attempted to assassinate General Antoine Lahad of the South Lebanon Army...
were taken prisoner and held in the infamous Khiam detention center
Khiam detention center
The Khiam Detention Center, located near Khiam, Lebanon, was a French barrack complex originally built in the 1930s. It became a base for the Lebanese army before falling under control of the South Lebanon Army and in 1985 was converted into a prison camp...
. Several others were liquidated in assassinations against leftist activists in Beirut and southern Lebanon in the late 1980s.
The last recorded Jammoul operation in the south occurred on 1999.
See also
- Lebanese National MovementLebanese National MovementThe 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...
- 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...
- Union of Lebanese Democratic YouthUnion of Lebanese Democratic YouthUnion of Lebanese Democratic Youth also known as UJDL, the French abbreviation of "Union de la Jeunesse Démocratique Libanais".It is a Lebanese leftist secular democratic youth organization as it defines itself in its documents....