Kataeb Regulatory Forces
Encyclopedia
The Kataeb Regulatory Forces – KRF or RF (Arabic:
الكتائب القوات لنظامیة | Kataeb al-Quwwat al-Nizamiyah), Forces Regulatoires du Kataeb (FRK) in French
were the military wing of the right-wing Lebanese Christian Kataeb Party
, otherwise known as the Phalange, from 1961 to 1977. The Kataeb militia, which fought in the early years of the Lebanese civil war
and was the predecessor of the Lebanese Forces
.
but also the oldest. It was founded in 1937 as the “Militants’ organization” by the President of the Party Pierre Gemayel
and William Hawi
, an Lebanese-American glass industrialist, who led them during the 1958 civil war. Fighting alongside the pro-government forces, the Phalangists defended the Metn region, a traditional Phalangist stronghold centered at the town of Bikfaya
and the Gemayel family’ feudal seat, and kept the main roads connecting Beirut to that territory open, where the Gemayels held numerous commercial interests.
Disbanded in January 1961
by order of the Kataeb Party' Political Bureau, Hawi created in their place the Kataeb Regulatory Forces. In order to coordinate the activities of all Phalange paramilitary forces, the Political Bureau set up the Kataeb War Council (Arabic: Majliss al-Harbi) in 1970, with William Hawi being appointed as head. The seat of the Council was allocated at the Kataeb Party
’s Headquarters at the heart of Ashrafieh quarter in East Beirut and a quiet expansion of KRF units followed suit, complemented by the development of a training infrastructure.
Two company-sized Special Forces
units, the “1st Commando” and the “2nd Commando” were created in 1963, soon followed by the “Pierre Gemayel” squad (later a company) and a VIP protection squad. To this was added in 1973 another commando platoon (Arabic: Maghaweer) and a “Combat School” was secretly opened at Tabrieh, near Bsharri
in the Keserwan District
; another special unit, the “Bashir Gemayel brigade” – named after Pierre Gemayel’s youngest son, Bashir – was formed in the following year, absorbing the old “PG” company in the process.
Prior to the war, the Kataeb militia initially received covert support from the Lebanese Army, Egypt
and Jordan
, and from well-connected right-wing sympathisers in Spain
, France
, Belgium
, Britain
and West Germany
. Weapons were purchased in the international black market or directly from eastern bloc countries, namely Czechoslovakia
, Bulgaria
and Romania
; from January 1976 onwards they were secretly financed and armed by Israel
.
The RF was re-organized and expanded in May 1975, and new specialized units were raised – a Signals battalion (Arabic: Silah al-Ichara), an armoured battalion (Arabic: Silah al-Moudara’a), a battalion-sized women’s section (Arabic: Nizamiyyat) led by Jocelyne Khoueiry, and an artillery group. To maintain law and order in the areas under Phalangist control at Beirut
and elsewhere, in 1976 a 1,000-strong Police unit, the Kataeb Security Sections or “Sections Kataeb de Securité” (SKS) in French
was formed and commanded by Raymond Assayan.
After Hawi was killed in action on July 13, 1976, he was replaced by Bashir Gemayel, the senior RF Inspector since 1971 and future supremo of the Lebanese Forces
.
The collapse of the Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF) and the Internal Security Forces
(ISF) in January 1976, coupled by the massive influx of Israeli military aid, increased Phalangist ranks to 10,000-15,000 men and women, this number including civilian recruits and deserters from the Lebanese Army. They were equipped with a variety of modern small-arms seized from LAF barracks and ISF Police stations or supplied by the Israelis, backed by many gun-trucks (M38A1 MD jeeps, Land-Rovers, Toyota Land Cruisers; Peugeot
, Chrysler
, Ford and Chevrolet
light pick-ups, and GMC
cargo trucks) equipped with heavy machine guns (HMGs), recoilless rifles and anti-aircraft autocannons. The Phalangists’ own modest armoured force of five homemade armoured vehicles employed in October 1975 at the Battle of the Hotels
in Beirut was also augmented at the time with some ex-LAF vehicles such as AMX-13
light tank
s, M113 armoured personnel carrier
s, Panhard AML-90
armoured cars, Staghound armoured cars, and V-100 Commando cars. This allowed for the quick expansion of the RF armoured corps to brigade strength, further strengthened by a consignment of 20 ex-Israeli M50 Super Sherman
medium tank
s (one M50 tank was later lent to the allied Guardians of the Cedars
militia, leaving the KRF with a total of 19 Shermans), later joined by two M41 Walker Bulldog
light tanks captured from the Lebanese Arab Army in July 1976. Their artillery corps was equally expanded after obtaining a number of British QF Mk III 25 Pounder anti-tank guns, French Mle 1950 BF-50 155mm howitzers
and Soviet S-60 57mm anti-aircraft gun
s either seized from LAF stocks, acquired on the black market or even provided by Israel.
(including Bsharri
), along with East Beirut, and the coastal districts of Jounieh
, Amsheet
, Jbeil, and Batroun
.
Considered by many analysts as the best organized of all militia “fiefs” in the whole of Lebanon under the leadership of "chef" Boutros Khawand, it was administrated by a network of Phalangist-controlled business corporations headed by the GAMMA Group “brain-trust”, backed by the DELTA computer company, and the SONAPORT holding. The latter run since 1975 the legal commercial ports of Jounieh and Beirut, including the infamous clandestine “Dock Five” – “Cinquième basin” in French
– from which the Phalange extracted additional revenues by leving illegal taxes and carried out drug- and arms-smuggling operations.
The Canton was also served by a clandestine-built airstrip, the Pierre Gemayel International Airport, opened in 1976 at Hamat
, north of Batroun, and had its own radio station "The Voice of Lebanon" (Arabic: Iza’at Sawt Loubnan) or "La Voix du Liban" (VDL) in French
set up in that same year.
when it passed through the Christian village of Kahale
, killing ten people and wounding an even greater number, mostly Palestinians.
Apart from being implicated in the early April 1975 “Bus massacre
” that helped trigger the civil war, the Kataeb RF perpetrated the infamous “Black Saturday
” killings – allegedly carried out by Phalange military commander Joseph Saad in retaliation for the assassination of his son – that killed about 200-300 Lebanese Muslim residents of East Beirut and drove many others out between December 1975 and January 1976.
On July–August of that same year, the Phalangists participated alongside its allies, the Army of Free Lebanon
, Al-Tanzim
, NLP Tigers Militia
, Guardians of the Cedars
(GoC), the Tyous Team of Commandos
(TTC) and the Lebanese Youth Movement (LYM) in the sieges – and subsequent massacres – of Karantina
, al-Masklah and Tel al-Zaatar Massacre
s at the Muslim-populated slum districts and adjacent Palestinian refugee camps of East Beirut, and at the town of Dbayeh
in the Metn.
The Kataeb RF was equally involved in atrocities committed against rival Christian militias’ and their leaders, namely the Ehden massacre in June 1978 which cost the life of Tony Franjieh, head of the Marada Brigade
, and the Safra massacre of July 1980, on which the Phalangists destroyed the NLP Tigers Militia
(though they prudently allowed the Tigers’ own Commander Dany Chamoun
to escape to exile).
Sporadic clashes with the Lebanese government military and security forces also occurred: during the blockade of Tel al-Zaatar, on January 11, 1976 KRF militiamen fired on a Lebanese Army relief convoy that was trying to enter the camp, killing two regular soldiers.
to become the primary and most fearsome fighting force in the Christian-conservative camp.
At Beirut and elsewhere, Phalange
’ militia sections were heavily committed in several battles against Lebanese National Movement
(LNM) leftist militias and suffered considerable casualties, notably at the Battle of the Hotels
in October 1975 where they fought the al-Murabitoun and the Nasserite Correctionist Movement (NCM), and later at the ‘Spring Offensive’ held against Mount Lebanon
in March 1976.
In January 1976 the Phalange
joined the main Christian parties – National Liberal Party
(NLP), Lebanese Renewal Party (LRP), Marada Brigade
, Al-Tanzim
, and others – in a loose coalition, the Lebanese Front
, designed to act as a political counterweight to the predominantely Muslim LNM alliance. In order to deal with the Syrian military intervention of June 1976 and better coordinate the military operations of their respective militias, Christian militia leaders agreed to form in August 1976 a joint military command (aka the ‘Command Council’) whose new collective name was the ‘Lebanese Forces’.
and its KRF militia under the charismatic leadership of Bashir Gemayel, who sought to unify the various Christian militias into a powerbase for himself. From 1977 Bashir implemented the controversial ‘unification of the rifle’ policy, on which his KRF units destroyed those smaller militias who had refused to be absorbed voluntarely into the new structure, though not without factional quarreling and setbacks.
The Phalangists’ failure to absorb or destroy the rival Marada Brigade
of the Frangieh Clan in the months immediately after the Ehden killings of June 1978 resulted in a severe blow to Bashir’s plans. Not only had the Marada (and the Frangiehs) survived intact despite the loss of their Commander, but also succeeded in defeating and ruthlessly driving the KRF out of the Koura
region of northern Lebanon. By the end of 1979, many Kataeb
Party’ members who had not been slaughtered by the Marada were forced to flee the region or went underground.
In between, the KRF lent discreet backing to the Army of Free Lebanon
(AFL) and the NLP Tigers
militias besiged by the Syrian Army
respectively on the AFL Fayadieh barracks and the Tigers’ Sodeco HQ at Ashrafieh, during the “Hundred Days War
” in early February 1978. They later played a key role on August by helping their allies in evicting the remaining Syrian units out from East Beirut.
In July 1980 Bashir Gemayel proceeded to dismantle the military infrastructure of the NLP Tigers led by its rival Dany Chamoun
, with the KRF destroying the backbone of the National Liberal’s militia and incorporating the rest after fierce fighting in the East Beirut area that lasted until October that year.
By early November 1980, the integration process had been completed and the Kataeb Regulatory Forces ceased to exist as a separate entity, now replaced by the new Lebanese Forces
(LF) militia as the dominant Christian force.
Ibrahim Tannous
. Of unknown strength, the militia usually operated in the north of the Matn region, where it was primarily based, though they also fought at East Beirut, participating in the final phase of the Tell al-Zaatar battle on July-August 1976. Since it was directly dependent of the Phalange
regional committee, it enjoyed a considerable autonomy from the Lebanese Forces until being forcibly disarmed by the LF on Bashir’s orders in 1981.
الكتائب القوات لنظامیة | Kataeb al-Quwwat al-Nizamiyah), Forces Regulatoires du Kataeb (FRK) in French
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...
were the military wing of the right-wing Lebanese Christian Kataeb Party
Kataeb Party
The Lebanese Phalanges , better known in English as the Phalange , is a traditional right-wing Lebanese political party. Although it is officially secular, it is mainly supported by Maronite Christians. The party played a major role in the Lebanese War...
, otherwise known as the Phalange, from 1961 to 1977. The Kataeb militia, which fought in the early years of the Lebanese civil war
Lebanese Civil War
The 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...
and was the predecessor 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...
.
Origins
The Phalange party’ militia was not only the largest and best organized political paramilitary force in LebanonLebanon
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...
but also the oldest. It was founded in 1937 as the “Militants’ organization” by the President of the Party Pierre Gemayel
Pierre Gemayel
Sheikh Pierre Gemayel , was a Lebanese political leader...
and William Hawi
William Hawi
William Amine Hawi , — , William Hawi joined the Kataeb Social Democratic Party in 1937 better known in English as the Phalangist party organization, a right-wing political party in Lebanon....
, an Lebanese-American glass industrialist, who led them during the 1958 civil war. Fighting alongside the pro-government forces, the Phalangists defended the Metn region, a traditional Phalangist stronghold centered at the town of Bikfaya
Bikfaya
Bikfaya is a town in the Matn District region of Mount Lebanon. Its stone houses with red-tiled roofs resting amidst pine and oak forests make Bikfaya one of the most sought-after suburbs of Beirut and one of Lebanon's most popular summer resorts.-Culture:...
and the Gemayel family’ feudal seat, and kept the main roads connecting Beirut to that territory open, where the Gemayels held numerous commercial interests.
Disbanded in January 1961
January 1961
January – February – March. – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in January 1961.-January 1, 1961 :...
by order of the Kataeb Party' Political Bureau, Hawi created in their place the Kataeb Regulatory Forces. In order to coordinate the activities of all Phalange paramilitary forces, the Political Bureau set up the Kataeb War Council (Arabic: Majliss al-Harbi) in 1970, with William Hawi being appointed as head. The seat of the Council was allocated at the Kataeb Party
Kataeb Party
The Lebanese Phalanges , better known in English as the Phalange , is a traditional right-wing Lebanese political party. Although it is officially secular, it is mainly supported by Maronite Christians. The party played a major role in the Lebanese War...
’s Headquarters at the heart of Ashrafieh quarter in East Beirut and a quiet expansion of KRF units followed suit, complemented by the development of a training infrastructure.
Two company-sized Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
units, the “1st Commando” and the “2nd Commando” were created in 1963, soon followed by the “Pierre Gemayel” squad (later a company) and a VIP protection squad. To this was added in 1973 another commando platoon (Arabic: Maghaweer) and a “Combat School” was secretly opened at Tabrieh, near Bsharri
Bsharri
Bsharri , is a Lebanese town at about 1,450 m of altitude, near the Kadisha Valley. It is located at , in the Bsharri District of the North Governorate. Bsharri is the town of the only remaining Original Cedars of Lebanon...
in the Keserwan District
Keserwan District
Keserwan is a district in the Mount Lebanon Governorate , Lebanon, to the northeast of the Lebanon's capital Beirut...
; another special unit, the “Bashir Gemayel brigade” – named after Pierre Gemayel’s youngest son, Bashir – was formed in the following year, absorbing the old “PG” company in the process.
Prior to the war, the Kataeb militia initially received covert support from the Lebanese Army, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, and from well-connected right-wing sympathisers in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. Weapons were purchased in the international black market or directly from eastern bloc countries, namely Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
; from January 1976 onwards they were secretly financed and armed by Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Military structure and organization
By April 1975 the Regulatory Forces (RF) were able to muster 5,000 militiamen, a total which included 2,000 full-time uniformed fighters backed by some 3,000 irregulars, originally armed with obsolete firearms. However, some sources place the total of RF fighters higher, around 8,000, organized into autonomous companies or battalions drawn from local Phalange party’ sections (Arabic: qism). Each section was responsible for handling all defensive or offensive military operations on their home districts, except for the regular units (the “Commando”, Maghaweer and “PG” companies), which moved between sections.The RF was re-organized and expanded in May 1975, and new specialized units were raised – a Signals battalion (Arabic: Silah al-Ichara), an armoured battalion (Arabic: Silah al-Moudara’a), a battalion-sized women’s section (Arabic: Nizamiyyat) led by Jocelyne Khoueiry, and an artillery group. To maintain law and order in the areas under Phalangist control at 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...
and elsewhere, in 1976 a 1,000-strong Police unit, the Kataeb Security Sections or “Sections Kataeb de Securité” (SKS) in French
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 formed and commanded by Raymond Assayan.
After Hawi was killed in action on July 13, 1976, he was replaced by Bashir Gemayel, the senior RF Inspector since 1971 and future supremo 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...
.
The collapse of the 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) and the Internal Security Forces
Internal Security Forces
The Internal Security Forces – ISF or Forces de Sécurité Intérieure in French, are the national police and security force of Lebanon. Modern police were established in Lebanon in 1861, with creation of the Gendarmerie...
(ISF) in January 1976, coupled by the massive influx of Israeli military aid, increased Phalangist ranks to 10,000-15,000 men and women, this number including civilian recruits and deserters from the Lebanese Army. They were equipped with a variety of modern small-arms seized from LAF barracks and ISF Police stations or supplied by the Israelis, backed by many gun-trucks (M38A1 MD jeeps, Land-Rovers, Toyota Land Cruisers; Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
, Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
, Ford and Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
light pick-ups, and GMC
GMC
GMC may refer to:* Ganglion mother cell, a cell in the developing nervous system that divides once to produce two neurons* General motion control, a field of motion control concerned with single- and multi-axis motion controllers, intelligent drives, servo and stepper motors* Generalized Method of...
cargo trucks) equipped with heavy machine guns (HMGs), recoilless rifles and anti-aircraft autocannons. The Phalangists’ own modest armoured force of five homemade armoured vehicles employed in October 1975 at 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...
in Beirut was also augmented at the time with some ex-LAF vehicles such as 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...
light tank
Light tank
A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major...
s, M113 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, 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:...
armoured cars, Staghound armoured cars, and V-100 Commando cars. This allowed for the quick expansion of the RF armoured corps to brigade strength, further strengthened by a consignment of 20 ex-Israeli M50 Super Sherman
M50 Super Sherman
The Sherman M-50 and the Sherman M-51, both known abroad as the Super Sherman, were modified versions of the American M4 Sherman tank that served with the Israel Defense Forces from the mid-1950s to early 1980s. The M-51 was also referred to as the Isherman...
medium tank
Medium tank
Medium tank was a classification of tanks; the medium being intermediate in size and weight and armament between heavy tanks and light tanks.The medium tank concept has been eclipsed by the main battle tank.-History:...
s (one M50 tank was later lent to the allied Guardians of the Cedars
Guardians of the Cedars
The Guardians of the Cedars – GoC , also designated Gardiens du Cedre or Gardiens des Cèdres in French, are a far-right ultranationalist Lebanese party and former militia in Lebanon...
militia, leaving the KRF with a total of 19 Shermans), later joined by two 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 captured from the Lebanese Arab Army in July 1976. Their artillery corps was equally expanded after obtaining a number of British QF Mk III 25 Pounder anti-tank guns, 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...
and Soviet S-60 57mm anti-aircraft gun
57 mm AZP S-60
57 mm AZP S-60 ; literally: Automatic anti-aircraft gun S-60) is a Soviet towed, road-transportable, short- to medium-range, single-barrel anti-aircraft gun from the 1950s. The gun was extensively used in Warsaw Pact, Middle Eastern and South-East Asian countries.-History:In the late 1940s, the...
s either seized from LAF stocks, acquired on the black market or even provided by Israel.
Administrative organization and illegal activities
The Phalange was the first Lebanese faction to carve out its own “Canton” in late 1976, designated variously as the “Christian Country”, “Maronite enclave” or “Marounistan”. With a surface of 2,000 square kilometres, the Canton comprised the Metn, most of the Keserwan DistrictKeserwan District
Keserwan is a district in the Mount Lebanon Governorate , Lebanon, to the northeast of the Lebanon's capital Beirut...
(including Bsharri
Bsharri
Bsharri , is a Lebanese town at about 1,450 m of altitude, near the Kadisha Valley. It is located at , in the Bsharri District of the North Governorate. Bsharri is the town of the only remaining Original Cedars of Lebanon...
), along with East Beirut, and the coastal districts 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...
, Amsheet
Amsheet
Amsheet is a predominantly Maronite seaside town in Lebanon about 40 km north of Beirut.There are many old churches in Amsheet -Demography:...
, Jbeil, and Batroun
Batroun
The coastal city of Batroun located in northern Lebanon is one of the oldest cities of the world. Batroun is home to a Lebanese Red Cross First Aid Center.- Etymology :...
.
Considered by many analysts as the best organized of all militia “fiefs” in the whole of Lebanon under the leadership of "chef" Boutros Khawand, it was administrated by a network of Phalangist-controlled business corporations headed by the GAMMA Group “brain-trust”, backed by the DELTA computer company, and the SONAPORT holding. The latter run since 1975 the legal commercial ports of Jounieh and Beirut, including the infamous clandestine “Dock Five” – “Cinquième basin” in French
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...
– from which the Phalange extracted additional revenues by leving illegal taxes and carried out drug- and arms-smuggling operations.
The Canton was also served by a clandestine-built airstrip, the Pierre Gemayel International Airport, opened in 1976 at Hamat
Hamat
Hamat is a village in Lebanon. It is located 287 meters atop the historic cape of Theoprosopon. It is home to the historic shrine and monastery of Our Lady of Nourieh. The village is also home to the convent of Saint Elie, which overlooks the valley and the Joze River, or the River of Walnuts...
, north of Batroun, and had its own radio station "The Voice of Lebanon" (Arabic: Iza’at Sawt Loubnan) or "La Voix du Liban" (VDL) in French
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...
set up in that same year.
Controversy
Stubborn and ruthless fighters with a reputation for racketeering, the Phalangists themselves were not above of committing sectarian violence, a trait they manifested early on in the years leading to the civil war. On March 24, 1970 a squad of Phalange militiamen led by Bashir Gemayel ambushed a PLO funeral cortege heading for DamascusDamascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
when it passed through the Christian village of Kahale
Kahale
Kahale is a mountain village in the district of Aley , Lebanon, 13 km from Beirut. Population estimated at 13,000 residents all of which are Maronite Catholics.- Religion :The village has three churches:...
, killing ten people and wounding an even greater number, mostly Palestinians.
Apart from being implicated in the early April 1975 “Bus massacre
Bus Massacre
The Bus Massacre, also known as the ‘Ain el-Rammaneh incident’ , was the collective name given to a short series of armed clashes involving Lebanese Christian and Palestinian elements in the streets of central Beirut, which is commonly presented as the spark that set off the Lebanese Civil War in...
” that helped trigger the civil war, the Kataeb RF perpetrated the infamous “Black Saturday
Black Saturday (Lebanon)
Black Saturday was a series of massacres and armed clashes in Beirut, that occurred in the first stages of the Lebanese Civil War.On Saturday December 6, 1975, the bodies of four members of the rightist Kataeb Party , an organization grouping primarily Maronite Christians, were found in an...
” killings – allegedly carried out by Phalange military commander Joseph Saad in retaliation for the assassination of his son – that killed about 200-300 Lebanese Muslim residents of East Beirut and drove many others out between December 1975 and January 1976.
Army of Free Lebanon
The Army of Free Lebanon – AFL or ‘Colonel Barakat’s Army’ , also designated Armée du Liban Libre 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.-Emblem:Upon...
, Al-Tanzim
Al-Tanzim
The Al-Tanzim, Al-Tanzym or At-Tanzim was the name of an ultra-nationalist secret military society and militia set up by right-wing Christian activists in Lebanon at the early 1970s, and which came to play an important role in the Lebanese Civil War.-Emblem:The emblem of the group, a map of Lebanon...
, NLP Tigers Militia
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...
, Guardians of the Cedars
Guardians of the Cedars
The Guardians of the Cedars – GoC , also designated Gardiens du Cedre or Gardiens des Cèdres in French, are a far-right ultranationalist Lebanese party and former militia in Lebanon...
(GoC), the Tyous Team of Commandos
Tyous Team of Commandos
The Tyous Team of Commandos – TTC or simply Tyous for short , was a small far-right Christian militia which fought in the 1975-78 phase of the Lebanese Civil War.-Origins:The Tyous was quietly formed at the early 1970s in Beirut by one...
(TTC) and the Lebanese Youth Movement (LYM) in the sieges – and subsequent massacres – of Karantina
Karantina Massacre
The Karantina massacre took place early in the Lebanese Civil War on January 18, 1976. With the breakdown in authority of the Lebanese government the militancy of radical factions increased...
, al-Masklah and Tel al-Zaatar Massacre
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:...
s at the Muslim-populated slum districts and adjacent Palestinian refugee camps of East Beirut, and at the town of Dbayeh
Dbayeh
Dbayeh in arabic , is a town located on the mediterranean sea in the matn district mount-lebanon governorate, between Beirut the capital of Lebanon ,and jounieh , almost all the population is christian exluding some gulf arabs muslims who reside in Dbayeh during the summerThe "Dog River" cuts...
in the Metn.
The Kataeb RF was equally involved in atrocities committed against rival Christian militias’ and their leaders, namely the Ehden massacre in June 1978 which cost the life of Tony Franjieh, head of the 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...
, and the Safra massacre of July 1980, on which the Phalangists destroyed the NLP Tigers Militia
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...
(though they prudently allowed the Tigers’ own Commander Dany Chamoun
Dany Chamoun
Dany Chamoun was a prominent Lebanese politician. A Maronite Christian and the younger son of former President Camille Chamoun, Dany Chamoun was also a politician in his own right, and was known for his opposition to the occupation of Lebanese territory by foreign forces, whether Syrian or...
to escape to exile).
Sporadic clashes with the Lebanese government military and security forces also occurred: during the blockade of Tel al-Zaatar, on January 11, 1976 KRF militiamen fired on a Lebanese Army relief convoy that was trying to enter the camp, killing two regular soldiers.
The KRF in the 1975-76 Civil War
During the 1975-76 phase of the Lebanese Civil War, the Kataeb Regulatory Forces’ own mobilization and street action skills allowed the PhalangistsKataeb Party
The Lebanese Phalanges , better known in English as the Phalange , is a traditional right-wing Lebanese political party. Although it is officially secular, it is mainly supported by Maronite Christians. The party played a major role in the Lebanese War...
to become the primary and most fearsome fighting force in the Christian-conservative camp.
At Beirut and elsewhere, Phalange
Kataeb Party
The Lebanese Phalanges , better known in English as the Phalange , is a traditional right-wing Lebanese political party. Although it is officially secular, it is mainly supported by Maronite Christians. The party played a major role in the Lebanese War...
’ militia sections were heavily committed in several battles against 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) leftist militias and suffered considerable casualties, notably at 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...
in October 1975 where they fought the al-Murabitoun and the Nasserite Correctionist Movement (NCM), and later at the ‘Spring Offensive’ held against 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...
in March 1976.
In January 1976 the Phalange
Kataeb Party
The Lebanese Phalanges , better known in English as the Phalange , is a traditional right-wing Lebanese political party. Although it is officially secular, it is mainly supported by Maronite Christians. The party played a major role in the Lebanese War...
joined the main Christian parties – National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party (Lebanon)
The National Liberal Party is a center-right political party in Lebanon, established by President Camille Chamoun in 1958...
(NLP), Lebanese Renewal Party (LRP), 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...
, Al-Tanzim
Al-Tanzim
The Al-Tanzim, Al-Tanzym or At-Tanzim was the name of an ultra-nationalist secret military society and militia set up by right-wing Christian activists in Lebanon at the early 1970s, and which came to play an important role in the Lebanese Civil War.-Emblem:The emblem of the group, a map of Lebanon...
, and others – in a loose coalition, the Lebanese Front
Lebanese 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...
, designed to act as a political counterweight to the predominantely Muslim LNM alliance. In order to deal with the Syrian military intervention of June 1976 and better coordinate the military operations of their respective militias, Christian militia leaders agreed to form in August 1976 a joint military command (aka the ‘Command Council’) whose new collective name was the ‘Lebanese Forces’.
Reversals and re-organization 1977-79
From the very beginning, it became clear that the Lebanese Front’s Command Council was dominated by the PhalangeKataeb Party
The Lebanese Phalanges , better known in English as the Phalange , is a traditional right-wing Lebanese political party. Although it is officially secular, it is mainly supported by Maronite Christians. The party played a major role in the Lebanese War...
and its KRF militia under the charismatic leadership of Bashir Gemayel, who sought to unify the various Christian militias into a powerbase for himself. From 1977 Bashir implemented the controversial ‘unification of the rifle’ policy, on which his KRF units destroyed those smaller militias who had refused to be absorbed voluntarely into the new structure, though not without factional quarreling and setbacks.
The Phalangists’ failure to absorb or destroy the rival 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...
of the Frangieh Clan in the months immediately after the Ehden killings of June 1978 resulted in a severe blow to Bashir’s plans. Not only had the Marada (and the Frangiehs) survived intact despite the loss of their Commander, but also succeeded in defeating and ruthlessly driving the KRF out of the Koura
Koura
Koura may refer to:* Koura District, or El-Koura, a district in North Lebanon* New Zealand freshwater crayfish known as koura, see Paranephrops...
region of northern Lebanon. By the end of 1979, many Kataeb
Kataeb Party
The Lebanese Phalanges , better known in English as the Phalange , is a traditional right-wing Lebanese political party. Although it is officially secular, it is mainly supported by Maronite Christians. The party played a major role in the Lebanese War...
Party’ members who had not been slaughtered by the Marada were forced to flee the region or went underground.
In between, the KRF lent discreet backing to the Army of Free Lebanon
Army of Free Lebanon
The Army of Free Lebanon – AFL or ‘Colonel Barakat’s Army’ , also designated Armée du Liban Libre 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.-Emblem:Upon...
(AFL) and 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...
militias besiged 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...
respectively on the AFL Fayadieh barracks and the Tigers’ Sodeco HQ at Ashrafieh, 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. They later played a key role on August by helping their allies in evicting the remaining Syrian units out from East Beirut.
Consolidation and dissolution 1980-81
Notwithstanding the heavy blow inflicted by the Koura disaster on the Phalangists’ political and military prestige, their unification policy continued unabated.In July 1980 Bashir Gemayel proceeded to dismantle the military infrastructure of the NLP Tigers led by its rival Dany Chamoun
Dany Chamoun
Dany Chamoun was a prominent Lebanese politician. A Maronite Christian and the younger son of former President Camille Chamoun, Dany Chamoun was also a politician in his own right, and was known for his opposition to the occupation of Lebanese territory by foreign forces, whether Syrian or...
, with the KRF destroying the backbone of the National Liberal’s militia and incorporating the rest after fierce fighting in the East Beirut area that lasted until October that year.
By early November 1980, the integration process had been completed and the Kataeb Regulatory Forces ceased to exist as a separate entity, now replaced by the new 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) militia as the dominant Christian force.
Force 75
The Force 75, also designated the ‘75th Brigade’, was the personal militia of Amin Gemayel, Bashir Gemayel’s elder brother. Technically a unit of the Kataeb Regulatory Forces (KRF), the Force 75 was raised in 1975-76 with material help from the Lebanese Army and trained by the then ColonelColonel
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...
Ibrahim Tannous
Ibrahim Tannous
Ibrahim Tannous , is a former commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces. He gave his resignation and was succeeded by Michel Aoun in June of 1984 after accusations were leveled at him of anti-Muslim bias.-External links:*...
. Of unknown strength, the militia usually operated in the north of the Matn region, where it was primarily based, though they also fought at East Beirut, participating in the final phase of the Tell al-Zaatar battle on July-August 1976. Since it was directly dependent of the Phalange
Kataeb Party
The Lebanese Phalanges , better known in English as the Phalange , is a traditional right-wing Lebanese political party. Although it is officially secular, it is mainly supported by Maronite Christians. The party played a major role in the Lebanese War...
regional committee, it enjoyed a considerable autonomy from the Lebanese Forces until being forcibly disarmed by the LF on Bashir’s orders in 1981.
See also
- Army of Free LebanonArmy of Free LebanonThe Army of Free Lebanon – AFL or ‘Colonel Barakat’s Army’ , also designated Armée du Liban Libre 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.-Emblem:Upon...
- Al-TanzimAl-TanzimThe Al-Tanzim, Al-Tanzym or At-Tanzim was the name of an ultra-nationalist secret military society and militia set up by right-wing Christian activists in Lebanon at the early 1970s, and which came to play an important role in the Lebanese Civil War.-Emblem:The emblem of the group, a map of Lebanon...
- 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...
- Bashir Gemayel
- 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 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...
- Safra massacre
- 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:...
- Tyous Team of CommandosTyous Team of CommandosThe Tyous Team of Commandos – TTC or simply Tyous for short , was a small far-right Christian militia which fought in the 1975-78 phase of the Lebanese Civil War.-Origins:The Tyous was quietly formed at the early 1970s in Beirut by one...
- William HawiWilliam HawiWilliam Amine Hawi , — , William Hawi joined the Kataeb Social Democratic Party in 1937 better known in English as the Phalangist party organization, a right-wing political party in Lebanon....
- Kataeb PartyKataeb PartyThe Lebanese Phalanges , better known in English as the Phalange , is a traditional right-wing Lebanese political party. Although it is officially secular, it is mainly supported by Maronite Christians. The party played a major role in the Lebanese War...
- Karantina MassacreKarantina MassacreThe Karantina massacre took place early in the Lebanese Civil War on January 18, 1976. With the breakdown in authority of the Lebanese government the militancy of radical factions increased...
Further reading
- Frank Stoakes, The Super vigilantes: the Lebanese Kata’eb Party as Builder, Surrogate, and Defender of the State, Middle East Studies 11, 3 (October 1975): 215236.
- Jean Sarkis, Histoire de la guerre du Liban, Presses Universitaires de France - PUF, Paris 1993. ISBN 978-2130458012 (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...
) - John P. Entelis, Pluralism and party transformation in Lebanon: Al-Kata'ib, 1936-1970, E. J. Brill, Leiden 1974.
- 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...
) - Marie-Christine Aulas, The Socio-Ideological Development of the Maronite Community: The Emergenge of the Phalanges and Lebanese Forces, Arab Studies Quarterly 7, 4 (Fall 1985): pp. 1–27.
External links
- http://www.kataeb.org/ Official Lebanese Phalange Party site.
- http://www.steelmasters.com/ Steelmasters Magazine site.
- http://www.blue-steel.info/ official Blue-Steel books site.
- http://blue-steel-books.blogspot.com/ blue-steel-books internet blog.
- http://www.elitegrplebanon.com/ site of the Elitegroup-Lebanon.
- http://hk-elie-hobeika.blogspot.com/2009/01/lebanese-war-and-its-very-complex-and.html/ Secrets of the Lebanese civil war - a little biased, but containing useful info on Kataeb militia operations.
- http://www.tanbourit.com/lebanon_war.htm/ account of the Lebanese civil war, same as above.