Marada Brigade
Encyclopedia
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
. Designated the Marada Brigade (Arabic: Katibatun al-Marada), they were the personal militia
of Suleiman Franjieh, president of Lebanon at the outbreak of the war, otherwise known as the Zgharta Liberation Army – ZLA (Arabic: Zgharta Jayish al-Tahrir) or Armée de Liberation de Zgharta (ALZ) in French
, after Franjieh's home town of Zgharta
in northern Lebanon.
The modernity of heritage
The evolving legacy
Clarity of purpose
Firm attitude
Pride, glory, potency, depth
Lighting: Creativity and sharpness
Red Color: Symbol of Sacrifice
Green Color: Cedar of Lebanon
Blue Color: Blue Horizon
Circle: Unshakable loyalty, Evolving dynamism, Genuine relations, Eternity of being,
Compass: Right direction, Clear decision, Safety value, Genuine legacy
Green Color: Eternity of life, Versatility of nature, Promise of prosperity, Power of giving, Color of safety, Bounty flow.
stronghold of the north, it was the frontline in the war for northern Lebanon as the Zgharta
-based Marada Brigade militia successfully repulsed and responded with attacks on Muslim LNM and PLO militias from neighboring Tripoli.
In March 1976, they supported the hard-pressed Republican Guard battalion 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 were initially allied with the Kataeb
but in 1978 the year when Suleiman Franjieh's son Tony Frangieh
was murdered, Franjieh became firmly pro-Syrian and stopped attending meetings with the Lebanese Front
. After the killing of a Kataeb member in the district of Zgharta Zawie
, the latest being Jude Al-Bayeh, the Kataeb party decided to react (it must be mentioned though that the killing of Jude El-Bayeh was a reaction to the previous murder of the Marada forces' junior commander Jamal Frangieh). On 13 June 1978, at 4am while everyone was sleeping, the Kataeb
, launched a surprise attack on Tony's summer mansion in Ehden
. About 28 guards were killed. About 10 Kataeb
members were killed in the attack.
The Marada's top commander, Suleiman Franjieh's son Tony
, his wife Vera and their 3-year-old daughter, were also murdered. Kataeb
member at the time Samir Geagea
was the leader of one of the attacking groups. Samir Geagea denies that he took part in the murder since he was injured in his right hand before getting to the castle and was taken to the hospital. Elie Hobeika
has always denied taking part in the killing although this also was never proven. Bashir Gemayel
denied being responsible for the killing.
There are many current political identities who admitted to the fact that Bashir Germayel was the one who ordered the attack on their allies.
After Tony's assassination, Tony's brother Robert took control of the Marada and nowadays Suleiman Frangieh, Jr.
, Tony's son, controls the Marada. He is a close personal friend of Syria
n President Bashar al-Assad
. He was serving as Interior Minister, one of the most powerful positions in the Lebanese government, when Rafiq al-Hariri
was assassinated on 14 February 2005.
After the 2005 legislative elections
, the Marada became member of the opposition alliance (pro-Syrian) together with Hizbullah.
In June 2006, the Marada Movement was officially launched as a political party
during a ceremony attended by supporters and representatives from Hizbullah, Amal Movement
, the Free Patriotic Movement
, and some pro-Syrian political figures.
By January 1976 the Frangieh-controlled militia ranks had swollen to 2,400 troops, a total comprising 800 full-time fighters and 1,500 irregulars. At its height in the late 1970s, the Al-Marada mustered some 3,500 men and women http://www.country-data.com/frd/cs/lebanon/lb_appnb.html equipped with small-arms drawn from LAF
reserves and ISF
police stations or supplied by Syria
, backed by a small armoured corps made of ex-Lebanese Army M113 APCs and gun-trucks, the latter being commandeered Land-Rover, GMC
and Toyota Land Cruiser
pickups fitted with heavy machine guns, recoilless rifles and anti-aircraft autocannons.
Structured along semi-conventional lines into mechanized infantry, ‘commando’, signals, medical and military police branches, the ZLA had its military HQ established at the small town of Ehden
near Zgharta
, home of the Frangieh family’s summer residence. While its membership and command structure was predominantly Maronite, they did included a few Greek-Catholics and Greek-Orthodox into their ranks. They initially allied themselves with the other Christian rightist parties in the Lebanese Front
, operating mainly in the northern Lebanon but also fought in East Beirut. After Tony Frangieh
was killed in the Ehden massacre perpetrated by the Lebanese Forces
(LF) in June 1978, he was replaced in the militia's command by his younger brother Robert Frangieh, later succeeded by its nephew Suleiman Frangieh, Jr.
in 1982.
Pushed to the sidelines for the rest of the war, the ZLA was able to remain active thanks to Syrian support and although its numbers dwindled to 1,600 fighters by the mid-1980s, the Al-Marada managed to hold on to the Frangieh clan fief in the Koura District
, the so-called ‘Northern Canton’. It was also alleged that they received the tacit backing from a contingent of unspecified number from the 1,700 men-strong Lebanese Army’s Seventh Brigade
stationed at Jbeil, being regarded as loyal to former president Suleiman Frangieh.
The Al-Marada even had a small ‘naval’ branch equipped with some ‘Zodiac’ rubber inflatable boat
s and converted fishing craft armed with heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft autocannons, being used as a shock force for both military and barratry
operations.
, Zgharta, Ehden, Bsharri
, Batroun
, and the illegal ports of Chekka
– Lebanon’s industrial hub at the time – and Silatah, was run by the Marada’s own civil administration of 80 public servants. The later were also entrusted of running the militia's own television and radio service, "The Voice of the Marada" (Arabic: Iza’at Sawt al-Marada) or "La Voix des Maradah" in French
.
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...
political party and a former militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
active during 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...
, named after the legendary Syriac
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
Marada or Mardaites
Mardaites
The Mardaites inhabited the highland regions of southern Anatolia, Isauria, Syria, and Lebanon. Their origins are little known, but they may have been of Armenian origin...
warriors of the early Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Designated the Marada Brigade (Arabic: Katibatun al-Marada), they were the personal militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
of Suleiman Franjieh, president of Lebanon at the outbreak of the war, otherwise known as the Zgharta Liberation Army – ZLA (Arabic: Zgharta Jayish al-Tahrir) or Armée de Liberation de Zgharta (ALZ) 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...
, after Franjieh's home town of 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...
in northern Lebanon.
Motto
El Marada:The modernity of heritage
The evolving legacy
Clarity of purpose
Firm attitude
Pride, glory, potency, depth
Flag Explanation
The Sword: Symbol of justiceLighting: Creativity and sharpness
Red Color: Symbol of Sacrifice
Green Color: Cedar of Lebanon
Blue Color: Blue Horizon
Logo Explanation
Pi: Unity of purpose, Depth in justice, Core values, Perseverance through adversity, Resilient stands,Circle: Unshakable loyalty, Evolving dynamism, Genuine relations, Eternity of being,
Compass: Right direction, Clear decision, Safety value, Genuine legacy
Green Color: Eternity of life, Versatility of nature, Promise of prosperity, Power of giving, Color of safety, Bounty flow.
Marada in Lebanese History
During the Lebanese civil war, Zgharta being the frontline and ChristianChristianity in Lebanon
Christianity in Lebanon has a long and continuous history beginning with the visits of Jesus to the southern territories, where he is said to have performed many miraculous healings. Biblical Scriptures reveal that Peter and Paul evangelized the Phoenicians, whom they affiliated to the ancient...
stronghold of the north, it was the frontline in the war for northern Lebanon as the 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...
-based Marada Brigade militia successfully repulsed and responded with attacks on Muslim LNM and PLO militias from neighboring Tripoli.
In March 1976, they supported the hard-pressed Republican Guard battalion 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 were initially allied with the 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...
but in 1978 the year when Suleiman Franjieh's son Tony Frangieh
Tony Frangieh
Antoine Frangieh was a Lebanese politician and militia leader during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War.- Education and early political career :...
was murdered, Franjieh became firmly pro-Syrian and stopped attending meetings with 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...
. After the killing of a Kataeb member in the district of Zgharta Zawie
Zgharta District
Zgharta District is a district of the North Governorate, Lebanon.The administrative center is the town of Zgharta. The district has 57 populated areas with 30 municipalities covering 37 villages. Some areas share the same municipality such as Ehden/Zgharta, Kfarsghab/Morh Kfarsghab or...
, the latest being Jude Al-Bayeh, the Kataeb party decided to react (it must be mentioned though that the killing of Jude El-Bayeh was a reaction to the previous murder of the Marada forces' junior commander Jamal Frangieh). On 13 June 1978, at 4am while everyone was sleeping, the 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...
, launched a surprise attack on Tony's summer mansion in Ehden
Ehden
Ehden is a mountainous town situated in the heart of the northern mountains of Lebanon and on the southwestern slopes of Mount Makmal and Kornet el Sawda, the highest peak in Lebanon...
. About 28 guards were killed. About 10 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...
members were killed in the attack.
The Marada's top commander, Suleiman Franjieh's son Tony
Tony Frangieh
Antoine Frangieh was a Lebanese politician and militia leader during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War.- Education and early political career :...
, his wife Vera and their 3-year-old daughter, were also murdered. 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...
member at the time Samir Geagea
Samir Geagea
Samir Farid Geagea , born October 25, 1952, is a Lebanese politician. He is also a senior figure in the March 14 Alliance, alongside Saad Hariri and Amine Gemayel....
was the leader of one of the attacking groups. Samir Geagea denies that he took part in the murder since he was injured in his right hand before getting to the castle and was taken to the hospital. Elie Hobeika
Elie Hobeika
Elie Hobeika was a Lebanese Phalangist and Lebanese Forces militia commander during the Lebanese Civil War, and former MP...
has always denied taking part in the killing although this also was never proven. Bashir Gemayel
Bachir Gemayel
Bachir Gemayel was a Lebanese politician, militia commander, and president-elect...
denied being responsible for the killing.
There are many current political identities who admitted to the fact that Bashir Germayel was the one who ordered the attack on their allies.
After Tony's assassination, Tony's brother Robert took control of the Marada and nowadays Suleiman Frangieh, Jr.
Suleiman Frangieh, Jr.
Suleiman Tony Franjieh , born on November 18, 1965 in Zgharta, Lebanon is the current leader of the Marada Movement and a Member of Parliament for the Maronite Catholic seat of Zgharta-Zawyie, in North Lebanon...
, Tony's son, controls the Marada. He is a close personal friend of Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n President Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
. He was serving as Interior Minister, one of the most powerful positions in the Lebanese government, when Rafiq al-Hariri
Rafik Hariri
Rafic Baha El Deen Al-Hariri , was a business tycoon and the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004.He headed five cabinets during his tenure...
was assassinated on 14 February 2005.
After the 2005 legislative elections
Lebanese general election, 2005
The 2005 Lebanese General Elections were the first elections in thirty years without a Syrian military or intelligence presence in Lebanon. These elections were the first in Lebanese history to be won outright by a single electoral block and were also the first to be monitored by the United...
, the Marada became member of the opposition alliance (pro-Syrian) together with Hizbullah.
In June 2006, the Marada Movement was officially launched as a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
during a ceremony attended by supporters and representatives from Hizbullah, Amal Movement
Amal Movement
Amal Movement is short for the Lebanese Resistance Detachments the acronym for which, in Arabic, is "amal", meaning "hope."Amal was founded in 1975 as the militia wing of the Movement of the Disinherited, a Shi'a political movement founded by Musa...
, the Free Patriotic Movement
Free Patriotic Movement
The Free Patriotic Movement , also known as the "Aounist Movement" , is a Lebanese political party, led by Michel Aoun and allied with Hezbollah, The movement was officially declared a political party on September 18, 2005Though most of the party's support comes from Lebanon's...
, and some pro-Syrian political figures.
Military structure and organisation
The Marada's ZLA military wing was formed in 1967 and at the outbreak of the war in April 1975, they numbered just 700 men armed with obsolete firearms acquired in the black market.By January 1976 the Frangieh-controlled militia ranks had swollen to 2,400 troops, a total comprising 800 full-time fighters and 1,500 irregulars. At its height in the late 1970s, the Al-Marada mustered some 3,500 men and women http://www.country-data.com/frd/cs/lebanon/lb_appnb.html equipped with small-arms drawn from LAF
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...
reserves and ISF
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...
police stations or supplied by Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, backed by a small armoured corps made of ex-Lebanese Army M113 APCs and gun-trucks, the latter being commandeered Land-Rover, 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...
and Toyota Land Cruiser
Toyota Land Cruiser
The is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corporation. It is not related to the Studebaker Land Cruiser car produced in the US from 1934-1954....
pickups fitted with heavy machine guns, recoilless rifles and anti-aircraft autocannons.
Structured along semi-conventional lines into mechanized infantry, ‘commando’, signals, medical and military police branches, the ZLA had its military HQ established at the small town of Ehden
Ehden
Ehden is a mountainous town situated in the heart of the northern mountains of Lebanon and on the southwestern slopes of Mount Makmal and Kornet el Sawda, the highest peak in Lebanon...
near 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...
, home of the Frangieh family’s summer residence. While its membership and command structure was predominantly Maronite, they did included a few Greek-Catholics and Greek-Orthodox into their ranks. They initially allied themselves with the other Christian rightist parties in 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...
, operating mainly in the northern Lebanon but also fought in East Beirut. After Tony Frangieh
Tony Frangieh
Antoine Frangieh was a Lebanese politician and militia leader during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War.- Education and early political career :...
was killed in the Ehden massacre perpetrated by 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) in June 1978, he was replaced in the militia's command by his younger brother Robert Frangieh, later succeeded by its nephew Suleiman Frangieh, Jr.
Suleiman Frangieh, Jr.
Suleiman Tony Franjieh , born on November 18, 1965 in Zgharta, Lebanon is the current leader of the Marada Movement and a Member of Parliament for the Maronite Catholic seat of Zgharta-Zawyie, in North Lebanon...
in 1982.
Pushed to the sidelines for the rest of the war, the ZLA was able to remain active thanks to Syrian support and although its numbers dwindled to 1,600 fighters by the mid-1980s, the Al-Marada managed to hold on to the Frangieh clan fief in the Koura District
Koura District
Koura or El Koura is a district in the North Governorate, Lebanon.Koura is one of the 36 districts of Lebanon, which is very popular for the olive tree cultivation. It is known by its dark green color....
, the so-called ‘Northern Canton’. It was also alleged that they received the tacit backing from a contingent of unspecified number from the 1,700 men-strong Lebanese Army’s Seventh Brigade
7th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
The 7th Infantry Brigade was composed of 1,700 men in 1987. A contingent of the Seventh Brigade was stationed in the Jbeil district, north of Beirut. This contingent was regarded as loyal to former President Suleiman Frangieh, whose feudal seat, Zgharta, is a few kilometers southwest of Tripoli...
stationed at Jbeil, being regarded as loyal to former president Suleiman Frangieh.
The Al-Marada even had a small ‘naval’ branch equipped with some ‘Zodiac’ rubber inflatable boat
Inflatable boat
An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and hull beneath it is often flexible. On boats longer than , the floor often consists of three to five rigid plywood or aluminium sheets fixed...
s and converted fishing craft armed with heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft autocannons, being used as a shock force for both military and barratry
Barratry
Barratry is the name of four legal concepts, three in criminal and civil law, and one in admiralty law.* Barratry, in criminal and civil law, is the act or practice of bringing repeated legal actions solely to harass...
operations.
List of Marada leaders
- Tony Frangieh (1967–1978)
- Robert Frangieh (1978–1982)
- Suleiman Frangieh, Jr. (1982–1990)
Administrative organisation
The ‘Northern Canton’, which comprised the northern Lebanon districts of TripoliTripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, Zgharta, Ehden, 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...
, 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 :...
, and the illegal ports of Chekka
Chekka
Chekka is coastal town located in the South of North Lebanon. It is located north of Râs ach-Chaq’a’ and Herri beaches, or Theoprosopon of classical times and south of the ancient Phoenician port of Enfeh and the city of Tripoli. The origin of the word is believed to be Canaanite from the word...
– Lebanon’s industrial hub at the time – and Silatah, was run by the Marada’s own civil administration of 80 public servants. The later were also entrusted of running the militia's own television and radio service, "The Voice of the Marada" (Arabic: Iza’at Sawt al-Marada) or "La Voix des Maradah" 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...
.