Lebanon: 1) Treatment of Lebanese civilians who work for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL); 2) Possibility of simultaneous membership in both the South Lebanon Army and the Lebanese Forces
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 August 1989 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LBN1591 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Lebanon: 1) Treatment of Lebanese civilians who work for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL); 2) Possibility of simultaneous membership in both the South Lebanon Army and the Lebanese Forces, 1 August 1989, LBN1591, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab5814.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
1) A report carried in The Economist on 27 September 1986 identifies the armed groups fighting for control of southern Lebanon. It mentions that the UNIFIL is viewed antagonistically by various militias as being an obstacle in retaliation attempts against Israel. Others, notably the Amal, see the UNIFIL as a force assisting in the eventual ousting of Israel from southern Lebanon. According to the article, it appears that the United Nations peacekeepers have taken on the status of combatants in the eyes of the various militias. Badri Hamadi, a spokesperson for the Lebanese community in Canada, notes that no armed groups favour UNIFIL and that the force is definitely seen as hostile. Consequently, those who work for UNIFIL are seen as "traitors".
2) Badri Hamadi, the spokesperson for the Lebanese community in Canada, claims that it is possible that a person might have simultaneously been a member of both the South Lebanon Army and the Lebanese Forces. Hamadi notes, as do the attached passages from Degenhardt's Revolutionary and Dissident Movements and the attached press clippings, that both these militias have been supported by Israel. The South Lebanon Army is still directed by Israel, according to Hamadi, but the Israeli influence in the Lebanese Forces is not clear at the present time. Nonetheless, since both groups have had some of their members trained by the Israelis, it is not inconceivable that some militiamen belonged to both organizations.