Lebanon: Treatment of members and supporters of the Lebanese Forces (1994-1998)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LBN29983.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Lebanon: Treatment of members and supporters of the Lebanese Forces (1994-1998), 1 September 1998, LBN29983.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab6640.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. |
The following information was provided during a 11 September 1998 telephone interview with the Director of the Centre For Lebanese Studies in Oxford, England.
The Director stated that the situation of members and supporters of the Lebanese Forces has improved significantly in the last two years. Members of the Lebanese Forces (LF) participated in the recent municipal elections and were very successful. The candidates officially represented the Lebanese Forces, a fact well-known by the Syrian and Lebanese security forces. None of the candidates were harassed or mistreated during the campaign. The Director added that there is no mass targeting of members or supporters of the LF.
This information was corroborated by the Director of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the American University of Beirut (AUB) (11 Sept. 1998). He added that this is part of a campaign by the Syrian and Lebanese government to build bridges with the Maronite community and to include them in the political establishment.
According to the Middle East Economic Digest (MEED),
The ones with the most to gain from the whole (electoral( process are Chamoun's National Liberal Party and the Lebanese Forces. These parties boycotted parliamentary elections in 1992 and 1996 but have now entered in the political establishment. "They have a foot in the system now," says Salem. "They will use it to build their power bases in the regions." Participating in these elections is seen as a precursor to participation in the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2000 (26 June 1998).
The following information was provided by a Lebanese publication called Shufimafi. As indicated on its Website Shufimafi is a free weekly news service on Lebanon and the Lebanese. Each Friday morning, subscribers receive a summary of the week's Lebanon news and information that is hard to find in the international newswires: national news, news of Lebanese abroad, excerpts from the editorials and the "Confidential" sections of the Beirut press, new books on Lebanon and the Middle East, new Lebanese Internet sites, job opportunities, sports, obituaries, etc.
In its 26 June 1998 edition Shufimafi stated that
Two ex-members of the Lebanese Forces (LF) militia died in Dora last Friday, apparently when a bomb they were transporting in a rented car blew up prematurely.
In its 5-19 June 1998 issue, the publication reported that
More than four years after its leader Samir Geagea was imprisoned and its members banned from any political activity, the Lebanese Forces (LF) party scored an impressive victory in the municipal and "mukhtar" elections. After receiving hints that the authorities would turn a blind eye" to their participation, LF officials hastily set up a campaign management team under the supervision of Mr. Geagea's wife Sethrida and former LF secretary-general Fuad Malek. Lebanese Forces candidates built subtle alliances and benefited from the efficiency and strong discipline of the former militia. They won nearly 300 municipal seats in the five "muhafazats", dominating more than 30 municipal councils.
Shufimafi also reported that
In a surprise ruling, the Judicial Council last Friday decided to endorse a request by Kataeb Party vice president Karim Pakradoumi to defend former Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in the Rashid Karami murder trial. Mr. Pakradoumi was Lebanese Forces second in command when prime minister Rashid Karami was assassinated in 1987 (23 Jan. 1998).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Director, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon. 11 September 1998. Telephone interview.
Director, Centre For Lebanese Studies, Oxford, England. 11 September 1998. Telephone interview.
Middle East Economic Digest (MEED). 26 June 1998. "Elections End With Surprise Defeat for Hizbollah." (NEXIS)
Shufimafi. 26 June 1998. "Two Explosions in Dora and Awkar." [Internet] <http://www.idrel.com.lb/idrel/shufimafi/archives/980619.htm> [Accessed on 17 Sept. 1998]
_____. 5-19 June 1998. "...and Show That the Lebanese Forces Strength Remains Intact." (Internet(
_____. 23 January 1998. "Pakradoumi Authorized to Defend Geagea." [Internet]