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Military Reform – 1990

Lebanon invited the Syrian troops to help oust rebel Gen. Aoun in a bid to strengthen the armed force of Lebanon. In doing so, the president told Israel and the United States in confidence that “a Syrian assault involving warplanes and tank and infantry units would not be opposed or obstructed.”¹ The rebel Gen. Michel Aoun was defeated and on 13 October 1990 and he took refuge in the French embassy.² As the situation improved, the Lebanese army ordered all military personnel who had left their posts to rejoin these posts no later than the evening of October 19 or face disciplinary proceedings.³

In 21 December 1990, rival Lebanese Shiite Amal and Hezbollah issued a joint statement after their meeting that they had agreed to facilitate the deployment of the Lebanese army throughout south Lebanon and the west Bekaa area.⁴

1. “U.S. Agreed Not to Block Move By Syria on Aoun, Lebanon Says,” Washington Post, October 16, 1990 (First Section, Page A16).
2. “Profile of Internal Displacement: Lebanon,” Global IDP Database, 2001, accessed April 4, 2011, http://www.idpproject.org, 17.
3. “Lebanon in brief; Army orders all personnel to rejoin their units,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, October 18, 1990.
4. “Shiite Malitias Agree to Facilitate Deployment Of Lebanese Army in South Lebanon,” Xinhua General News Service, December 22, 1990.