Military Reform – 1994
1994
Intermediate Implementation 
Following 17 years of civil war that split the national defense into rival factions, General Emile Lahoud said that the army had been fully rebuilt, unified and disciplined to be the “most effective defence force Lebanon had.” It was reported that “[B]efore the civil war, the army’s strength was estimated at 20,000-25,000. Thousands of its troops defected to various confessional militias when the war began in 1975, reducing its strength to about 15,000. Its current strength is around 50,000 and is expected to rise to 55,000-60,000 next year with conscription.”1 The rebuilding and reorganization of the armed force suggests some important achievement in strengthening the armed force capable of protecting its border.