LEBANON Lebanon’s Legacy of Political Violence A Mapping of Serious Violations of International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in Lebanon, 1975–2008 September 2013 International Center Lebanon’s Legacy of Political Violence for Transitional Justice Acknowledgments The Lebanon Mapping Team comprised Lynn Maalouf, senior researcher at the Memory Interdisciplinary Research Unit of the Center for the Study of the Modern Arab World (CEMAM); Luc Coté, expert on mapping projects and fact-finding commissions; Théo Boudruche, international human rights and humanitarian law consultant; and researchers Wajih Abi Azar, Hassan Abbas, Samar Abou Zeid, Nassib Khoury, Romy Nasr, and Tarek Zeineddine. The team would like to thank the committee members who reviewed the report on behalf of the university: Christophe Varin, CEMAM director, who led the process of setting up and coordinating the committee’s work; Annie Tabet, professor of sociology; Carla Eddé, head of the history and international relations department; Liliane Kfoury, head of UIR; and Marie-Claude Najm, professor of law and political science. The team extends its special thanks to Dima de Clerck, who generously shared the results of her fieldwork from her PhD thesis, “Mémoires en conflit dans le Liban d’après-guerre: le cas des druzes et des chrétiens du Sud du Mont-Liban.” The team further owes its warm gratitude to the ICTJ Beirut office team, particularly Carmen Abou Hassoun Jaoudé, Head of the Lebanon Program. ICTJ thanks the European Union for their support which made this project possible. International Center for Transitional Justice The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) works to redress and prevent the most severe violations of human rights by confronting legacies of mass abuse. ICTJ seeks holistic solutions to promote accountability and create just and peaceful societies. Saint Joseph University A private university founded in 1875. The Lebanese state officially recognizes the university and its diplomas in accord with the law organizing higher education in Lebanon. Was accredited in 2009 by the French Evaluation Agency for Research and Higher Education. Center for the Study of the Modern Arab World The Center for the Study of the Modern Arab World, founded in 1971 and attached to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the Saint Joseph University of Beirut since 1977, is a center for research and study about the social facts in the Arab Middle East, developing interdisciplinary research along specific lines that are redefined every four years. © International Center for Transitional Justice, 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without full attribution. Disclaimer: The contents of the publication are the sole responsibility of ICTJ and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. II www.ictj.org International Center Lebanon’s Legacy of Political Violence for Transitional Justice CONTENT Map: Serious Violations in Lebanon ................................................................................VI Map: Serious Violations in Beirut ................................................................................. VII Acronyms .....................................................................................................................VIII Executive Summary .........................................................................................................IX Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1 1 The Two-Year War: February 1975–December 1976 ..........................................................6 1.1 Beginning of the War .......................................................................................................7 1.2 Black Saturday ................................................................................................................11 1.3 Forced Displacement and Violence .................................................................................12 1.4 Sieges and Violence ........................................................................................................13 2. An Untenable Truce: January 1977–December 1982 .......................................................22 2.1 Sectarian-based Violence in the Shuf ..............................................................................22 2.2 South Lebanon and Operation Litani .............................................................................24 2.3 The Hundred-Day War ..................................................................................................25 2.4 The Battle of Zahleh .......................................................................................................28 2.5 Targeted Assassinations and Car Bombs..........................................................................29 2.6 Escalating Violence in South Lebanon and Israel’s Operation Peace for Galilee ..............34 3. Old Wars, New Wars: January 1983–December 1988 ......................................................40 3.1 War of the Mountain ......................................................................................................40 3.2 Wars in Tripoli................................................................................................................45 3.3 South Lebanon and Israeli Violence ................................................................................47 3.4 Multiple Conflicts in Greater Beirut ..............................................................................49 3.5 War of the Camps ..........................................................................................................51 3.6 Targeted Assassinations, Car Bombs, and Abductions .....................................................53 3.7 Arbitrary Detentions and Torture ...................................................................................62 4 The End of the War: January 1989–October 1990 ...........................................................64 4.1 The War of Liberation ....................................................................................................65 4.2 Inter-Shi’a War ...............................................................................................................66 4.3 Inter-Christian War ........................................................................................................66 4.4 Syrian Assault .................................................................................................................67 4.5 Targeted Assassinations and Car Bombs .........................................................................69 4.6 Abductions, Arbitrary Detentions, and Summary Executions .........................................70 4.7 1975–1990 in Numbers .................................................................................................70 5. Foreign Presence and Withdrawals: January 1991–December 2005 ................................72 5.1 Israel in Lebanon: Continuing Armed Conflict ..............................................................72 5.2 Syria in Lebanon: Arbitrary Detentions and Enforced Disappearances ...........................77 5.3 Lebanese Army and Islamic Militant Group Armed Conflict: January 2000 ...................79 5.4 Withdrawal of the Syrian Army and Intelligence Services ...............................................79 5.5 Targeted Assassinations and Car Bombs..........................................................................79 www.ictj.org III International Center Lebanon’s Legacy of Political Violence for Transitional Justice 6. New Wars, No Peace: January 2006–December 2008 ......................................................83 6.1 The Devastating War: July–August 2006 ........................................................................83 6.2 Nahr al-Bared: Widespread Displacement of Refugee Population and Prolonged Arbitrary Detention ..................................................................................... 88 6.3 Resurging Internal Violence ...........................................................................................89 6.4 Targeted Assassinations and Car Bombs..........................................................................90 7. Relevant Applicable Law and Legal Classification ..........................................................92 7.1 Legal Framework and Applicable Law ............................................................................92 7.2 Legal Classification of Patterns in Lebanon ...................................................................100 7.3 Responsibility for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law ...............................................................................................110 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................113 Bibliography .................................................................................................................114 IV www.ictj.org I am sure the Lebanese deserve a better future. At least they deserve