4 Psychological Warfare: Rumours in the Times of the Psychological Warfare: Rumours in the Times of the Lebanese Civil War 5

Lebanon is a small and complex country, ‘The Christians are bourgeois capitalists with many TV channels and radio stations, and who exploit the others.’ Psychological Warfare: Rumours in the Times of citizens who love to communicate via social Rumours based on such preconceptions media such as Facebook and Twitter. In such a prepared the grounds for the Lebanese civil war, context rumours can easily spread, and there they prepared the minds of the people, before the Lebanese Civil War is a danger that in a society that is deeply they joined militias, received military training, fragmented and prone to conflict rumours get and then actually went to fight. However, the out of hand. This is a serious matter, as a war Lebanese civil war can’t be defined along Christina Foerch Saab starts in the hearts and minds of the people, sectarian lines only, it was far more complex. long before anyone picks up a weapon - and The Palestinian presence with their armed rumours play an important role in influencing, forces was a major catalyst, and a factor central even manipulating peoples’ hearts and minds. to the conflict, as in their way were economic In the beginning of the Lebanese civil war, interests, and commonplace power struggles. rumours were connected to preconceptions Last, but not least, the cold war spread its related to religious sects: shadow over , Lebanon being used as ‘All Muslims are savages who want to take a battlefield for a proxy war between the West Surviving over power in Lebanon.’ and the East. ‘Rumours were intoxicating the people, It’s a nice evening during the summer of and this intoxication carried bad intentions', 2014, a small group of old friends gather in a remembers Assaad Chaftari, former leader of mountain village for a chat, a drink and some the intelligence office of the Christian party the tasty Lebanese food. These friends, all of them . He asserts that, ‘If I believe now in their fifties, were combatants during that Muslims are savages, I will believe all the the civil war that ravaged Lebanon from 1975 rumours that confirm my belief, and I’d deny the until 1990. Although they all found their way rumours that are against my belief. I would even back to civilian life long ago, almost inevitably work on stopping such rumours.’ during such encounters they talk about their At the beginning of the Lebanese civil experiences and memories of the civil war. war, rumours weren’t limited to general Those experiences, and the memories of negative preconceptions about the ‘Other’, but them have become special bonds between became more specific. Haidar Amashi, a former them, and their gathering goes on until way combatant fighting with the al-Murabitoun after midnight. The next day, some of them (the Independent Nasserite Movement), recalls continue their chat from the previous night on that since 1972, there was ‘news’ out there Facebook, and one of them jokingly suggests that Christians were getting militarily trained, that they’d better take care of this mountain and that they were forming armed groups. He area, which is located near the Syrian border, in recalls that, ‘We believed that their aim was to order to watch out for invasions by the militia fight the Muslims, to take over all the country, of the Islamic State (IS). The joking on Facebook and to drive the Shiites out of Lebanon, back goes back and forth, and one of them suggests to Iraq.’ In this case the main substance of the setting up a new armed force to protect their rumour – or information – turned out to be true; region, just as they’d done as teenagers during the Lebanese Christians did form armed groups the times of the Lebanese civil war. Someone – as did the Lebanese Muslims, the Druze, and outside this group picks up on the Facebook the Palestinians. Now, 40 years later, Amashi conversation, taking the jokes for real, and the believes that, ‘Such rumours were the most next day there’s an article in, what I was led to dangerous weapon that prepared the ground believe was a well-known Lebanese newspaper, for the civil war’. claiming that a group from such and such One can distinguish between at least two region is planning to take up arms to fight different kinds of rumour. Firstly, rumours that IS. The article also claims that another group, are accidentally created, such as the rumour Christina Foerch Saab holds from a different religious confession than this mentioned in the introduction. Then there are a Master Degree in Political group of friends, is apparently planning to intentionally created rumours, or purposeful Sciences and Spanish from the do the same. It’s become a rumour, a rumour misinformation, that the media, as well as Free University of Berlin. In the year 2000 she moved from Berlin taken for real information, an in-joke that was politicians and militia leaders use to pursue to where she has been taken literally by someone on the outside, certain aims such as to scare off the enemy’s working as filmmaker, journalist, and consultant for NGOs. She has someone who didn’t do their research properly, militia, to weaken the morale of the opposing specialised in issues such as the didn’t bother confirm their information, but civilian population, or to increase the morals of memory of the Lebanese civil war, nonetheless it found its way into to the media their own fighters and civilian supporters. All ex-combatants, peace education, media, and arms control and – and the media publish such articles, following participating parties in the Lebanese civil war disarmament processes. their own political agendas. – Lebanese, Palestinians, and also the Israelis – 6 Psychological Warfare: Rumours in the Times of the Lebanese Civil War Psychological Warfare: Rumours in the Times of the Lebanese Civil War 7

used rumours and misinformation, or at least landscape was completely different to how the downplaying or the exaggeration of events, it is now. In 1975, only one public TV channel for their strategic purposes. existed, and a few radio stations, alongside a 'I think it’s rather amusing what some media publish. It was The crumbling Lebanese state regularly wide range of newspapers. According to Saleh, rumoured that I had accepted an invitation to a yacht trip with 1200 used the media under its control to downplay the advantage of this limited media landscape dollars’ worth of wine, my father was a CIA agent, my mother was events. Hana Saleh, former director of the was that, ‘information about events would a Jew and buried on the Golan Heights – a formerly Syrian region Communist radio station Voice of the People reach the target audience directly’. Militia that has been occupied by since 1967. All of that is, of course, remembers that, ‘During the civil war, the leaders and politicians from all sides used the nonsense. My mother is a church tax paying Protestant, lives in public radio was famous for this one sentence, media effectively to spread information, to the road is open and secure. For example, the downplay or inflate events, and therefore to Berlin and is thankfully in good health.' radio presenter would say, "Today the road channel information the way they wanted, and of Mathaf (the National Museum, a famous to their advantage. Further, both political and crossing between East and West Beirut) is open militia leaders used reporters to spread (mis) Detlev Mehlis, Public Prosecutor and former Special Investigator in and secure."– But in fact, the presenter wasn’t information to the other side. Lebanon, 20/01/2006, Der Stern sure, he hadn’t done any research. People were Voice of the People, based in West Beirut, crossing and something happened to them.’ had some reporters on the Eastern side. Lebanese historian and political scientist These reporters were thus the main source of Nemer Frayha confirms that the state media information from this area. ‘We trusted them would deceive people by downplaying that they would give us the right news,’ recalls operations from inside. Such rumours were Forces used this rumour because they wanted dangerous events. He remembers that, Saleh. ‘After a while, we realized that one of used to mobilize people’s fears and therefore the Christians to leave Saida, in order to make ‘Because of such misinformation, people our reporters worked for (the Christian party) were very effective in undermining any effort to them come to East Beirut,’ assumes Fouad would unknowingly get into danger. Many Kataeb. He gave us the news that Kataeb solve the Lebanese civil war on a political level. Dirani, an ex-combatant from the Leftist party kidnappings and killings of civilians happened wanted to distribute.’ Apparently, he did it in Channeling information in a certain Organization of the Communist Action in because the public radio or TV stations had quite an intelligent way, at times giving the direction, or spreading misinformation with Lebanon. As such, the Lebanese Forces’ strategic downplayed the danger of the situation.' right news, and at other times giving false the intent to reach a strategic aim is part of the purpose with this rumour was to unite the Saleh recounts that, ‘There was some news information. Saleh concludes that, ‘About the art of psychological warfare. In the Middle East, Christians, to encourage more of them to train about kidnappings or killings somewhere, [but] important issues, he gave us the information it is said of the Israelis that they have widely militarily, and to spread armed men to other there was no way of knowing if this news was that Kataeb wanted to give us. So we reached a used military intelligence for such tactics and areas where they were needed. right, and the news was immediately broadcast point that we stopped working with him.’ strategies. For example, a certain Lebanese ‘This rumour also served to divide the everywhere, and there were direct reactions. According to Frayha, Western journalists militia was informed that the Israelis would people between Muslims and Christians,’ So many victims died because a rumour was reporting on the civil war were helping to invade Lebanon in the summer of 1982, several confirms Amashi, ‘to encourage the Christians spread by the radio.’ It’s a general problem of spread false information. In his opinion, most months before the actual invasion happened. to arm themselves, and to guarantee the Israelis war reporting that in many cases reporters of them were biased in favour of the Palestinian Bits and pieces of this information found their a safe withdrawal.’ Last, but not least, the can’t confirm if the news is correct or not and side. He claims that, ‘Western media spread the way to the media – it was an effective way to rumour also served economic interests through are forced to rely solely on testimonies. For rumour that the Christian militias were getting spread the rumour that such an invasion might the sale of weapons to the conflicting parties. example, certain areas might be sealed off by weapons from the U.S. and from France, which actually happen, and a strategy to scare off All militias channelled information or militias or the army who won’t allow reporters wasn’t true. In fact, Western countries refused the Lebanese and Palestinian civilians. ‘Until spread misinformation for spying purposes, to enter, or the events may have already passed, to sell the Christians weapons. Most weapons now I am not sure why the Israelis spread this and they used the media for this purpose as and are thus impossible to confirm. were bought in Eastern Europe, and later on news,’ says Chaftari. He conjectures that, ‘They well. ‘The Lebanese Forces launched many ‘There were few experienced professionals Israel would supply weapons to Christian probably did it so that the world would not be campaigns through the media and even in the radio stations at that time,’ admits Saleh, militias’. According to him this had significant shocked when it actually happened – it was a through politicians to give false information, and the journalists often weren’t aware of how consequences as he judges that ‘the effect of strategy to let people get used to the idea.’ and to let such information leak on purpose in certain news would affect the situation on the the media on people was stronger than any Ziad Saab, a former commander of the order to achieve a certain aim,’ admits Chaftari. ground. ‘When the media spread news about education, and peoples, ’ emotions were often Lebanese Communist Party, has a different For example, they would say that such and such kidnappings and killings, there would be acts abused.’ memory of these events, ‘I remember that the militia was corrupt, or that they were getting a of revenge,’ recounts Frayha– just to find out Lebanese militias used rumours in order first one to speak about a possible invasion in lot of money from abroad. He continues, ‘So later that such kidnappings and killings hadn’t to keep on fighting. Ex-combatant Amashi public was Communist party leader George we’d tell their followers, ‘Why do you support happened in the first place. recounted that during the first years of the Hawi,’ he said. ‘I think that our Politbureau had them with money?’ By spreading such rumours, The former director of Voice of the People war, the Higher Shiite Council, represented this information from the Soviet secret services.’ we’d try to disconnect the militia from their recalls that his radio station broadcast 24 hour by Sheikh Mohamad Yakoub launched an Consequently, the communists prepared support group.’ news, and that there was tough competition initiative with Dany Chamoun, the son of a themselves in South Lebanon with weapons so The parties from both the right and from between the media outlets to be the first ones former Lebanese president, to engage in as to be ready to resist the Israeli invaders. the left would use intelligence officers to to broadcast a scoop, ‘This competition was at reconciliation efforts to end the fighting. In 1985, the Israelis were still occupying spy on the other side. Agents would infiltrate the cost of the truth’ he admits, and goes on to According to him the Nasserites were annoyed the Southern Lebanese town of Saida, along the enemy’s party or militia, saying that they assert that at the end of the day, ‘the divisions by this development, because they wanted to with the entire Southern part of Lebanon. wanted to cooperate with them against their (in the country) were so strong that you didn’t continue fighting. They spread rumours saying They used their Lebanese allies, the Lebanese own force. In this way, the intelligence officers care anymore about what you spoke about the that if such a reconciliation initiative were put Forces, to spread a rumour, saying that if the would both find out which leaders could be other.’ in place, Christian militias would secretly invade Israelis withdrew from Saida, the Muslims won over, and who were the people inside their During the time of the civil war, the media the Shiite area of Chiyah in Beirut and conduct would massacre the Christians. ‘The Lebanese own forces who were cooperating with the 8 Psychological Warfare: Rumours in the Times of the Lebanese Civil War The Syrian President is being Made in Lebanon? 9

other sides. out that this was a lie. How can I believe my In a deeply religious society like Lebanon, parents ever again?’ rumours with a spiritual connotation could be What to believe and whom to believe, The Syrian President is being Made in Lebanon? particularly powerful. ‘The statue at Harissa that’s the central question. By the way, the turned twice during the civil war,’ says Chaftari, article on the new armed group to fight IS Rumours and the Syrian Presidential Election in laughing. Christian leaders would spread wasn’t published in the well-known Lebanese the rumour that this statue made out of pure newspaper at all. This was just another concrete had turned towards a certain direction rumour. Apparently it appeared in an online Lebanon ‘to protect Jounieh, or to protect the Christians magazine. I guess I should have sat down and in general’ remembers Chaftari. do some proper research in order to confirm my Haid Haid ‘“Miracles” of this kind were often spread information, too! among the population when we were passing through a difficult military situation’, the ex-combatant explains, in order to raise the Note morals of the population and to tell them, ‘that God will help us’. The social scientist Frayha As I am finishing this article, someone translated a has a similar opinion, ‘You need miracles in paragraph that appeared in the online magazine, situations of weakness, you need hope, and Lebanon Files, for me. The article was talking this comes from superstitious beliefs.’ Those about an article that in turn appeared in the The Syrian presidential elections were an event his supporters were involved in a plan to beliefs weren’t limited to the Christian sect only, Al Akhbar newspaper entitled ’A training of the of special significance for Syrians and Lebanese partition Syria into a number of different states. and were equally used by Muslims. The Shiites, Socialist Party under the cover of a scout camp’: alike, since holding these elections entailed Though these claims were never verified, they for example, used Zeinab (a grandchild of the ‘On 20/09/2014, Al Akhbar mentioned that under prolonging the humanitarian and political caused a large number of Syrian refugees to prophet Mohamad). ‘Important Shiite figures the cover of a scout camp, the Socialist Party, crisis suffered by Syrians and the societies and feel that the regime was secretly plotting to would say that “Sitt” Zeinab had appeared together with the fundamentalist Druze group states that play host to them. It was the first revoke their Syrian nationality – for their lack of in their dreams, saying that “the road ahead "Sheikh Ammar’", organized a training camp for time that Syrian elections had allowed for out- loyalty – by creating the state it desired, having is long and difficult, but at the end, you will more than 60 people in the hills of Shwaifat city. of-country voting, and the Syrian embassy in accepted that it was unable to take control of be rewarded”’, recalls Amashi. This would There were some sheikhs from Deir Qoubel village Lebanon prided itself on having had more than all Syrian territory. Such concerns on the part strengthen the moral of combatants and as well. It wasn’t the first time that such training 80,000 voters on the first day alone.1 Given the of many refugees created a fertile soil for the civilians alike to endure difficult times, and keep camps including military performances, as well time and space available for voting, it is more unquestioning acceptance and circulation of on fighting. as the firing of weapons had been seen in these realistic to suggest that between 20 and 30,000 any rumour which confirmed their fears that The preconceptions that had existed in hills. This time, however, the training for the cast their vote. However, the images of crowded they would be unable to return to their homes. people’s minds, and the traumas experienced participants of the camp were theoretical lessons streets and the whole event being perceived as Against this backdrop, claims concerning during fifteen years of civil war couldn’t be only; about using heavy automatic weapons, more of a happening than an election, led to various draft laws gave added impetus to immediately lifted when the civil war officially especially those that you can carry on 4x4vehicles, controversial discussions, ‘How could citizens rumours urging participation in the presidential came to an end in 1990. and they were told how to use these heavy guns.’ who had to flee their country participate in election. The most important of these draft law A Christian couple got married after the Often, rumours carry a little grain of truth. this dog-and-pony show?’ And even more so, rumours were: end of the civil war and decided to celebrate It is true that in the past, parties from different ‘How could they vote for the President who in their honeymoon in Amir Amine palace, a affiliations abused scout camps for military the worst case had them persecuted, in the i) 'I’m not Syrian' beautiful hotel located in a mountain area training. It is true that currently, Lebanese civilians best case did not protect them?’ In fact, some In late 2013 there were widely disseminated which is inhabited by Druze and Christians. A are pulling out their hidden guns again, and some of those participating in the elections were rumours of a draft law that would revoke the relative to the couple told them, ‘The Druze will are even forming civilian protection forces in their motivated by genuine desire. Others, however, nationality of all Syrians who had participated come at night and cut your throats!’ The couple communities. feared the consequences if they did not take in activities against the Assad regime within left the hotel in panic; their war traumas were so I happen to work for an NGO called part, with a number of rumours circulating, Syria or abroad, by bearing arms, funding, strong that their honeymoon was ruined. ‘Permanent Peace Movement’. The director of urging people to get involved, and threatening incitement, organisation or facilitation.2 This Also, in the mid-1990s, the Ministry of this NGO, Fadi Abi Allam, gave training sessions them with dire consequences if they did not. particular claim spread because some refugees Displaced People organized a summer camp during this particular scout camp – about conflict This was the result of a number of factors believed that the law governing the entry of in the Lebanese mountains, with the aim of resolution and peace building, and definitely that this article will attempt to address by non-Syrians into Syria and their residence there contributing to reconciliation efforts among not about heavy guns. A war starts in the minds shedding light on the circumstances in which also covered Syrian citizens abroad. In other Lebanese youth from all the different religious of the people, and such articles poison the civil such rumours gain currency and how people words, they would be treated like foreigners in sects. The trainers used specific activities to peace in Lebanon. Peace also starts in the minds respond to them. their own country. Despite being untrue, some deconstruct the preconceptions that had of people. Let us not be deceived by political or Syrians abroad still believe in and circulate this

existed between the different religious groups military leaders and their media outlets, let us not The fear of having one’s rumour, convinced that the regime will use this Haid Haid is program manager at during the war. At the end of the camp, a girl let them manipulate our minds for war. Let us take nationality revoked draft law as a way of disposing of its political the Heinrich Böll Stiftung’s Middle came up, crying, and told one of the camp’s up responsibility and create a space in our minds, enemies and applying pressure to those states East office in Beirut. Prior to this, he worked as a senior community organizers, that she couldn’t go home now and free of rumours and misinformation, for peace. As the armed conflict in Syria grew fiercer hosting them (since stripping Syrian refugees of services-protection assistant at face her parents. When the trainers asked for (itself the product of the regime’s excessive their nationality would mean they would have UNHCR- Damascus office. He the reason, she said, ‘My parents taught me that use of force against citizens who peacefully to stay in their host nations). The fear of losing has an MA in social policy and development, a postgraduate the people from the other side were bad, that demonstrated for political change), reports one’s nationality is also not entirely abstract as diploma in counselling and a BA in they even looked differently from us. I found began to circulate that Bashar al-Assad and an increasing number of Syrians are stranded sociology.