Background Notes: Lebanon
PA/PC
Source: Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public
Affairs
Date: Dec 15, 199012/15/90
Category: Country Data
Region: MidEast/North Africa
Country: Lebanon
Subject: Cultural Exchange, Resource Management,
Military Affairs, History, International Organizations,
Trade/Economics, Regional/Civil Unrest
[TEXT]
Official Name: Republic of Lebanon
PROFILE
Geography
Area: 10,452 sq. km. (4,015 sq. mi.); about half the size of New
Jersey. Cities: Capital-Beirut (pop. 1.1 million); Other cities-
Tripoli (240,000), Sidon (110,000), Tyre (60,000), Zahleh (55,000).
Terrain: Narrow coastal plain backed by the Lebanon Mountains, the
fertile Biqa' Valley, and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, which extend
to the Syrian border. Land-61% urban, desert, or waste; 21%
agricultural; 8% forested. Climate: Typically Mediterranean,
resembling that of southern California. Temperatures rarely exceed
30C (85F) during the summer, but humidity is high.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective-Lebanese (sing. and pl.). Population
(1989 est.): 3.3 million. Annual growth rate (1989 est): 1.1%.
Ethnic groups: Arab 93%, Armenian 6%, other 1%. Religions:
Christian (Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Roman
Catholic, Protestant, Armenian Apostolic, other), Muslim (Sunni,
Shi'a, other), and Druze. Languages: Arabic (official), French,
English, Armenian. Education: Years compulsory-5. Attendance-
93%. Literacy-75%. Health: Infant mortality rate-50/1,000 (1989).
Life expectancy-male, 65 years; female, 70 years. Work force:
(650,000 in 1985): Agriculture-11%. Industry, commerce, services-
79%. Government-10%.
Government
Type: parliamentary republic. Independence: 1943. Constitution: May
26, 1926 (amended). Branches: Executive-president (chief of state,
elected by simple majority of parliament for 6-year term), Council
of Ministers (appointed). Legislative-unicameral parliament (108-
member National Assembly elected for 4-year renewable terms;
last parliamentary elections in 1972). Judicial-secular and
religious courts; combination of Ottoman, civil, and canon law; no
judicial review of legislative acts. Administrative subdivisions: 5
provinces, each headed by a governor: Beirut, North Lebanon, South
Lebanon, Mount Lebanon, and Biqa'. Political parties: Organized along
sectarian lines around individuals whose followers are motivated
by religious, clan, and ethnic considerations. Suffrage: Males over
21; females over 21 with elementary education. Central government
budget (1989 estimate): $298.1 million. Extra-budgetary expenses
(1989 estimate): $567.7 million. Defense (1984 projected): $30.6
million, or 15% of government budget. Deficit (1989 estimate):
$772.5 million. Flag: Two horizontal red bands bordering a broader
white band on which a green and brown cedar tree is centered.
Economy GDP: No reliable current figure available; 1985-$1.8
billion. Annual growth rate: Varies with security situation but
negligible over the 1974-81 period; it has probably declined since
mid-1982. Avg. inflation rate (1988 est.): 155%. Natural resources:
Limestone. Agriculture (33% of GDP in 1984): Products-citrus fruit,
produce. Land-108,000 hectares under cultivation. Industry (13% of
GDP): Types-cement production, light industry, refining. Trade
(1986): Exports-$1 billion (f.o.b.-1987). Major markets-Saudi
Arabia, Switzerland, Jordan, Kuwait, US. Imports-$1.5 billion (c.i.f-
1987). Major suppliers-Italy, France, US. Official exchange rate
(November 1990): 675-750 Lebanese pounds=US$1. Fiscal year:
Calendar year.
Membership in International Organizations
UN and several of its specialized agencies, such as WHO, IMF, IBRD;
Arab League, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC),
Nonaligned Movement, Group of 77, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, Islamic
Development Bank.
GEOGRAPHY
Lebanon, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea,
is bounded on the north and east by Syria and on the south by Israel.
Its principal topographic features are a narrow coastal plain behind
which are the high Lebanon Mountains, the fertile Biqa' Valley, and
the Anti-Lebanon Mountains extending to the Syrian border.
The Litani River, which flows into the sea north of Tyre, is
Lebanon's main river and the only river in the Arab Near East that
does not cross a national boundary. The Hasbani River, one of the
sources of the Jordan River, rises within Lebanon.
PEOPLE
The population of Lebanon comprises Christians and Muslims.
No official census has been taken since 1932, reflecting the
political sensitivity in Lebanon over confessional (religious)
balance. Although there are no reliable or official figures, it has
become increasingly accepted in recent years that Muslims
outnumber Christians. It is widely believed that at least two-
thirds of the population is Muslim and Druze. Shi'a Muslims make up
the single largest religious group. Various Christian sects make up
the remainder of the population. Claims since the early 1970s by
Muslims that they are in the majority contributed to tensions
preceding the 1975-76 civil strife and, currently, are the basis of
demands for a more powerful Muslim voice in the government.
Many Christian sects are represented in Lebanon, including
Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Armenian Apostolic,
Roman Catholic, and Protestant. The Maronites, who are affiliated
with the Roman Catholic Church, make up the largest Christian
group. Muslims include members from the Sunni and Shi'a sects, the
latter now constituting the largest religious community in Lebanon.
Adherents to the Druze sect, a group deriving from Shi'a Islam but
differing greatly from it, constitute another significant minority.
With no official figures available, it is estimated that
600,000-900,000 persons fled the country during the 1975-76 civil
strife. Although some returned, continuing instability in the late
1970s, the 1982 Israeli invasion, and renewed internal conflict in
1983-84 and 1989-90 sparked further waves of emigration, adding
to uncertainty over population figures.
Many Lebanese still derive their living from agriculture. The
urban population, concentrated mainly in Beirut and Tripoli, is noted
for its commercial enterprise, but chronic instability in much of
the country has had a strong negative impact on both agriculture and
commerce. Lebanon has a higher proportion of skilled labor than any
other Arab country.
HISTORY
Lebanon is the historical home of the Phoenicians, Semitic
traders who based a maritime culture there for more than 2,000
years (c. 2700-450 BC). In later centuries, Lebanon's mountains
were a refuge for Christians, and the Crusaders established several
strongholds there. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire
after World War I, the five Ottoman provinces that had comprised
present-day Lebanon were mandated to France by the League of
Nations. The country gained independence in 1943, and French
troops were withdrawn in 1946.
Lebanon's history from independence through 1988 can be
defined largely in terms of its presidents, each of whom shaped
Lebanon by his personal brand of politics: Sheikh Bishara al-Khoury
(1943-52), Camille Chamoun (1952-58), Fuad Shihab (1958-64),
Charles Helou (1964-70), Suleiman Franjiyah (1970-76), Elias
Sarkis (1976-1982), and Amine Gemayel (1982-88). From the end
of the term of Amine Gemayel in September 1988 until the election
of Rene Moawad in November 1989, Lebanon had no president.
The terms of the first two presidents ended in political
turmoil. In 1958, during the last months of President Chamoun's
term, an insurrection broke out, aggravated intensely by external
factors. In July 1958, in response to the Lebanese government's
appeal, US forces were sent in to help and were withdrawn in
October 1958, after the inauguration of President Shihab and a
general improvement in the internal and international aspects of
the situation.
President Franjiyah's term saw the outbreak of full-scale
civil conflict in 1975. Prior to 1975, difficulties had arisen over
the large number of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and the
presence of Palestinian fedayeen (commandos). Frequent clashes
involving Israeli forces and the fedayeen endangered civilians in
south Lebanon and unsettled the country. Following minor
skirmishes in the late 1960s and early 1970s, serious clashes
erupted between the fedayeen and Lebanese government forces in
May 1973.
Coupled with the Palestinian problem, Muslim and Christian
differences grew more intense, with occasional clashes between
sectarian private militias. The Muslims were dissatisfied with
what they considered to be an inequitable distribution of political
power and social benefits. In April 1975, after shots were fired at
a church where a consecration was taking place, a busload of
Palestinians was ambushed by gunmen in the Christian sector of
Beirut, an incident widely regarded as the spark that touched off
the civil strife. Palestinian fedayeen forces joined the
predominantly leftist-Muslim side as the fighting persisted, and
fighting eventually escalated and spread to most parts of the
country.
Elias Sarkis was elected president in 1976. In October of that
year, Arab summits in Riyadh and Cairo set forth a plan to end the
war. The resulting Arab Deterrent Force (ADF), composed largely of
Syrian troops, moved in at the Lebanese government's invitation to
separate the combatants, and most fighting ended soon thereafter.
In mid-1978, clashes between the ADF and the Christian
militias erupted. The Arab foreign ministers, at a meeting in Bayt
ad-Din, Lebanon, created the Arab Follow-Up Committee, composed
of Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, to end fighting between
the Syrians and Christians. After the Saudi ambassador was
wounded in December 1978, the committee did not meet again
formally until June 1981, when it was convened to begin addressing
issues of security and national reconciliation starting with the
Zahleh crisis. (The crisis began in April 1981, when a confrontation
arose between Syrian troops and a Christian militia.) The situation
in Zahleh was resolved in late June 1981, but the committee was
unsuccessful in making progress toward a broader political
settlement and has been inactive since November 1981.
Israeli-Palestinian fighting in July 1981 was ended by a
cease-fire arranged by President Reagan's special envoy, Philip C.
Habib, and announced on July 24, 1981. The cease-fire was
respected during the next 10 months, but a string of incidents led to
the June 6, 1982, Israeli ground attack into Lebanon to remove PLO
(Palestine Liberation Organization) forces. Israeli forces moved
quickly through south Lebanon, reaching and encircling west Beirut
by mid-June and beginning a 2-1/2-month siege of Palestinian and
Syrian forces in the city. Throughout this period, which saw
sustained, heavy Israeli air, naval, and artillery bombardments of
west Beirut, Ambassador Habib worked actively to arrange a
settlement. In August, he was successful in bringing about an
agreement for the evacuation of Syrian troops and PLO fighters
from Beirut. The agreement also provided for the deployment of a
three-nation Multinational Force (MNF) during the period of the
evacuation, and by late August, US Marines, as well as French and
Italian units, had arrived in Beirut. Following the conclusion of the
evacuation, these units departed. The Marines left on September 10.
In spite of the invasion, the Lebanese political process
continued to function, and Bashir Gemayel was elected president in
August, succeeding Elias Sarkis. On September 14, however, only 9
days before he was to assume the presidency, Bashir Gemayel was
assassinated when a bomb exploded while he was addressing a
meeting in east Beirut. Subsequently, Israeli troops entered west
Beirut, beginning September 15. On September 16-18, Lebanese
militiamen massacred hundreds of Palestinian civilians in the Sabra
and Shatila refugee camps in west Beirut.
Bashir Gemayel's brother, Amine, was elected president by a
unanimous vote of the parliament on September 21. He took office
on September 23, beginning the effort to restore stability and
economic prosperity to Lebanon and to win the withdrawal of all
foreign forces. To assist in this undertaking, MNF forces returned
to Beirut at the end of September, their presence serving as a
symbol of support for the government. In February 1983, a small
British contingent joined the US, French, and Italian MNF troops in
Beirut. President Gemayel and his government placed primary
emphasis on the withdrawal of Israeli, Syrian, and Palestinian
forces from Lebanon, and in late 1982, Lebanese-Israeli
negotiations commenced with US participation. On May 17, 1983, an
agreement was signed by the representatives of Lebanon, Israel, and
the United States that provided for Israeli withdrawal. Syria,
however, in spite of earlier assurances, declined to discuss the
withdrawal of its troops, effectively stalemating further progress.
Faced with continuing Syrian opposition to the Lebanon-Israel
agreement, the Lebanese government announced on March 5, 1984,
that it was canceling its unimplemented agreement with Israel.
Although the general security situation in Beirut remained
calm through late 1982 and the first half of 1983, a move by
Christian militiamen into the Druze-controlled Shuf area southeast
of Beirut following the Israeli invasion led to a series of Druze-
Christian clashes of escalating intensity beginning in October 1982.
When Israeli forces unilaterally withdrew from the Shuf at the
beginning of September 1983, a full-scale battle erupted with the
Druze, backed by Syria, pitted against the Christian Lebanese Forces
militia (LF) as well as the Lebanese army. A cease-fire that
followed very active US and Saudi efforts to bring the fighting to an
end was concluded on September 26 and left the Druze in control of
most of the Shuf. Casualties were estimated to be in the thousands.
As it became clear that the departure of the US Marines was
imminent, the Gemayel government came under increasing pressure
from Syria and its Muslim allies to abandon the May 17 accord. The
virtual collapse of the Lebanese army in February 1984, following
the defection of many of its Muslim and Druze units to opposition
militias, was a further blow to the government's viability. His
options rapidly dwindling, Gemayel agreed to abrogate the accord;
the Marines were withdrawn in March.
Syria, however, proved unable to turn matters decisively to
its advantage. Further national reconciliation talks at Lausanne
under Syrian auspices failed. A new "government of national unity"
under Prime Minister Rashid Karami was declared in April 1984 but
made no significant progress toward solving Lebanon's internal
political crises or its growing economic difficulties.
The situation was exacerbated by the deterioration of internal
security. The opening rounds of the savage "camps war" in May
1985-a war that flared up twice in 1986-pitted the Palestinians
living in refugee camps in Beirut, Tyre, and Sidon against the Shi'ite
Amal militia, which was concerned with resurgent Palestinian
military strength in Lebanon. Eager for a solution in late 1985,
Syria began to negotiate a "tripartite accord" on political reform
among the leaders of various Lebanese factions, including the LF.
Syrian hopes were dashed, however, when the accord was
opposed by Gemayel and the leader of the LF was overthrown by his
hardline anti-Syrian rival, Samir Ja'ja', in January 1986. Syria
responded by inducing the Muslim government ministers to cease
dealing with Gemayel in any capacity, effectively paralyzing the
government. In 1987, the Lebanese economy worsened, and the
pound began a precipitous slide. On June 1, Prime Minister Karami
was assassinated, further compounding the political paralysis.
Salim al-Huss was appointed acting prime minister.
As the end of President Gemayel's term of office neared, the
different Lebanese factions could not agree on candidates to be his
successor. Consequently, when his term expired on September 23,
1988, he appointed Army Commander General Michel Aoun as interim
prime minister. Gemayel's acting prime minister, Salim al-Huss,
also continued to act as de facto prime minister. As a result of the
conflicting claims and interests, Lebanon was divided between an
essentially Muslim government in west Beirut and an essentially
Christian government in east Beirut. The working levels of many
ministries, however, remained intact and were not immediately
affected by the split at the ministerial level.
In February 1989, General Aoun attempted to close illegal
ports run by the LF. This led to several days of intense fighting in
east Beirut and an uneasy truce between Aoun's army units and the
LF. In March, an attempt by Aoun to close illegal militia ports in
predominantly Muslim parts of the country led to a 6-month period
of shelling of east Beirut by Muslim and Syrian forces and shelling
of west Beirut and the Shuf by the Christian units of the army and
the LF. This shelling caused nearly 1,000 deaths, several thousand
injuries, and further destruction to Lebanon's economic
infrastructure.
In January 1989, the Arab League appointed a six-member
committee on Lebanon, led by the Kuwaiti foreign minister. At the
Casablanca Arab summit in May, the Arab League empowered a
Higher Committee on Lebanon-composed of Saudi King Fahd,
Algerian President Bendjedid, and Moroccan King Hassan-to work
toward a solution in Lebanon. The Higher Committee issued a report
in July 1989 saying that its efforts had reached a "dead end" and
blamed Syrian intransigence for the blockage. After further
discussions, the committee arranged for a seven-point cease-fire in
September, followed by a meeting of Lebanese parliamentarians in
Taif, Saudi Arabia. After a month of intense discussions, the
deputies informally agreed on a Charter of National Reconciliation,
also known as the Taif agreement. The deputies returned to Lebanon
at the Qleiat Air Base in northern Lebanon in November, where they
approved the Taif agreement on November 4, and elected Rene
Moawad, a Maronite Christian deputy from Zghorta in north Lebanon,
president on November 5.
General Aoun, claiming powers as interim prime minister,
issued a decree in early November dissolving the parliament and did
not accept the ratification of the Taif agreement or the election of
President Moawad.
President Moawad was assassinated on November 22 by a
bomb that exploded as his motorcade was returning from
ceremonies celebrating Lebanese Independence Day. The parliament
met on November 24 in the Biqa' Valley and elected Elias Hrawi, a
Maronite Christian deputy from Zahleh in the Biqa' Valley, to replace
him. President Hrawi named a prime minister, Salim al-Huss, and a
cabinet on November 25. Despite widespread international
recognition of Hrawi and his government, General Aoun refused to
recognize Hrawi's legitimacy, and Hrawi officially replaced Aoun as
army commander in early December.
In late January 1990, General Aoun's forces attacked positions
of the LF in east Beirut in an apparent attempt to remove the LF as a
political force in the Christian enclave. In the heavy fighting that
ensued in east Beirut and its environs, over 900 people died and
over 3,000 were wounded.
The National Assembly in August 1990 approved, and
President Hrawi in September 1990 signed into law, constitutional
amendments embodying the political reform aspects of the Taif
agreement. These amendments gave some presidential powers to
the Council of Ministers, expanded the National Assembly from 99
to 108 seats, and equally divided those seats between Christians
and Muslims (see GOVERNMENT section below). In October 1990, a
joint Lebanese-Syrian military operation against General Aoun
forced him to capitulate and take refuge in the French embassy.
GOVERNMENT
A series of amendments has substantially altered the
constitution of 1926. Among the more significant is Article 95,
which provides that the confessional communities of Lebanon shall
be equitably represented in public employment and in the
composition of the cabinet but that such a measure is not to impair
the general welfare of the state. This article supplements the
National Covenant of 1943, an unwritten agreement that established
the political foundations of modern Lebanon. The covenant provides
that public offices shall be distributed among the recognized
religious groups and that the three top positions in the
governmental systems shall be distributed as follows:
-- The president is to be a Maronite Christian;
-- The prime minister, a Sunni Muslim, and
-- The president of the National Assembly, a Shi'a Muslim.
The Taif agreement, the political reform aspects of which
were signed into law in September 1990, further modified the
constitution to permit greater power-sharing and put in writing
many of the provisions of the National Pact.
Constitutionally, the president has a strong and influential
position. The president appoints the Council of Ministers and
designates one of them to be prime minister. The president also has
the authority to promulgate laws passed by the National Assembly,
to issue supplementary regulations to ensure the execution of laws,
and to negotiate and ratify treaties. Presidential elections are held
every 6 years, most recently in 1989.
The National Assembly was elected in 1972 for a 4-year term.
Since then, with elections rendered impossible by the hostilities in
Lebanon, the assembly has been extending its mandate. Therefore,
it has not been able to replace the deputies who have died since
1972-25 out of 99. The Taif agreement of 1989 expanded the
parliament from 99 to 108 seats and provided for the equal division
of seats between Christians and Muslims. The initial expansion of
seats to 108 and the replacement of deceased members was to be by
appointment.
The National Assembly, only sporadically active since 1975,
is elected by adult suffrage based on a system of proportional
representation for the confessional groups of the country. Most
deputies do not represent political parties as they are known in the
West, nor do they form Western-style groups in the assembly.
Political blocs are usually based on confessional and local interests
or on personal allegiance rather than on political affinities. The
assembly traditionally has played a significant role in financial
affairs, since it has the responsibility for levying taxes and passing
the budget. It also exercises political control over the cabinet
through formal questioning of ministers on policy issues and by
requesting a confidence debate.
Lebanon's judicial system is based on the Napoleonic Code.
Juries are not used in trials. The Lebanese court system has three
levels-Courts of First Instance, Courts of Appeal, and the Court of
Cassation. There also is a system of religious courts having
jurisdiction on personal status matters within their own
communities.
Principal Government Officials
President-Elias Hrawi
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs-Salim al-Huss
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor-Michel Sassine
Other Ministers
Telecommunications and Posts-George Saade
National Economy,
Commerce-Nazih Bizri Finance-Ali al-Khalil
Justice, Information-Edmond Rizk
Industry and Petroleum-Soren Khanamerian
Public Health, Tourism-Abdullah al-Rasi
National Defense-Albert Mansour
Interior-Elias al-Khazen
Hydroelectric Resources, Housing and Cooperatives-Nabih
Berri
Public Works-Walid Junblatt
Education-Omar Karami
Agriculture-Moshen Dalloul
Ambassador to the United States-Nassib Lahud
Ambassador to the United Nations-Khalil Mekkaoui
Lebanon maintains an embassy in the United States at 2560
28th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, tel. (202) 939-6300. There
also are three consulates general in the United States: 1959 East
Jefferson, Suite 4A, Detroit, MI 48207, tel. (313) 567-0233/0234;
7060 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 510, Los Angeles, CA 90028, tel. (213)
467-1253/1254; and 9 East 76th Street, New York, NY l0021, tel.
(212) 744-7905/7906 and 744-7985.
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
In addition to its indigenous political groupings, Lebanon
contains branches of almost all other political parties of the Arab
world. These cover the political spectrum from far left to far
right, from totally secular to wholly religious. The Arab Christians
and Muslims generally look to particular political parties and
leaders, according to the sect to which they belong. The Palestinian
refugees, numbering about 400,000 and predominantly Muslim,
constitute an important and sensitive minority.
Unlike the huge umbrella organizations found in the United
States, Lebanese political parties are generally vehicles for
powerful leaders whose followers are often of the same religious
sect. The interplay for position and power among these leaders and
groups produces a political tapestry of extraordinary complexity for
the Western observer.
In the past, this system worked to produce a viable
democracy. Recent events, however, have upset the delicate
Muslim-Christian balance and resulted in a tendency for Christians
and Muslims to group themselves for safety into distinct zones. All
factions have called for a reform of the political system. Some
Christians favor political and administrative decentralization of
the government, with separate Muslim and Christian sectors
operating within the framework of a confederation. Muslims, for
the most part, prefer a unified, central government with an
enhanced share of power for themselves commensurate with their
percentage of the population. The reforms of the Taif agreement
moved in this latter direction.
DEFENSE
From the 1975-76 fragmentation of the Lebanese Armed
Forces under the strains of confessional strife to 1985, the United
States supported the efforts of the Lebanese government to rebuild
its military. This support totaled over $100 million.
Internal strife in early 1984 produced fresh confessional
splits in the Lebanese Armed Forces. As a result, lethal US military
assistance was eliminated in 1985. Military training of armed
forces personnel from all confessions continued until the
evacuation of American personnel from Beirut in 1989.
ECONOMY
Before the outbreak of the civil war in 1975, Lebanon was
considered the financial and commercial capital of the Middle East.
Because of its location, Christian-Muslim population, and
mercantile heritage, it was regarded as a bridge between the West
and the Middle East. The preeminence of Lebanon in the region's
commercial services seemed to confirm this perception.
The civil war did much to weaken this traditional Lebanese
commercial leadership. In the intervening years, the war has
inflicted massive damage on Lebanon's economic infrastructure.
Beirut, the Shuf, and southern Lebanon have been particularly hard
hit. Industry, housing, roads, telecommunications, public health
facilities, and electrical and water-supply systems will require
major reconstruction to attain pre-civil war development levels.
During periods of relative tranquility in 1977, 1978, and
1980, the economy grew rapidly. But with renewed outbursts of
fighting, the spurts of economic growth stalled. No reliable
statistics on growth rates since the outbreak of the war exist, but
the consensus is that the economy has expanded only marginally. In
recent years, growth rates have probably been negative, given the
heavy fighting in 1988-90 that resulted in the destruction of much
of the economic infrastructure of Beirut and its environs. There
continues to be some resilience in the economy, but steady recovery
will be possible only if a durable cease-fire can be maintained.
Industrial production also has been severely reduced as a
result of destruction of most industrial areas, especially
Shuwayfat on the southeast edge of Beirut. Agriculture also has
suffered greatly, especially in southern Lebanon. A disturbing
phenomenon is the increased production of and trafficking in drugs,
particularly cannabis and opiates.
The service sector, particularly banking, is the most
important sector of the Lebanese economy. Although 15 years of
strife have weakened this area, the banking industry has maintained
its vitality throughout the difficult years.
Large numbers of the Lebanese professional class have
emigrated. The remittances they supply to the country are needed
to assist in the balance of payments, but their services would
benefit Lebanon directly if the security situation permitted them to
return.
Despite the long years of fighting, the country's external debt
position is surprisingly strong. Lebanon holds 9.22 million troy
ounces of gold and a large amount of foreign exchange reserves for a
country its size (more than $1.1 billion as of September 1989,
excluding the value of its gold holdings). Thus far, Lebanese
financial officials have managed to keep external public debt to a
minimum-an estimated $200 million in 1989. Total external debt
was $935 million as of December 1988.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Lebanon's foreign policy reflects its geographic location, the
composition of its population, and its reliance on commerce and
trade. Lebanon hopes to regain its status as a bridge between the
West and the Middle East. Its basic goal is to maintain good
relations with many countries. Fundamentally pro-West, it follows
a more-or-less neutral and generally cautious line in its relations
with communist countries.
Lebanon seeks to maintain the best possible relations with all
other Arab states. It did not participate in the 1967 or 1973 Arab-
Israeli war but sides with other Arab states on the question of a
Middle East peace settlement.
Although there has been no confrontation between the Israeli
and Lebanese armies since 1948, and Lebanon's southern border with
Israel is uncontested, Israeli forces have twice invaded Lebanon to
strike at Palestinian forces. In March 1978, the Israeli army moved
up to the Litani River. UN Security Council Resolution 425 was
passed, calling for Israeli withdrawal and the creation of the UN
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), charged with maintaining peace.
A former Lebanese army officer, Sa'd Haddad, developed a "buffer
zone" along the border with Israel after the Israelis withdrew. In
June 1982, Israeli forces again entered Lebanon, and remained in
the south in a "security zone" patrolled by the Israeli Defense
Forces and the self-styled "Army of South Lebanon" commanded by a
Lebanese, General Antoine Lahd.
US-LEBANESE RELATIONS
The United States seeks to maintain its traditionally close
ties with Lebanon, to help preserve its independence, sovereignty,
national unity, and territorial integrity, and to promote its political
stability and economic development. The United States also
supports the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon and the
disbandment of armed militias. The United States believes that a
peaceful, prosperous, and stable Lebanon can make an important
contribution to stability and peace in the Middle East.
The United States supports the programs of the central
government to restore security and unity to Lebanon and to rebuild
that country's national institutions. The US commitment has
remained unchanged in the face of such terrorist acts as the
bombings of the US embassy in April 1983 and the Marine
headquarters in October 1983. One measure of US concern and
involvement has been an expanding program of relief and
rehabilitation assistance which, since 1975, has totaled more than
$250 million. This support reflects not only humanitarian concerns
and historical ties but the importance the United States attaches to
the restoration of a sovereign, independent, unified Lebanon.
Current funding is used to support the activities of US and Lebanese
private voluntary organizations engaged in humanitarian relief
programs. The United States also has helped finance construction
of the American University Hospital in Beirut and has assisted the
American University of Beirut by financing part of its operating
budget and by providing scholarships to some of its students.
In September 1989, all American officials at the US embassy
in Beirut were withdrawn when the adequate safety and
effectiveness of the mission could not be guaranteed. The United
States continued its close cooperation with the government of
Lebanon through contacts with Lebanese officials in other locations.
The new US ambassador returned to Beirut in November 1990.
Principal US Officials
Ambassador-Ryan C. Crocker
Deputy Chief of Mission-Charles Brayshaw
Chief, Political/Economic/Commercial Section-Lois Aroian
Consul-vacant
Administrative Officer-vacant
The US embassy operates from an annex located in Awkar, Lebanon
(tel. 402-200).
FURTHER INFORMATION
These titles are published as a general indication of material
published on this country. The Department of State does not
endorse unofficial publications.
Binder, Leonard. The Ideological Revolution in the Middle East.
New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1964.
Politics in Lebanon. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1966.
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TRAVEL ADVISORY
The Department of State has determined that the situation in
Lebanon has become so dangerous for Americans that no US citizen
can be considered safe from terrorist acts. In light of this
determination, the Secretary of State has exercised his authority to
invalidate US passports for travel to, in, and through Lebanon. Using
a US passport for travel to Lebanon would constitute a violation of
Section 1544 of Title 18, US Code, and may be punishable by a fine
and/or prison term.
Exceptions to this restriction may be granted to professional
journalists and to others for compelling humanitarian
considerations or if travel is determined to be in the national
interest. Exceptions will be scrutinized carefully on a case-by-
case basis in light of the level of threat to the prospective
traveler's safety. Requests for exceptions should be forwarded in
writing to the following address:
Mr. Harry L. Coburn, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport
Services, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, Attn.:
Office of Citizenship Appeals and Legal Assistance. The request for
an exception must be accompanied by substantiating documentation
according to the category under which an exception is sought.
Additional information may be obtained by calling the Office of
Citizenship Appeals and Legal Assistance (tel. 202-326-6180).
Published by the United States Department of State -- Bureau of
Public Affairs -- Office of Public Communication -- Washington,
DC -- December 1990 -- Editor: Marilyn J. Bremner Department
of State Publication 7816. Background Notes Series -- This
material is in the public domain and may be reprinted without
permission; citation of this source is appreciated. For sale by the
Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402.(###)