Word: chamoun
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...country, where clashes two weeks ago between Syrian peace-keeping forces and Christian militiamen left 200 dead, most of them civilians. Both sides used the lull to bring heavy reinforcements into Beirut. Israel continued to supply military equipment to the rightist Christian armies of Pierre Gemayel and Camille Chamoun, who have been engaged in a bloodletting feud with forces loyal to former Lebanese President Suleiman Franjieh, also a Christian. Although most observers believed that the supplies would be the only Israeli help, Damascus nonetheless warned that any overt intervention by Israel could mean a new Arab-Israeli...
...renewed fighting was touched off by a bitter feud involving the country's three major Christian factions: Pierre Gemayel's Phalangists, Camille Chamoun's National Liberals, and forces loyal to former President Suleiman Franjieh, a close ally of Syrian President Hafez Assad. The dispute centers on the fact that Gemayel and Chamoun would like to create a separate Christian state in northern Lebanon, while Franjieh supports a unified nation. Franjieh also believes the country's sovereignty is best guaranteed by the presence of the Syrian army...
While the Syrians have been maintaining the peace in areas controlled by the Palestinians and Muslim left, Gemayel and Chamoun have seized the opportunity to build up their own military forces. During the past three months, Gemayel's 15,000-man army, which is led by Israeli-trained officers, has tried to extend its influence over areas loyal to the other Christian chieftains. In several incidents, the Phalangists fired on Syrian soldiers, who initially retreated rather than get involved in pitched battles. Boasting about their "victories over the Syrian occupation," the Phalangists last month attacked the resort village...
...friend, Assad decided it was time to crush the obstreperous Phalange. Using heavy artillery and rocket barrages, Syrian forces last week bombarded towns and installations controlled by Phalangist and National Liberal militiamen. The heaviest fire was concentrated on East Beirut, where both Gemayel's and Chamoun's headquarters went up in flames. "This is genocide against the Christians of Lebanon," protested Chamoun. Lebanese Foreign Minister Fuad Butros rushed to Damascus in a vain attempt to arrange a ceasefire. But Syria's tough Defense Minister Mustafa Tlas responded: "The Syrian army will strike with an iron fist...
...interests of preserving Arab unity, he has mediated between leftist Algeria and royalist Morocco in the Sahara dispute. He maintains ties with Egypt's Sadat and Syria's Hafez Assad, with the Palestine Liberation Organization's Yasser Arafat and with Lebanese Christian Leader Camille Chamoun. Saudi Arabia has had problems with radical Iraq and Marxist South Yemen, but he keeps in touch with leaders of both states...