Front for the Liberation of Lebanon from Foreigners
Encyclopedia
The Front for the Liberation of Lebanon from Foreigners – FLLF (Arabic: Jabhat al-Tahrir al-Gharib fi Lubnan) or Front pour la Liberátion du Liban des Étrangers (FLLE) in French
was an obscure underground terrorist organization that surfaced in Lebanon
at the early 1980s.
, Israel
’s Intelligence Service.
with a bomb attack on the Rue Fakhani PLO offices in West Beirut, though it only reached the peak of its activities later in September by unleashing a spate of car-bombings that created havoc in the Muslim
quarters of Sidon
, Tripoli, Chekka
and West Beirut until February 1982. In the latter case, the car-bombs were combined with a powerful command-detonated explosive device
planted at a packed Cinema – followed suit by another in early October – that left 300 civilians dead or wounded; other attacks undertaken that same month targeted Syrian ADF troops, followed by a failed assassination attempt on the US ambassador to Lebanon John Gunther Dean
FLLF operations came to a sudden halt just prior to the June 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon
, only to be resumed the following year with four huge car-bomb attacks: the first one on 28 January 1983 struck a PLO headquarters at Chtaura
in the Syrian-controlled Beqaa Valley
, killing 40, coupled by a second on 3 February at West Beirut that devastated the Palestine Research Center offices and left 20 people dead. A third bombing occurred on Syrian-controlled Baalbek
on 7 August 1983, which killed about 30 people and injured nearly 40, followed by another in 5 December 1983 at the Shiyah quarter of West Beirut that claimed the lives of 12 people and maimed over 80.
The group ceased its actions shortly afterwards, though some observers believe that they remained active as late as mid-1984, but nothing was heard of them since.
profile, from the previously mentioned assassination attempt on the U.S. Ambassador in Beirut to several attacks on French interests, and an attack on the Israeli consulate and a Jewish club in Sydney
, Australia
.
The PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat
accused the Israeli intelligence services of orchestrating the bombings claimed by the FLLF during the fall of 1981 though the veracity of such accusations remains unclear.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
was an obscure underground terrorist organization that surfaced in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
at the early 1980s.
Origins
Very little is known about the FLLF, except it was formed in March 1977 at East Beirut and had less than 200 members, presumably Christians, suspected of being trained and financed by the MOSSADMossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
’s Intelligence Service.
Activities 1977-1984
The group made its début in July 1981July 1981
January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - DecemberThe following events occurred in July 1981.-July 1, 1981 :...
with a bomb attack on the Rue Fakhani PLO offices in West Beirut, though it only reached the peak of its activities later in September by unleashing a spate of car-bombings that created havoc in the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
quarters of Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
, Tripoli, Chekka
Chekka
Chekka is coastal town located in the South of North Lebanon. It is located north of Râs ach-Chaq’a’ and Herri beaches, or Theoprosopon of classical times and south of the ancient Phoenician port of Enfeh and the city of Tripoli. The origin of the word is believed to be Canaanite from the word...
and West Beirut until February 1982. In the latter case, the car-bombs were combined with a powerful command-detonated explosive device
Explosive device
An explosive device is device that relies on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Explosive devices have applications as demolition devices and as weapons in the military....
planted at a packed Cinema – followed suit by another in early October – that left 300 civilians dead or wounded; other attacks undertaken that same month targeted Syrian ADF troops, followed by a failed assassination attempt on the US ambassador to Lebanon John Gunther Dean
John Gunther Dean
John Gunther Dean is a distinguished career United States diplomat. From 1974-1988, Dean served as the United States Ambassador to five different nations under four different U.S. Presidents.-Early years:...
FLLF operations came to a sudden halt just prior to the June 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon
Israeli invasion of Lebanon
The Israeli invasion of Lebanon could refer to:*The Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the 1978 South Lebanon conflict;*The Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the 1982 Lebanon War;*The Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the 1993 Lebanon War;...
, only to be resumed the following year with four huge car-bomb attacks: the first one on 28 January 1983 struck a PLO headquarters at Chtaura
Chtaura
Chtaura is a town in Lebanon in the fertile Beqaa valley located between the Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. It is located halfway on the Beirut Damascus highway. It is located 44 km from Beirut....
in the Syrian-controlled Beqaa Valley
Beqaa Valley
The Beqaa Valley is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. For the Romans, the Beqaa Valley was a major agricultural source, and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region...
, killing 40, coupled by a second on 3 February at West Beirut that devastated the Palestine Research Center offices and left 20 people dead. A third bombing occurred on Syrian-controlled Baalbek
Baalbek
Baalbek is a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, altitude , situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire...
on 7 August 1983, which killed about 30 people and injured nearly 40, followed by another in 5 December 1983 at the Shiyah quarter of West Beirut that claimed the lives of 12 people and maimed over 80.
The group ceased its actions shortly afterwards, though some observers believe that they remained active as late as mid-1984, but nothing was heard of them since.
Controversy
It is also possible that ‘FLLF’ was just a covert ‘working title’ adopted by several Lebanon-based unrelated radical groups. Some attacks that were claimed by the FLLF did not fit the Christian PhalangeKataeb Party
The Lebanese Phalanges , better known in English as the Phalange , is a traditional right-wing Lebanese political party. Although it is officially secular, it is mainly supported by Maronite Christians. The party played a major role in the Lebanese War...
profile, from the previously mentioned assassination attempt on the U.S. Ambassador in Beirut to several attacks on French interests, and an attack on the Israeli consulate and a Jewish club in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
accused the Israeli intelligence services of orchestrating the bombings claimed by the FLLF during the fall of 1981 though the veracity of such accusations remains unclear.
See also
- Guardians of the CedarsGuardians of the CedarsThe Guardians of the Cedars – GoC , also designated Gardiens du Cedre or Gardiens des Cèdres in French, are a far-right ultranationalist Lebanese party and former militia in Lebanon...
- Lebanese civil warLebanese Civil WarThe Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
- Lebanese ForcesLebanese ForcesThe Lebanese Forces is a Lebanese political party. Founded as a militia by Bachir Gemayel during the Lebanese Civil War, the movement fought as the main militia within the Christian-dominated Lebanese Front...
- Lebanese Liberation FrontLebanese Liberation FrontThe Lebanese Liberation Front – LLF , Front de Liberation Libanais in French was an underground terrorist group of nationalist trend formed in February 1987...
- Liberation BattalionLiberation BattalionThe Liberation Battalion – LB or Battalion de la Liberation in French was a small, shadowy terrorist organization dedicated to attacking Syrian Army forces in Lebanon during the mid-late 1980s...
- Popular Revolutionary Resistance OrganizationPopular Revolutionary Resistance OrganizationDespite the deceiving ‘leftist’ trend of its title, the Popular Revolutionary Resistance Organization – PRRO or Organisation de la Resistance Populaire Révolutionnaire in French was a Phoenicist-oriented, anti-Syrian Lebanese Christian underground terrorist group that emerged in March 1987, being...
- Sons of the SouthSons of the SouthThe Sons of the South – SotS were a small and obscure Lebanese Christian terrorist faction based in southern Lebanon, allegedly funded and trained by the Israeli Defense Forces intelligence service...
External links
- http://www.start.umd.edu/start/data_collections/tops/terrorist_organization_profile.asp?id=4506 – FLLF profile on START Terrorist database.
- http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/Results.aspx?perpetrator=2991 – List of incidents involving the FLLF on the Global Terrorism Database (GTD).