Before stepping down, he appointed another Maronite Christian, Lebanese Armed Forces Commanding General Michel Aoun, as acting Prime Minister, as was his right under the Lebanese constitution of 1943.

In May 1991, the militias ( with the important exception of Hizballah ) were dissolved, and the Lebanese Armed Forces began to slowly rebuild themselves as Lebanon's only major non-sectarian institution.

Since the end of the war, the Lebanese have conducted several elections, most of the militias have been weakened or disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces ( LAF ) have extended central government authority over about two-thirds of the country.

After the election of then-commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces Émile Lahoud as President in 1998 following Hrawi's extended term as President, Salim al-Hoss again served as Prime Minister.

The Lebanese Armed Forces ( LAF ) ( Arabic: القوات المسلحة اللبنانية | Al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥa al-Lubnāniyya ) or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the Lebanese Army according to its official Website ( Arabic: الجيش اللبناني or " Armée libanaise " in French, is the military of the Republic of Lebanon.

The motto of the Lebanese Armed Forces is " Honor, Sacrifice, Loyalty " ( Arabic: " شرف · تضحية · وفاء "-Sharaf. Tadhia. Wafa < sup >< sub >'</ sub ></ sup >).

The Lebanese Armed Forces Emblem consists of a Lebanon Cedar tree surrounded by two laurel leaves, positioned above the symbols of the three branches: the ground forces represented by the two swords, the navy represented by an anchor, and the air force represented by two wings.

The Lebanese Armed Forces ' primary missions include defending Lebanon and its citizens against external aggression, maintaining internal stability and security, confronting threats against the country's vital interests, engaging in social development activities and undertaking relief operations in coordination with public and humanitarian institutions.

Later in 1926, the Lebanese First Sharp Shooters Unit was created out of the Special Troops of the Levant ; it is considered to be a direct precursor to the Lebanese Armed Forces ( LAF ).

The majority of the Lebanese Armed Forces remained a part of the French Army in Lebanon.

This was the first major combat operation for the Lebanese Armed Forces under the Independent Lebanese Government.

To ensure the effectiveness of such an elite force, many Commandos are sent overseas to nations such as the US, UK and France to receive extra training in specialized areas that the Lebanese Armed Forces are unable to provide, due to a lack of resources.

The Lebanese Air Force is the air force branch of the Lebanese Armed Forces.

The Lebanese Armed Forces has six official military colleges and schools that serve a wide variety of functions from officer training to overseeing national youth conscription programs.

At the request of Lebanese President Hrawi, the Syrian military took joint action with the Lebanese Armed Forces on 13 October 1990, to oust rebel Gen. Michel Aoun who had defied efforts at reconciliation with the legitimate Government of Lebanon.

# REDIRECT Lebanese Armed Forces

In May 1991, the militias ( with the important exception of Hezbollah ) were dissolved, and the Lebanese Armed Forces began to slowly rebuild themselves as Lebanon's only major non-sectarian institution.

On January 24, 2002, Elie Hobeika, another former Lebanese Forces figure associated with the Sabra and Shatilla massacres who later served in three cabinets and the parliament, was assassinated in a car bombing in Beirut.

Parliament voted for the release of the former Lebanese Forces warlord Samir Geagea in the first session since election were held in the spring of 2005.

The Free Patriotic Movement, The Kataeb Party, also known as the Phalange Party, the National Bloc, National Liberal Party, Lebanese Forces and the Guardians of the Cedars ( now outlawed ) each have their own base among Christians and it's controversial as to which group has the largest popularity.

In 1948, the Lebanese Third Sharp Shooters Regiment fought Israeli Forces occupying the Lebanese village of Malkieh in the northern Galilee and captured it, and that by the orders of Lebanese defense minister then, Emir Majid Arslan II.

After gradual decline of its strength, Phoenician city states on the Lebanese coast were conquered outright by the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia, which organized it as a satrapy, though many of Phoenician colonies continued their independent existence-most notably Carthage.

It has a low level of support in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and its main strength lies in the Lebanese refugee camps, where it is reported to have coordinated with Fatah against various Syrian-backed factions.

Other important characters are a Lebanese immigrant, Fadul, owner of the general store-renowned for his stubbornness and physical strength ; Castor de Abduim, a handsome blacksmith, whose companion Diva dies in a cholera outbreak ; Bernarda, a young prostitute who becomes Natario's lover ; and a group of farmers from Sergipe, whose arrival initiates a colourful blending of Bahian traditions with those of the original inhabitants.

During the Lebanese civil war was often the second largest Palestinian faction in fighting strength, after Yassir Arafat's Fatah movement.

It is present in most Lebanese districts, but its strength is greatest in South Lebanon.

The Beqaa governorate forms the main geographical extension of Lebanon and it lies between the Western and Eastern Lebanese Mountain ranges.

Metula lies in the northernmost point of Israel ( although the municipal borders of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights exceed it ), next to the Lebanese border at 520 m above sea level.

Sometimes they get their initial experience in church haflis, conducted by Lebanese and Syrians in the U.S., where they dance with just as few veils across their bodies as in nightclubs.

At the end of the Lebanese Civil War in 1990, despite the Taif Agreement asking for the " disbanding of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias ," Syria, in control of Lebanon at that time, allowed Hezbollah to maintain their arsenal, and control the Shiite areas in Southern Lebanon along the border with Israel.

Although Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000, and their complete withdrawal was verified by the United Nations, Lebanon now considers the Shebaa farms — a 26-km² ( 10-mi² ) piece of land captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 war and considered by the UN to be disputed territory between Syria and Israel — to be Lebanese territory.

He won the confidence of the Ottomans by fighting on their side at Marj Dabaq and, apparently pleased with the behavior of the Lebanese amirs, introduced them to Salim I when he entered Damascus.

Consequently, the demographics of Lebanon were profoundly altered, as the territory added contained people who were predominantly Muslim or Druze: Lebanese Christians, of which the Maronites were the largest subgrouping, now constituted barely more than 50 % of the population, while Sunni Muslims in Lebanon saw their numbers increase eightfold, Shi ' ite Muslims fourfold.

By 1975, Lebanon was a religiously and ethnically diverse country with most dominant groups of Maronite Christians and Lebanese Sunni and Shia Arabs ; with significant minorities of Druze, Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians and Palestinian Arab refugees and their descendants.

Up to 2005, 14-15, 000 Syrian troops ( down from 35, 000 ) remained in position in many areas of Lebanon, although the Taif called for an agreement between the Syrian and Lebanese Governments by September 1992 on their redeployment to Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

To this day, many Lebanese families take pride in tracing their descent to ancient tribes of Arabia.

In addition to the two major conflicting views, prominent Lebanese politicians of the myriad religious denominations in Lebanon have also tended to be feudal warlords commanding their own private militias and feared that a strong army would endanger their personal power.

The Lebanese Special Forces are the elite of the Lebanese army, those who enroll are subjected to rigorous training regimes and must be in peak physical and mental condition prior to their ascension to such a highly desired position.

The Lebanese Special Forces are also well known for killing and eating snakes with their bare hands at graduation ceremonies.

The Staff and Command College, Military Academy, and Mountain Skiing Fighting School are training centers for Lebanese soldiers designed to upgrade the quality of their skills while the High Center for Military Sport is designed to keep them in peak physical shape ( it also organizes sports groups and teams for international competition as well ).

While many Lebanese regard themselves as Arab, other Lebanese regard themselves, their history, and their culture as Phoenician and not Arab, while still other Lebanese regard themselves as both.