State of Free Lebanon

State of Free Lebanon
دولة لبنان الحرة
Dawlat Lubnān al-Ḥurra
1979–1984
Flag of Southern Lebanon
Flag
Map of the Free Lebanese State at its greatest extent
StatusClient state of Israel
CapitalMarjayoun
Common languagesHebrew (Minority)
Religion
Demonym(s)South Lebanese
GovernmentChristian republic (de facto)
President 
• 1979–1984
Saad Haddad
Historical eraLebanese Civil War
• Declared
18 April 1979
1982–(1985)
• Death of Saad Haddad
14 January 1984
Area
• Total
238.8 km2 (92.2 sq mi)
Population
• 
150,000 (est.)
CurrencyLebanese pound (LBP)
Old Israeli shekel (IS)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Lebanon
South Lebanon security belt administration
Today part ofLebanon

The State of Free Lebanon[1] (Arabic: دولة لبنان الحرة, Dawlat Lubnān al-Ḥurra) was an unrecognized separatist country in Lebanon. On 18 April 1979, Lebanese military officer Saad Haddad proclaimed the independence of a "Free Lebanon" out of the southernmost territory of Lebanon, amidst the hostilities of the Lebanese Civil War.[2] Haddad was the founding commander of the South Lebanon Army, a quasi-military that aimed to serve the political interests of Lebanon's Maronite Christians during the conflict. Though Free Lebanon garnered no international recognition, it received support from neighbouring Israel; the South Lebanon Army and the Israel Defense Forces had established a working alliance with each other during the 1978 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Despite being further bolstered by the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the authority of Free Lebanon rapidly deteriorated following Haddad's death in 1984. In the post-Haddad era, Maronite governance continued in the form of the South Lebanon security belt administration, which remained intact under the umbrella of the 1985–2000 Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon. Over the course of the South Lebanon conflict, the Maronite administration and the South Lebanon Army operated under Israel's supervision, ultimately collapsing upon the Israeli withdrawal in 2000.

  1. ^ Jabbra, Joseph G.; Jabbra, Nancy W. (10 August 1983). "Lebanon: Gateway to Peace in the Middle East?". International Journal. 38 (4): 577–612. doi:10.2307/40202202. JSTOR 40202202.
  2. ^ "feb2b". Archived from the original on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2014-11-22.

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