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Samir Geagea (1952 - ) is the imprisoned leader of the Lebanese Forces (LF) militia. Geagea is currently serving several life sentences for crimes committed during the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990). He remains the only civil war era leader to be placed on trial for crimes committed during the war.
Geagea was born in Ain el-Rummanah in Beirut in 1952. His parents are from the quintessential Maronite town of Bsharri in the mountains of Northern Lebanon. While studying medicine at the American University of Beirut, he became an active member of the Christian Phalange Party, which became the main Christian fighting force upon the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975. He steadily rose through the ranks and led several daring operations at the request of Bashir Gemayel, then commander of the Phalange militia. In 1983, he led the unsuccessful defence of the Shouf Region in Central Lebanon against an onslaught by various Muslim militias that were supported by the Syrian Army. Geagea was appointed head of LF's northern Front in the early 1980's, where he commanded around 1,500 battle-hardened henchmen (mainly drawn from his native town of Bsharri and other towns and villages in Northern Lebanon). This loyal following would later ensure his ascension.
In 1986, Geagea became head of the Lebanese Forces militia (the successor to the Phalange) after staging a coup against Elie Hobeika, who was widely accused of treachery in the Lebanese Christian sector for agreeing to a Syrian-sponsored accord. Geagea transformed the LF into a formidable fighting force and nurtured links with Iraq, which developed into a major source of weaponry and support due to its animosity towards Syria. He also developed a highly organised civil infrastructure in area's under LF contol.
Geagea initially supported General Michel Aoun's drive to free Lebanon of all foreign forces in 1989. However, he later began to question the motives of Aoun in pursuing such a destructive and unpromising war against the much larger Syrian Army and its leftist allies. When Aoun began taking active steps to undermine and dissolve the LF, Geagea resisted violently. This resulted in a devastating war in 1990 between the LF and Lebanese Army units loyal to Aoun.
After the end of the war, Geagea was offered ministerial portfolios in the new Lebanese government several times however he declined on the grounds of opposition to Syrian interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon. Geagea was arrested in 1994 on charges of attempting to undermine government authority by instigating acts of violence and committing assassinations during the civil war. Prior to his arrest, he was contacted by several sympathetic politicians and warned about the forthcoming proceedings and offered safe passage out of Lebanon. Geagea refused to leave. He was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment on several different counts. Human rights groups including Amnesty International have decried the judicial process leading to his conviction as seriously flawed and politically-motivated. He remains incarcerated in the Lebanese Ministry of Defense and his access to the outide world is severely restricted. He is kept in solitary confinement in a small cell three floors underground.
Since his incarceration, support for Geagea among Lebanese Christians has grown dramatically. The Lebanese Forces today constitutes the fastest growing movement among Lebanese Christian students and professionals. It has also scored some stunning voctories in municipal and universty elections. Despite widespread calls for his release by notable politicans abd clerics, the Lebanese Government has stubbornly refused to grant Geagea a pardon. Geagea is said to have rejected an offer of a presidential pardon that would restrict his ability to participate in political activity.
External Link
Article on Geagea in the Middle East Intelligence Bulletin (http://www.meib.org/articles/0405_ld.htm)
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