Vanguard of the Maani Army (Movement of the Druze Jihad) explained

Vanguard of the Maani Army (Movement of the Druze Jihad) – VMA (MDJ)
طليعة جيش المعاني (حركة الجهاد الدرزي)
War:Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990)
Active:1976–1978
Leaders:Farid Hamadeh, Raouf Abdel-Salam, Wahib Abdel-Salam
Clans:Lebanese Front
Headquarters:Chouf District
Areas:Chouf District, Mount Lebanon, East Beirut
Size:200 fighters
Predecessor:100 fighters
Allies: Lebanese Front
Lebanese Army
Internal Security Forces (ISF)
Army of Free Lebanon (AFL)
Opponents: Progressive Socialist Party (PSP)/People's Liberation Army (PLA)
Lebanese National Movement (LNM)
Lebanese Arab Army (LAA)
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
Palestine Liberation Army
Syrian Army

The Vanguard of the Maani Army (Movement of the Druze Jihad) – VMA (MDJ) (Arabic: طليعة جيش المعاني (حركة الجهاد الدرزي) | Taleat Jayish al-Maani (Harakat al-Jihad al-Duruzi)) was a predominantly Druze splinter faction of the Lebanese Army that came to play a role in the 1975–77 phase of the Lebanese Civil War.

Origins

The VMA (MJD) was formed in October 1976, following the break-up early that same year of the Lebanese Army into four rival groups or factions, including a predominately Muslim faction, the Lebanese Arab Army (LAA), aligned with the left-wing Lebanese National Movement (LNM)[1] [2] [3] [4] and a mainly Christian faction, the Army of Free Lebanon (AFL)[5] [6] [7] aligned in turn with the right-wing Lebanese Front.

The group's founder was the conservative Druze politician Farid Hamadeh who opposed the za'im (political boss) Kamal Jumblatt, leader of both the left-wing Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and the LNM coalition. Closely linked to the Christian Lebanese Front coalition, the VMA (MJD)'s own manifesto claimed that their main goal was to rid Lebanon of the Palestinians and the 'communists' – meaning the Lebanese leftist parties and militias of the LNM, in addition to their allies of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) guerrilla factions and the Palestinian refugees living in the country. The group's leadership also expressed its opposition to the Syrian military intervention of June 1976.

Structure and organization

Based at the Chouf District, the VMA (MJD)' strength was estimated at about 100–200 Druze regular soldiers equipped with small-arms and military vehicles drawn from Lebanese Army depots and Internal Security Forces (ISF) Police stations. It was led by Druze junior officers from the Lebanese Army, such as Raouf Abdel-Salam and Wahib Abdel-Salam.

List of VMA (MDJ) commanders

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Collelo, Lebanon: a country study (1989), p. 239.
  2. El-Kazen, The Breakdown of the State in Lebanon (2000), p. 333.
  3. Barak, The Lebanese Army – A National institution in a divided society (2009), pp. 100; 104.
  4. Hokayem, L'armée libanaise pendant la guerre: un instrument du pouvoir du président de la République (1975-1985) (2012), p. 22.
  5. El-Kazen, The Breakdown of the State in Lebanon (2000), p. 333.
  6. Barak, The Lebanese Army – A National institution in a divided society (2009), p. 104.
  7. Hokayem, L'armée libanaise pendant la guerre: un instrument du pouvoir du président de la République (1975-1985) (2012), p. 29.