Gemayel’s Loyalists Yield to Larger Christian Militia

In a further sign of a continuing power struggle in Lebanon, the nation’s largest Christian militia seized control Tuesday of a smaller force loyal to former President Amin Gemayel.

The takeover was apparently accomplished without bloodshed when the Lebanese Forces made a massive show of force before dawn, sending tanks and armored cars in a pincer movement toward Gemayel’s hometown of Bikfaya.

By midday Tuesday, columns of Lebanese Forces armored personnel carriers were rumbling through the congested streets of the Christian heartland, but there was no fighting.

The most significant outcome of the move may be that for the first time since the outbreak of civil war in 1975, the fighting forces of the Christians are unified under one leadership.

Rival Governments

Gemayel, a Maronite Christian, served as president until Sept. 22, when Parliament failed in repeated attempts to choose a successor. He was barred by law from succeeding himself.

Gemayel appointed the army commander, Maj. Gen. Michel Aoun, a fellow Maronite, to be premier, provoking a storm of protest from the Muslim majority. Salim Hoss, a Sunni Muslim who had been premier, has refused to recognize the new government. The rivals carry on virtually as separate governments.

In the aftermath of the election fiasco, political analysts believed that the Christian community was heading toward an inevitable showdown involving Gemayel, Aoun and the Lebanese Forces leader, Samir Geagea.

Threat Eliminated

The action by the Lebanese Forces effectively eliminated Gemayel’s followers as a military threat.

By most accounts, the Lebanese Forces have about 10,000 fighters and Gemayel’s “Army of the Metn”--named for the region around his home--is estimated to number about 1,200.

Aoun commands a force of about 10,000 regular army soldiers in the Christian heartland.

According to militia officials, the Lebanese Forces announced their intention in advance, and Gemayel reluctantly capitulated in the face of overwhelming force. Lebanese Forces units took over four Metn barracks loyal to Gemayel and seized large quantities of weapons and ammunition.

No Bloodshed

“The beauty of the operation was that there was no bloodshed,” Richard Jreissati, a spokesman for the Lebanese Forces, said.

The action recalled the 1980 “merger” of the Lebanese Forces with the militia led by the late Camille Chamoun. Although heavily outnumbered, Chamoun did not concede defeat until about 500 troops had been killed.

A statement issued by the Lebanese Forces said that Geagea’s and Gemayel’s forces had reached agreement “for the unification of the military, security, informational, political and financial forces.”

Gemayel reportedly will be left with a personal bodyguard of about 40 members.

With the seizure of the Metn region by the Lebanese Forces, Aoun is expected to try to persuade Geagea to move most of his troops out of Beirut into mountain areas facing Syrian troops occupying the country.

With that accomplished, the army could claim full control of East Beirut, while predominantly Muslim West Beirut remains under Syrian control. But few believe Geagea will easily give up his base of power in East Beirut.