Hard-Line Christian Militia Agrees to Pull Out of Beirut

The hard-line Lebanese Forces Christian militia agreed Thursday to withdraw from East Beirut to allow the government to create a militia-free capital and reunite Beirut after 15 years of civil war.

Druze and Shiite Muslim militias have already pulled out of districts they controlled in the combat-scarred city of 700,000 people.

Samir Geagea, commander of the 6,000-strong Christian force, said he set no deadline for the evacuation to allow the government time to decide how soon it will be able to fill the security vacuum created by withdrawal.

“We have agreed to withdraw,” Geagea said in an interview broadcast by his television station, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp.

“We will pull out at a moment’s notice once the government readies the army force that will take over from us to avert a security vacuum.

“The government will have to set the deadline,” Geagea said.

Defense Minister Albert Mansour said earlier Thursday that “implementation of the greater Beirut plan will start today. It will be an Independence Day gift for the Lebanese people.”

Mansour spoke to reporters after a modest military parade in Muslim West Beirut to mark 47 years of independence from France for this nation of about 3.5 million people.

The planned withdrawal marks a change in attitude by the Lebanese Forces, the Christians’ main fighting machine in the civil war against Muslims. The militia had defied a government order to withdraw by a Monday deadline.

Geagea explained that the government “has given us solid guarantees to prevent any reprisals in East Beirut after we pull out.”

He had demanded assurances that his Christian rival, Elie Hobeika, would not move into East Beirut once the Lebanese Forces leave.

President Elias Hrawi told the nation over television in a speech on the eve of Independence Day: “Greater Beirut is designed to stop the war. It will be established as long as Lebanese keep faith in this project. And no one will be able to obstruct this plan. This is the stage of great achievements.”