The commander of Lebanon’s main Christian militia went to Damascus on September 9 to hold talks with Syrian government officials. The commander, Elie Hobeika, met with Abdel Halim Khaddam, Syria’s first vice-president. Khaddam handles Syria’s involvement in the Lebanese crisis.
It was the first time in ten years that a member of the Christian militia has paid a visit to Damascus. The militia, known as the Lebanese Forces, recently renounced its links with Israel, opting instead for Syrian and Arab help in solving the crisis in Lebanon.
Syria presently occupies north and eastern Lebanon and exerts a great deal of influence over the country’s affairs.
The Moslem speaker of Lebanon’s National Assembly said on September 9 that for the first time in the conflict, there was a Moslem-Christian consensus in support for a Syrian role in Lebanon.
