| 6:29p |
At the beginning of the war in 1975 the different LNM militias were grouped into a military wing, designated the "Common Forces" (Arabic: القوات المشتركة, Al-Quwwat al-Mushtaraka), but best known as "Joint Forces" (LNM-JF), which numbered some 18,700 militiamen (not including allied Palestinian factions). Manpower was distributed as follows: the PSP militia and the LCP militia (the popular Guards) each had 5,000 men; the SSNP militia had 4,000 men; and the pro-Iraqi Baathists, the pro-Syria Baathists, and al-Mourabitoun militia 3,000 each. The others militias shared the remainder. |