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CRS-2
Lebanese Shi'a organizations that fought to oust Israel from the "security zone."
According to an SLA spokesperson, since its inception to March 2000, the SLA suffered
621 military fatalities and 200 civilian fatalities.1 By way of comparison, the IDF suffered
roughly 250 fatalities in the "security zone" since its establishment in 1985 to April 2000.2
The SLA was commanded by the now 73-year-old Gen. Antoine Lahad and had an
estimated 2,500 to 3,000 fighters. Although the SLA was often portrayed in sectarian
terms as a Christian militia battling Shi' a militias, in reality, the SLA somewhat reflected
the prevailing confessional diversity of Lebanon. Though most of its commanders were
Christian, only half of the members of the militia were Christian, with the remainder
reportedly composed of Shi'a Muslims (30%), Druze (13%), and Sunni Muslims (7%).3
Some observers estimate that Shi'a Muslims may have composed up to half of the militia.
According to media reports, Israel paid an average monthly salary of between $500 and
$800 to SLA members.4 Together with maintenance and infrastructure expenditures, it
is estimated that Israel spent a total of $35 million annually on the SLA and its
dependents. The relatively high salaries that Israel paid members of the SLA created a
powerful economic incentive for local residents to join the militia. Living in the midst of
an area economically devastated by three decades of nearly constant conflict, the SLA was
oftentimes the only potential source of steady employment for many residents of south
Lebanon. According to Human Rights Watch, the SLA also filled its ranks through the
involuntarily conscription of residents of the "security zone," including children.6
Since the end of the 15-year Lebanese civil war in 1990, the Lebanese army, with
Syrian backing, has been fairly successful in disarming most militias and reasserting its
control in most parts of the country, with the exception of Hizballah and the SLA (prior
to Israel's withdrawal) in the southern part of the country. Israel was responsible for
equipping the SLA, which reportedly maintained a mainly obsolescent arsenal of 30 T-54/-
55 main battle tanks, M-113 and BTR-50 armed personnel carriers, and various 122mm,
130mm, and 155mm towed artillery pieces, and 160mm mortars.7 The SLA might also
have possessed up to 15 U.S.-made Sherman main battle tanks and Soviet-made SA-7
anti-aircraft shoulder-fired missiles, as well as ZSU-23 anti-aircraft guns.8
1 Karamallah Daher, "SLA Wants Israel to Leave with Peace Deal," Reuters, March 10, 2000.
2 Paul Taylor, "Israel Seen Stuck in 'Lebanese Mud' Despite Pullout," Reuters, April 28, 2000.
3 "SLA-Identity Card," Yediot Aharonot, April 4, 2000.
4 Sultan Sleiman, "Lebanese Occupation Zone Split Over Pullout," Reuters, May 15, 2000.
s Alex Fishman, "Seniors Will Be Resettled Abroad, Juniors Will Fight for Their Lives," Yediot
Aharonot, March 3, 2000, translated by Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS), Document
ID: GMP20000303000051.
6 See Human Rights Watch, "Israel's Withdrawal from South Lebanon: The Human Rights
Dimension," May 2000.
7 The Military Balance 1999-2000, The International Institute for Strategic Studies, Oxford
University Press, London, 1999, p. 139.
8 "SLA-Identity Card," Yediot Aharonot, April 4, 2000.
