Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Lebanon Region

The Lebanese branch of the undivided Ba'ath Party was formed in 1949–1950.{{cite book|author=David Seddon|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=qmYMy1Ls8ucC&pg=PA85 85]|title=A political and Economic Dictionary of the Middle East|publisher=Europa Publications|year=2004|isbn=1-85743-212-6|location=London; New York}} Assem Qanso is the longest-serving secretary (leader) of the Lebanese Ba'ath Party,{{cite web|title=The future of Syria's pawns in Lebanon|url=http://www.lebanonwire.com/1209MLN/12090305NL.asp|publisher=www.lebanonwire.com|access-date=23 December 2014}} first from 1971 to 1989 and again from 2000 to 2005.{{cite book|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=TMcMAQAAMAAJ 20]|title=The Soviet Union and the Middle East|publisher=Indiana University|year=1983|volume=8}} In 1953 it merged with Arab Socialist Party headed by Akram Hourani, and the current title was adopted. One of its secretaries general was Abdallah Al Amin, headquartered in Beirut.

{{Infobox War Faction

| name = The Assad Battalion
كتيبة الاسد

| war = Lebanese Civil War

| image =

| caption =

| active = 1975-1991

| leaders = Muhammad Saeed Akkam (Abu Fahd)

| headquarters = West Beirut

| area = Lebanon

| size = 2,000 fighters

| predecessor = 2,000 fighters

| partof = Lebanese National Movement
Lebanese National Resistance Front
Unification and Liberation Front

| allies = 22px Al-Mourabitoun
22px Progressive Socialist Party (PSP)/22px People's Liberation Army (PLA)
{{flagicon image|Flag of the Lebanese Communist Party.svg}} Lebanese Communist Party (LCP)/Popular Guard
{{flagicon|Palestine}} Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
{{flagicon image|Flag of the United Arab Republic (1958–1971), Flag of Syria (1980–2024).svg}} Syrian Arab Armed Forces

| opponents = File:Forces Libanaises Flag.svg Lebanese Front
File:Forces Libanaises Flag.svg Lebanese Forces
File:Former Flag of the Lebanese Army.svg Lebanese Armed Forces
{{flagicon image|Flag of Lebanon (1943-1990).svg}} Internal Security Forces
{{flagicon|Israel}} Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

}}

During the start of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, the party had an armed militia, the Assad Battalion, of some 2,000 armed men.{{cite book

|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=B9L9ZWtnYsgC&pg=PA282 282]|title=Syria: A Country Study|publisher=Kessinger Publishing|year=2004|isbn=978-1-4191-5022-7}} The party joined forces with Kamal Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party in organizing the Lebanese National Movement, seeking to abolish the confessional state.{{cite book|author=Edgar O'Ballance|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=iZhJgTkW058C&pg=PA62 62,149,179]|title=Civil War in Lebanon, 1975–92|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=1998|isbn=0-312-21593-2}} The Lebanese National Movement was later superseded by the Lebanese National Resistance Front, in which the party participated. The party organized resistance against Israeli forces in Lebanon. In July 1987, it took part in forming yet another front, the Unification and Liberation Front.

In the 2009 parliamentary election, the party won two seats as part of the March 8 Alliance. The parliamentarians of the party were Assem Qanso and Qassem Hashem.{{cite web|url=http://nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=97943|title=March14 – March 8 MPs|publisher=NOW Lebanon|access-date=24 October 2011|date=11 March 2009|archive-date=25 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025042309/http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=97943|url-status=dead}}

The Lebanese Ba'ath Party is also militarily involved in the Syrian Civil War and has sent forces under its control to aid Bashar al-Assad's government against the Syrian opposition. One contingent, allegedly 400 fighters strong, took part in the Daraa offensive (June 2017).{{cite web|url=https://www.qasioun-news.com/en/news/show/81289/The_Lebanese_Baath_Party_Announces_The_Death_Of_Its_Leader_In_Daraa|title=The Lebanese Baath Party Announces The Death Of Its Leader In Daraa|work=Wasioun News|date=6 July 2017|access-date=14 August 2019|archive-date=14 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814215616/https://www.qasioun-news.com/en/news/show/81289/The_Lebanese_Baath_Party_Announces_The_Death_Of_Its_Leader_In_Daraa|url-status=dead}} Its commander, Hussein Ali Rabiha from Nabatieh, was killed during this operation.{{cite web |url=https://nedaa-sy.com/en/news/176|title=Militias of Lebanese Baath party Along with the Assad forces in the battles of Daraa |work=Needa |date=15 June 2017 |access-date=14 August 2019 |archive-date=14 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814214607/https://nedaa-sy.com/en/news/176 |url-status=dead }}

Before the 2018 Lebanese general election, the Lebanese Ba'ath Party had suffered a split, with Regional Secretary Assem Qanso and Numan Shalq heading in different directions.{{cite web|url=http://www.khiyam.com/news/article.php?articleID=22873|script-title=ar:قرارات طرد ستطال قياديين بعثيين|website=khiyam.com|language=ar|date=8 January 2017}} Both factions had nominated candidates for the elections, but none was accepted into a list and were thus eliminated from the polls. Reportedly, the Syrian ambassador, Ali Abdul Karim, had lobbied against any list accepting Qanso's candidates, as his group is not recognized from Damascus. A Baathist politician, Kassem Hachem, was included in a list in South III as Amal candidate, but not on behalf of the party. Former Regional Secretary Fayez Shukr headed a list in Bekaa III.{{cite web|url=http://www.alkalimaonline.com/Newsdet.aspx?id=277085|script-title=ar:خاص - حزب البعث خارج السباق الإنتخابي .. فما علاقة الحلفاء؟|website=alkalimaonline.com|language=ar|date=7 April 2018|access-date=14 January 2020|archive-date=15 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415064837/http://www.alkalimaonline.com/Newsdet.aspx?id=277085|url-status=dead}} On 7 April 2019, the Lebanese Ba'ath Party and other parties staged pro-Syrian demonstrations in Beirut; this was the "first such show of its kind" since 2005.{{cite web|url=https://thearabweekly.com/syria-political-influence-beats-odds-again-lebanon |title=Syria political influence beats the odds, again, in Lebanon |work=Arab Weekly |author=Sami Moubayed |date=14 April 2019 |access-date=23 February 2021 }}

During the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike was launched on the Lebanese Ba'ath Party headquarters in Ras el-Nabaa in Beirut which killed a Hezbollah spokesman, Mohammed Afif.{{Cite web |last=Presse |first=AFP-Agence France |title=Hezbollah Spokesman Killed In Israel Strike On Beirut |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/lebanon-security-source-says-hezbollah-spokesman-killed-in-beirut-strike-3e3fe86d |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=Barrons |language=en-US}} Following the fall of the Assad regime, the party's headquarters in Halba were stormed by a mob of anti-Assad militants.{{Cite web |title=Syrian Baath Party office in Halba, north Lebanon, stormed, picture of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad thrown and trampled. |url=https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/news/58816/syrian-baath-party-office-in-halba-north-lebanon-stormed-picture-of-syrian-president-bashar-al-assad-thrown-and-trampled. |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=This is Beirut |language=en}}

• Mahmoud Baydoun (1966–1969)
• Magali Nasrawin (1969–1971)
• Assem Qanso (1971–1989)
• Abdallah Al Amin (1989–1993)
• Abdallah Chahal (1993–1996)
• Sayf al-Din Ghazi (1996–2000)
• Assem Qanso (2000–2005)
• Sayf al-Din Ghazi (2005–2006)
• Fayez Shukr (2006–2015)
• Abdul Mou'in Ghazi (2015–2016)
• Suheil Qassar (2016)
• Nu'man Shalaq (2016–2021)
• Ali Hijazi (2021–present)

• Socialist Arab Lebanon Vanguard Party
• Lebanese Civil War
• Lebanese National Movement
• Mountain War (Lebanon)

{{Reflist}}

• Tom Najem and Roy C. Amore, Historical Dictionary of Lebanon, Second Edition, Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham, Boulder, New York & London 2021. {{ISBN|9781538120439}}, 1538120437

{{Ba'ath Party}}

{{Lebanese political parties}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arab Socialist Baath Party - Lebanon Region}}

Category:1953 establishments in Lebanon

Category:Arab nationalism in Lebanon

Category:Arab nationalist militant groups

Category:Ba'athist parties

Lebanon

Category:Factions in the Lebanese Civil War

Category:Lebanese National Movement

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Category:March 8 Alliance

Category:Nationalist parties in Lebanon

Category:Political parties established in 1953

Category:Pro-Assad factions of the Syrian civil war

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