Boot Camp

Marines help rebuild an army

If U.S. Special Envoy Philip Habib is to break the deadlock in the negotiations for Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon, he must convince the Israelis that their demand to keep a residual military presence in the country is unnecessary. With that aim in mind, Washington has undertaken a $251 million crash program to rebuild the regular Lebanese army, which is in a state of serious disrepair after eight years of civil war and sectarian strife. Last week 32 U.S.-made M48 tanks were hoisted off a ship in Beirut for delivery to the Lebanese army. Twenty-eight Green Berets from the U.S. Army Special Forces, part of a team of 75 American advisers now in Lebanon, will begin training the Lebanese in infantry procedures and antiterrorist tactics this week.

Although a modest U.S. military-aid effort had been under way for several years, the Reagan Administration decided to expand its assistance last fall. What the Americans found was not encouraging. Fully 40% of Lebanese regulars did not have boots or field jackets, and many carried weapons that did not work. Some units had been issued three kinds of assault rifles, each requiring different ammunition. The army's supply depot was "a total nightmare," in the words of an American officer. Crates of military materiel airlifted from the U.S. in 1978 were unopened, and no one was sure of their contents. When Lebanese President Amin Gemayel ordered his army's 8th Brigade into East Beirut in February to take over security functions from the Lebanese Forces, the Phalangist-led coalition of Christian militias, the troops managed the 2 1/2-mile deployment without a hitch. But their chow did not arrive until 18 hours later. Says a senior U.S. official: "The Lebanese army is like a block of Swiss cheese. A lot of it is solid, but you run into holes in surprising places."

Colonel Arthur T. Fintel, chief of the U.S. military assistance program, says that the first goal of the joint U.S.-Lebanese effort was to bring four 4,000-man brigades up to 70% of fighting strength. In terms of size and equipment, that aim has already been accomplished. The longer-term goal is to train seven brigades for a total of 30,000 men. An intensive recruitment program has surpassed expectations, partly because enlisted men get higher pay than draftees.

U.S. Marines conducting training in hand-to-hand combat, helicopter piloting, and other tactics discovered that Lebanese soldiers often have had plenty of combat experience--and the scars to prove it--from having served in private militias. But few Lebanese troops have ever operated as army units. Marines attached to the four-nation, 52,000-man multinational force that has been patrolling Beirut since the Israeli withdrawal from the capital have helped in the effort to improve the Lebanese army. At a recent training session, six Marines ordered a battalion of Lebanese soldiers to clench their fists and scream. It took a while for the Lebanese to catch on, but soon they were yelling exuberantly. Says a Marine corporal: "These guys feel great just going through drills with a hundred other guys because they never worked together in a large group before."

U.S. advisers are pleased with General Ibrahim Tannous, 53, a career officer who is commanding general of the Lebanese armed forces. Tannous has ruthlessly purged corrupt officers, halted the practice of officers' wearing high-heeled boots instead of combat boots, and tried to strike a more even balance at the top of the traditionally Christian command structure by bringing up able Muslim officers. Ultimately, Lebanon will have a truly national army only if the Muslim population is convinced that the military properly reflects the country's religious diversity. That will require not only a stronger Muslim presence at the top, but more tact and caution than the army has displayed so far in dealing with sectarian disturbances.

According to U.S. officials, one infantry brigade and three companies of trained helicopter assault troops will be available for deployment in southern Lebanon within a few weeks. Says Colonel Fintel: "I do not see any reason why they cannot secure the border with Israel." The normally jaded Lebanese, meanwhile, are beginning to show some signs of pride in their army. When a column of armored personnel carriers paraded along Beirut's crowded seaside corniche one Saturday evening, passers-by burst into cheers. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.