Marada Brigade

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The Marada Brigade was a Maronite Christian faction in the Lebanese civil war. The Marada Brigade was named after the legendary Marada warriors of the early Middle Ages. At its height it had about 3,500 fulltime members[1]. The Marada Brigade was the personal militia of Suleiman Franjieh, president of Lebanon at the outbreak of the war. They were also known as the "Zgharta Liberation Army" after Franjieh's home town of Zgharta.

During the Lebanese civil war, Zgharta being the frontline and Christian stronghold of the north, it was the frontline in the war for northern Lebanon as the Zgharta-based Marada Brigade militia successfully repulsed and responded with attacks on Muslim and PLO militias from neighboring Tripoli.

They were initially allied with the Kataeb but in 1978 the year when Suleiman Franjieh's son Tony Frangieh was killed, Franjieh became firmly pro-Syrian and stopped attending meetings with the Lebanese Front. After several killings of Kataeb members in the district of Zgharta Zawie, the latest being Jud Al Bayee, the party decided to react. On 13th of June 1978, at 4am, the Kataeb, launched a surprise attack on Tony's summer mansion in Ehden and attempted to capture those thought responsible for Al Bayee's death. 28 people were killed. About 10 Kataeb members were killed in the attack. The Marada commander, Suleiman Franjieh's son Tony, his wife Vera and their 3-year-old girl, were also killed. Kataeb member (at the time) Samir Geagea was the leader of the attacking group. Until now, there has been no evidence about his involvement in the killing. In fact, he was injured in his right hand before getting to the castle and was taken to the hospital. Elie Hobeika has always denied taking part in the killing although this also was never proven. Bashir Gemayel who ordered the attack denied being responsible for the killing.

The attack in Ehden began the break up of the united Maronite militias known as the Lebanese Front. Suleiman Frangieh swore revenge for the death of his son and his family. Massive persecutions and revenge actions followed the assassination. Almost all Kataeb members fled the region.

In 1979 Bashir Gemayel's daughter and bodyguards were killed in a car bomb and later in 1982 Bashir himself was killed in a huge explosion on September 14th. The degree of involvement by Marada operatives is unclear.

The murder of Tony Frangieh was one of the factors which many commentators blame for the longevity of Lebanon's war and was the start of strong division between Christians. Recently, there has been great popular support for renewed Maronite solidarity which existed before 1978.

The Marada Brigade has many supporters today, especially in the district of Zgharta Zawie. It has become a political party and exists as the personal force of Tony Franjieh's son Sleiman, their za'im or leader. Sleiman Franjieh is a close personal friend of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and a strong advocate of Syria. He was serving as Interior Minister, one of the most powerful positions in the Lebanese government, when Rafiq al-Hariri was assassinated on 14 February, 2005.