Lebanon’s 15-Year War, 1975-1990

The failure of parliament to elect a successor in 1988 precipitated a crisis between two rival governments, each claiming legitimacy. In 1989 the Christian leader Gen. Michel Aoun attempted to drive Syria from Lebanon but was defeated, and the Arab League mediated a peace deal. Aoun’s removal from power in October 1990 marked the end of the civil war and eliminated one of the major obstacles to the implementation of the 1989 Ṭāʾif peace accord.