Om krigen mellem Israel og PLO i Libanon fra 1982 baseret på interviews med soldater og civile og med fokus på de militære begivenheder i en større social og politisk kontekst.

During the summer and fall of 1982 the Israeli government used military force in an operation which they believed would achieve certain immediate political goals. Israel invaded Lebanon with an announced goal of clearing PLO terrorists from an area which threatened the northern section of Israel known as Galilee. While military forces initially committed to the operation were equal to the announced political goal, changes in policy which occurred during the operation created tensions in the campaign plan conducted by the Israeli Defense Forces. This monograph first analyzes the background of all active and supporting belligerents in order to ascertain the political and strategic goals which guided the participants. The plans for the operation are presented and the actual conduct of the invasion is described. Two aspects of classical theory--the identification of centers of gravity and the relationship between military means and political ends--are assessed in the light of the success and failure of the nations involved in the conflict. The monograph concludes that there was a glaring military means-political ends mismatch and that the Israeli planners failed in identifying the PLO center of gravity. The indications are that modern nation-states must be prepared to understand and fight any type of warfare on the conflict spectrum. Understanding of military theory and history assists the planner in these demands.

Focusing on military-related developments 'Lebanese Civil War' dissects military forces, their equipment, intention and capabilities, and their combat operations.

The Lebanese Civil War of 1975-76 caused 80,000 dead and totally split the country along factional lines. An estimated 50 different militias came into existence, and acts of violence were both individual and collective. In the midst of this explosive atmosphere, cross-border conflict between Israel and Lebanon intensified, culminating in Operation Peace for Galilee the invasion of Lebanon. This book offers a day-by-day account of the invasion and the subsequent siege of Beirut, an operation that resulted in both the PLO and Israel claiming victory. Numerous photographs and colour plates portray the uniforms and equipment of the Israeli, Palestinian and Multi-National forces.

The uncertain nature of future threats to U.S. forces presents interesting challenges to military planners. As the emphasis on the littoral environment and urban warfare continues, valuable lessons can be learned from Israel's swift and successful drive into Lebanon in 1982. Operation Peace for Galilee was epitomized by expert planning and operational excellence, as the IDF achieved its stated aim of establishing a PLO-free 40 kilometer buffer zone north of its border within 40 hours. Yet, as defense minister Ariel Sharon manipulated its conduct, the operation grew beyond the scope of IDF capabilities. By incorrectly identifying the PLO center of gravity as its military "fighters", the Israelis expanded their aims and found themselves in a two month siege of Beirut that resulted in mounting casualties and rising domestic dissatisfaction. The IDF was caught unprepared for urban warfare. Its heavy armor forces were more suited to the desert terrain of its previous wars, rather than the mountainous and urban terrain of Lebanon, which favored the defender. A planned 72 hour operation lasted 3 months and resulted in a 3 year occupation of Lebanon. While full of operational excellence at its outset, the operation protracted and ended in strategic failure and erosion of domestic support, resulting in the resignations of both the president and defense minister.