| Lebanese Youth Movement (MKG) حركة الشباب اللبنانية | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the Lebanese Youth Movement (MKG) (1969–1977) | |
| Leaders | Maroun Naim el-Khoury ("Bash Maroun") Jean el-Khoury |
| Dates of operation | 1973–1977 |
| Headquarters | Dekwaneh,East Beirut |
| Active regions | East Beirut,Mount Lebanon |
| Ideology | Lebanese nationalism Ultranationalism Phoenicianism Anti-communism Anti-Palestinianism |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Size | 1,500 fighters |
| Part of | Lebanese Front Lebanese Forces |
| Allies |  Kataeb Regulatory Forces Guardians of the Cedars (GoC) Army of Free Lebanon (AFL) Al-Tanzim Tigers Militia Tyous Team of Commandos (TTC) |
| Opponents |  Lebanese National Movement (LNM)Lebanese Arab Army (LAA) Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Syrian Arab Armed Forces |
| Battles and wars | Lebanese Civil War |
Preceded by 500 fighters | |
TheLebanese Youth Movement – LYM (Arabic: حركة الشباب اللبنانية |Harakat al-Shabab al-Lubnaniyya), also known as theMaroun Khoury Group (MKG), wasaChristian militia which fought in the1975-77 phase of the Lebanese Civil War.
The LYM/MKG was founded in 1969 byMaroun Naim el-Khoury (nom de guerre "Bash Maroun") and his brotherJean el-Khoury, sons of the former head of theKataeb Party's section (Arabic:qism) in theDekwaneh district ofEast Beirut,Naim el-Khoury. It was originally created as an association of mainlyMaroniteright-wing university students that strongly opposed theCairo Agreement and the presence ofPalestine Liberation Organization (PLO) guerrilla factions inLebanon, being involved in gathering the Dekwaneh residents regardless of their religion and arming them with obsolete firearms in order to defend themselves against the perceived "Palestinian threat."[1]
In 1973, the LYM/MKG sent 200 male and female members to a secret training camp atKfour, in theKeserwan District, to receive military training. They also began to publish an official newspaper, "The Voice of the Movement" (Arabic:Sawt el-Harakat) and edited a magazine, "The Fighter" (Arabic:El-Moukatel). Later, the organization created its own motto and anthem: "We work to deserve Lebanon" (نعمل لنستحق لبنان).
During the pre-conflict phase in 1974, when armed clashes between theLebanese Army and the PLO guerrilla factions were becoming increasingly frequent, the LYM/MKG joined theAl-Tanzim in supporting the Army attempts to cut off the communications between the palestinian refugee camps ofTel el-Zaatar,Karantina,Jisr el-Basha, andNaba'a, which were being used by the PLO as weapons storage depots and training facilities.
Being violentlyanti-communist and anti-Palestinian, the LYM/MKG's own ideology stemmed from the extremistPhoenicist views espoused by theGuardians of the Cedars and theAl-Tanzim, groups to which they cultivated a close relationship in the immediate pre-civil war years.
The LYM/MKG joined theLebanese Front in January 1976 and raised its ownmilitia with training, funds and weapons being provided by theTigers Militia led byCamille Chamoun. Starting with just 500 men and women armed with obsolete weapons, by April 1975 the Movement's military wing eventually grew to about 1,500 fighters, backed by a small mechanized force made of ex-Lebanese Armyarmoured cars andgun trucks or 'technicals' armed withheavy machine guns andrecoilless rifles. Personally commanded by Bash Maroun, they usually operated in theRas-el-Dekwaneh,Ain El Remmaneh andMansouriye districts, manning the local sections of theGreen Line, but also fought in other areas (namely at theBattle of the Hotels), earning a reputation of fierce combatants.[2][3]
However, they also became infamous for their brutality. In January–August 1976, a force of 100 LYM/MKG militiamen took part in the sieges and subsequent massacres of thePalestinian refugee situated at the coastal town ofDbayeh in theMatn District, and atKarantina,Al-Maslakh andTel al-Zaatar in East Beirut. At the latter battle, the LYM/MKG intensified the blockade of the refugee camp by launching on 22 June a full-scale military assault that lasted for 35 days,[4][5] and the cruelty displayed by LYM/MKG members' in this assault and other atrocities, earned them the unflattering nickname "The Ghosts of the Cemeteries" (Arabic: أشباح المقابر | 'Ashbah al-Maqabir) – Bash Maroun's men were normally seen wearing necklaces made from human body parts cut from their victims.[6]
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The LYM/MKG was subsequently absorbed into theLebanese Forces structure in 1977, thereafter ceasing to exist as an independent organization. Under LF command, they later again played a key role in the eviction of theSyrian Army out from the Christian-controlledEast Beirut in February 1978 during theHundred Days' War.
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Like many Lebanese militias, the LYM/MKG fielded since January 1976 a mechanized corps consisting of ex-Lebanese ArmyPanhard AML-90armoured cars andgun trucks or 'technicals'. The latter consisted of commandeeredLand-Rover series II-III,Santana Series III (Spanish-produced version of the Land-Rover series III),Toyota Land Cruiser (J40),Dodge W200 Power Wagon,Dodge D series (3rd generation),GMC Sierra Custom K25/K30 andChevrolet C-10/C-15 Cheyenne light pickups mountingheavy machine guns andrecoilless rifles.[7][8]
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