Vanguard of the Maani Army (Movement of the Druze Jihad)

The Vanguard of the Maani Army (Movement of the Druze Jihad) – VMA (MDJ) (Arabic: طليعة جيش المعاني (حركة الجهاد الدرزي) | Taleat Jayish al-Maani (Harakat al-Jihad al-Duruzi)) was a predominantly Druze splinter faction of the Lebanese Army that came to play a role in the 1975–77 phase of the Lebanese Civil War.

Vanguard of the Maani Army (Movement of the Druze Jihad) – VMA (MDJ) طليعة جيش المعاني (حركة الجهاد الدرزي)
Flag of the Druze people variant
Leaders	Farid Hamadeh, Raouf Abdel-Salam, Wahib Abdel-Salam
Dates of operation	1976–1978
Headquarters	Chouf District
Active regions	Chouf District, Mount Lebanon, East Beirut
Ideology	Lebanese nationalism Anti-communism Anti-Palestinianism Conservatism Druze minority interests
Political position	Right-wing
Size	200 fighters
Part of	Lebanese Front
Allies	Kataeb Regulatory Forces Lebanese Armed Forces Internal Security Forces Army of Free Lebanon (AFL)
Opponents	Progressive Socialist Party (PSP)/ People's Liberation Army (PLA) Lebanese National Movement (LNM) Lebanese Arab Army (LAA) Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Palestine Liberation Army Syrian Arab Armed Forces
Battles and wars	Lebanese Civil War
Preceded by 100 fighters

Origins

The VMA (MJD) was formed in October 1976, following the break-up early that same year of the Lebanese Army into four rival groups or factions, including a predominately Muslim faction, the Lebanese Arab Army (LAA), aligned with the left-wing Lebanese National Movement (LNM)^[1][2][3][4] and a mainly Christian faction, the Army of Free Lebanon (AFL)^[5][6][7] aligned in turn with the right-wing Lebanese Front.

The group's founder was the conservative Druze politician Farid Hamadeh who opposed the za'im (political boss) Kamal Jumblatt, leader of both the left-wing Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and the LNM coalition. Closely linked to the Christian Lebanese Front coalition, the VMA (MJD)'s own manifesto claimed that their main goal was to rid Lebanon of the Palestinians and the 'communists' – meaning the Lebanese leftist parties and militias of the LNM, in addition to their allies of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) guerrilla factions and the Palestinian refugees living in the country. The group's leadership also expressed its opposition to the Syrian military intervention of June 1976.

Structure and organization

Based at the Chouf District, the VMA (MJD)' strength was estimated at about 100–200 Druze regular soldiers equipped with small-arms and military vehicles drawn from Lebanese Army depots and Internal Security Forces (ISF) Police stations. It was led by Druze junior officers from the Lebanese Army, such as Raouf Abdel-Salam and Wahib Abdel-Salam.

List of VMA (MDJ) commanders

• Farid Hamadeh
• Raouf Abdel-Salam
• Wahib Abdel-Salam

See also

• Army of Free Lebanon
• Lebanese Arab Army
• Lebanese Civil War
• Lebanese Druze
• Lebanese Front
• Lebanese Forces (militia)
• Lebanese National Movement
• List of weapons of the Lebanese Civil War
• Progressive Socialist Party
• People's Liberation Army (Lebanon)