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Hobeika, Elias Joseph (Elie Hobeika) Born in
Kleiat in the Kessruan in 1956. He had stopped
school at the age of 16. When the war broke out
Hobeika joined a crack unit of the Phalange. In
1976 several members of his family as well as his
fiancee were among the many hundreds butchered by
Palestinians in the town of Damour. By 1977
Hobeika had become commander of the southern
sector of Lebanon. In the early stages of the war
he was known as Edward and then as H.K, after a
machine gun called a 'Heckler and Koch' which he
used in the battle of Beirut and the Karantina in
1978. During a lull in the fighting, he was placed
briefly at the Banco Di Brazil in Beirut in 1978
as an office boy. As fighting erupted again he
went back to the lines and was promoted to head of
the third division of the Phalange incharge of
special operations and in 1979 promoted to
security chief of the Lebanese Forces as head of
Intelligence.
Hobeika married Gina Raymond Nachaty in 1981. He
had a baby girl Sabine in 81, and she died in
tragic circumstances in 1982. He had a boy Joseph
in 1983.
In 1982 he commanded the massacre of Sabra and
Chatila.
Over the next few years as support for the
Lebanese Forces started to decline Samir Geagea,
Karim Pakradouni, and Elie Hobeika forced the
resignation in 1985 of the then commander of the
Lebanese Forces, Fouad Abu Nadir. Elie Hobeika was
named head of its executive committee.
On January 15, 1986, Samir Geagea led a movement
that removed Elie Hobeika from Lebanese Forces
command due to his improprieties and, above all,
to his having signed the 'Tripartite Accord' with
Syria. It was strongly held that he had been
actively courting Syria and betraying Lebanon.
Hobieka fled to Syria and used his time there to
strengthen his relationship with the Syrian
leadership and to learn English and French as well
as taking a computer course. His few armed
followers were stationed in Zahle under Syrian
protection. In september 1986, with Syrian and
Druze support he ordered his men to attack
Ashrafieh from West Beirut, and after an
occupation of some streets that lasted a few hours
he was totally defeated, those of his men that
survived went back to Zahle and he remained in
Syria.
In 1990 his men fought alongside the Syrians
against General Aoun and so Hobeika was rewarded
with a number of ministerial posts.
Hobeika has been implicated in a great number of
murders and assasinations, including that of Dany
Chamoun. Hobeika was himself assasinated on
January 24 2002 in a huge car bomb explsion near
his home. A car bomd was detonated as her drove by
killing him and three bodyguards.
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