Lebanese Communist Party

Here is a faction that may be of interest to the gamer that likes to play unusual forces. Someone that also has a POUM force for the Spanish Civil War or a battalion of Elefants for Kursk. (I have had and played with both.)

The Lebanese Communist Party was one of the older political creations in the Middle East. Founded in 1924 this party was never very strong and depended on outside support for most of its operations. For the period of the Israeli invasion in 1982 this party and militia would be limited and ineffective.

Their militia, the Popular Guard (PG) was trained by the Palestinian Fatah and were provided with Soviet-made small-arms, as well as armed jeeps and gun-trucks equipped with heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft auto cannons and recoilless rifles supplied by the PLO, Syria, and the USSR. These can include the BTR40, GAZ 469 jeep and civilian trucks. Most common weapons are available from both Peter Pig and QRF. Small arms are limited to the AK47. Support weapons other than RPGs will be very limited.

In 1979 PG command was passed on to Elias Atallah, a Maronite. Although it was active mostly in West Beirut, the LCP/PG also kept underground cells at the Sidon, Tripoli, Tyre and Nabatiyeh districts of the Jabal Amel region of southern Lebanon.

At no point will any unit have more than one big man and a single support weapon. Is it worth fielding this force? Why of course. They may not win a lot of fights but with small arms and RPGs in a city they can be a nuisance. Also they have cool images on their web site. Now I just have to be concerned about the US State Department.