A State PhD in political science for Adel A. Frayha
from the University of Nancy 2

            “The Army and the State in Lebanon” is a thesis presented lately by Adel A. Frayha to obtain a State PhD degree in political sciences from the University of Nancy 2.
The jury was formed by François Borella as the examining board president – who is the Rector of the University – of Philippe Merle and Vlad Constantinesco.
Dr. Frayha explained the factors that prevented the military coups d’Etat in Lebanon. He treated the political system and qualified it as a royal oligarchic system. He also treated the National Pact of 1943, from both political and confessional sides, as a main factor that stood in front of the revolutionary movements. Then he discussed other factors as the economic progress in Lebanon, the choice of military school officers on confessional base and the belonging of General Fuad Chehab to the constitutional school and Michel Chiha’s one.
The Author studied with accuracy the non serious coups attempts that occurred in Lebanon. The most important are both attempts of July 1949 and December 1961.

            Dr Frayha explained in a second section the interventions of the army in the state’s political life. He separated the army’s intervention in the 1958 crisis as a neutral power from the direct interventions. He described the army’s attitude during the crisis of 1958 as a wise one and that it is the only possible attitude even if it leads to the power. The 1958 crisis was due according to Dr Frayha to the political deviation of the National Pact (axes politic) (pro-Bagdad Pact).

            The direct interventions has, according to Dr. Frayha, four powers:
A reforming power in the economic and social life, especially between 1958 and 1964; a security power (second bureau) (intelligence service) on the political system between 1964 and 1970; a pure military power represented by the military institution against the palestinian’s intervention in the Lebanese domestic affairs; a power without power between 1975 and 1980. The roots of the 1975 crisis are due according to Dr Frayha to the military deviation of the non-participation of Lebanon in the 1967 and 1973 wars between Israel and the Arab countries, surrounding the Hebrew state (Egypt, Jordan, Syria).

            The eminent professor Georges Burdeau from Paris University commented the Dr Frayha’s thesis in a letter sent to the Public Library of Law and Jurisprudence in Paris, in 02/12/1978. He specified that the work of Dr Frayha is “without any doubt, a serious, perfectly documented and well organized work”. According to this letter, the Public Library of Law and Jurisprudence decided to publish Dr Frayha book in Paris under its supervision.