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GV Mourabitoum soldiers standing to attention in Beirut, Lebanon
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LV Atef Idrsis, Assistant Secretary of Mourabitoun Central Committee, speaks to the troops in Arabic PAN Soldiers at attention
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SV & PAN Troops applauding TO Troops going through drill with machine-guns and mortars (5 shots)
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GV Troops in Jeeps drive through city streets with heavy artillery
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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Lebanon's Falangist military chiefs are planning to regroup rightist forces into a single powerful militia. The announcement came after they inflicted a crushing military defeat on their main Christian rivals in the divided country earlier this month. The Falangists, in their fight against the rival right-wing National Liberal Party (NLP), seized almost total control on Lebanon's Christian sectors.

SYNOPSIS: In western beirut, forces opposing the Falangist regime have been undergoing military training. The Mourabitoun are a left wing predominantly Moslem political faction determined to repel any Falangist attempt to take over their sector of the Lebanese capital.

These military preparations took place after the Falangists said they planned a war of liberation.

Lebanon's new Prime Minister, Takieddine Solh, has been seeing various military and political leaders to discuss the formation of a government of national unity. The new government will include representative of the main Christian and Moslem factions. President Elias Sarkis feels the militia chiefs will act with more responsibility if brought into the government. But following their military victory, Falangist aides swiftly announced plans for their creation of a unified rightist militia and a separate police force. At the same time, they denied plans to set up their own state.

A joint militia set up by the Falangists would have a potential strength of forty thousand men. The Falangists could then carry out the threat they've made to drive the Palestinians and Syrians out of the Lebanon. If. Mr Solh is unsuccessful in forming his government of national unity it will be a major reverse to his plans to end five years of sectarian violence in the Lebanon.