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The South Lebanon Army (SLA) was a Lebanese militia formed in the late 1970s. It's first leader was Major Saad Haddad. Following Haddad's death in 1984, he was replaced as leader by Antoine Lahad.
The SLA was closely allied with Israel. It supported the Israelis by combatting both the PLO and Hezbollah in the strip of Southern Lebanon under Israeli control until 2000. It also ran the notorious Khiam prison on Israel's behalf. In return, Israel armed, uniformed, and supplied them with weapons.
With the Israeli withdrawal from Southern Lebanon in May 2000, the SLA collapsed in the face of Hezbollah's rapid advance. Many of its leading members were killed or imprisoned, while others managed to seek refuge in Israel. A number of members were also granted asylum in European countries, most notably in Germany.
The fact that the SLA rapidly crumbled after the withdrawal of the Israeli forces reinforced the popular conception that it was nothing more than a 'stooge militia' for the Israelis, who had tried to present the SLA as a legitimate allied armed force, but had proved to be anything but when Israeli support ended. Their administration of the 'security zone' resembled more of an armed gang occupation than that of a military government, which earned them the hatred of the rest of Lebanon, as well as Syria and Hezbollah. SLA members captured by Lebanon and Hezbollah were treated as war criminals rather than being treated as Prisoners of War.
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