Editing Lebanese Armed Forces (section)

===1975–1990 Lebanese Civil War===
{{Main|Lebanese Civil War}}
As the civil war escalated, Lebanese militias grew stronger and soon surpassed the regular army. This rapidly undermined the authority of the central government. The government's ability to maintain order was also handicapped by the nature of the Lebanese Army. One of the smallest in the [[Middle East]], it was composed based on a fixed ratio of religions. As members defected to sectarian militias, the army would eventually prove unable to contain the militant groups, rein in the [[PLO]] or monitor foreign infiltration. Since the government was Christian-dominated, especially the officers' ranks, trust among Muslims for central institutions, including the army, was low. The disintegration of the Lebanese Army was eventually initiated by Muslim [[deserter]]s declaring that they would no longer take orders from the Maronite generals.