Beyond the Lines: Social Networks and Palestinian Militant Organizations in Wartime Lebanon

**__Beyond the Lines__** **explores the social underpinnings of rebel adaptation and resilience.** How do rebel groups cope with crises such as repression, displacement, and fragmentation? What explains changes in militant organizations' structures and behaviors over time? Drawing on nearly two years of ethnographic research, Sarah E. Parkinson traces shifts in Palestinian militant groups' internal structures and practices during the civil war of 1975 to 1990 and foreign occupations of Lebanon. She shows that most militants approach asymmetrical warfare as a series of challenges centered around information and logistics, characterized by problems such as supplying constantly mobile forces, identifying collaborators, disrupting rival belligerents' operations, and providing essential services like healthcare. Effective negotiation of these challenges contributes to militant organizations' resilience and survival. In this context, the foundation of rebel resilience lies with militants' ability to repurpose their everyday social networks to organizational ends. In the Lebanese setting, __Beyond the Lines__ demonstrates how regionalized differences in Israeli, Syrian, and Lebanese deployment of violence triggered distinct social network responses that led to divergent organizational outcomes for Palestinian militants.

Beyond the Lines explores thesocial underpinnings of rebel adaptation and resilience.How do rebel groups cope with crises such as repression,displacement, and fragmentation? What explains changes in militantorganizations' structures and behaviors over time?

Drawing on nearly two years of ethnographic research, Sarah E.Parkinson traces shifts in Palestinian militant groups' internalstructures and practices during the civil war of 1975 to 1990 andforeign occupations of Lebanon. She shows that most militantsapproach asymmetrical warfare as a series of challenges centeredaround information and logistics, characterized by problems such assupplying constantly mobile forces, identifying collaborators,disrupting rival belligerents' operations, and providing essentialservices like healthcare. Effective negotiation of these challengescontributes to militant organizations' resilience and survival. Inthis context, the foundation of rebel resilience lies withmilitants' ability to repurpose their everyday social networks toorganizational ends.

In the Lebanese setting, Beyond the Lines demonstrateshow regionalized differences in Israeli, Syrian, and Lebanesedeployment of violence triggered distinct social network responsesthat led to divergent organizational outcomes for Palestinianmilitants.

Contents 7 Acknowledgments 9 List of Abbreviations 13 Note on Transliteration and Translation 15 Maps 17 Introduction: Backstage Labor and Organizational Adaptation 23 1. Memories and Mythologies of Militancy: An Ethnographic Approach to Studying Militant Organizations 37 2. Building a Social Infrastructure: The Palestine Liberation Organization and the Guerrilla Factions in Lebanon 52 3. Social Networks and Wartime Violence: Comparing Repertoires during the 1982 Israeli Invasion 74 4. Beyond the Lines: Gendered Mobilization and Organizational Resilience in Militant Groups 93 5. Crossing Collaborators: Emotion, Informing, and Civilian Mobilization in Occupied South Lebanon 114 6. The Face of the Camps: Leadership and Loyalty in Combat Units 136 7. “Every Faction for Itself”: Personalized Militias and Fragmented Battle Lines 157 Conclusion: Echoes of Organizations 177 Appendix A: Methodological Approach and Ethical Considerations 191 Appendix B: Archival Materials and Methods 209 Appendix C: Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon 215 Notes 217 References 239 Index 261 "How do rebel groups cope with repression, displacement, and fragmentation? Based on ethnographic research among Palestinian militants in Lebanon, this book argues that militants approach asymmetrical warfare as a series of information- and logistics-centric challenges and that groups' adaptability relies upon militants' ability to repurpose everyday networks fororganizational ends"-- Provided by publisher