A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Lebanon's Forgotten Rocket Program from the 1960s: Cedar 3

I thought I was pretty conversant with rocketry and missile programs in the Middle East, which at one time I covered, but this one is completely new to me: a BBC report on Lebanon's Forgotten Space Programme, back in the 1960s, long before Hizbullah's rockets. Now I find that there was a lot of coverage of the 50th anniversary of the first launch of the Cedar 3.  And Haigazian University notes its role in the program. These were nominally sounding rockets, but the Lebanese military did help support the program, and the US and Soviet "cultural attaches" attended the launches. A Google search turns up a lot more. (Note: the BBC report refers to "President Chebab." That should, of course, be President Chehab.)

UPDATE: Video trailer for a recent film documentary:


Hat tips to Laurie King for the BBC link and Ted Swedenburg for the trailer link.

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