19 Facts About Saeb Salam

Saeb Salam was a Lebanese politician, who served as Prime Minister six times between 1952 and 1973.

Saeb Salam was the son of Salim Ali Saeb Salam, the scion of a prominent Sunni Muslim family, who was a prominent politician both under Ottoman rule and then during the French Mandate, being a member of the Ottoman parliament, and an import-export businessman.

Saeb Salam's family was liberal in regard to religion and his sister, Anbara Salam Khalidy, was the first Lebanese Muslim woman, who did not wear the veil in public.

The younger Saeb Salam got his first taste of politics in 1941, when he started campaigning against French and British mandates in the Levant and Palestine.

Saeb Salam joined in this endeavour by Abdel-Hamid Karami, a legislator from Tripoli.

In 1943, Saeb Salam was elected to the National Assembly from a Beirut constituency.

Saeb Salam's administration lasted only four days; under the pressure of strikes and demonstrations, President Bechara El Khoury was forced to resign.

Saeb Salam was recalled on 1 May 1953 by the new president, Camille Chamoun ; this time, his term of office lasted 106 days, until 16 August.

Saeb Salam was appointed oil minister by prime minister Abdallah Yafi in 1956, and negotiated deals the Aramco and Tapeline companies to connect the Zahrani and Baddawi refineries with oilfields in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

President Chamoun's support for the British, French, and Israeli invasion of Egypt during the Suez Crisis led both Yafi and Saeb Salam to resign in protest.

Saeb Salam participated in demonstrations in 1958 that followed, was wounded, and was placed under arrest while recovering in hospital.

Saeb Salam was released after a five-day hunger strike, however.

Saeb Salam became prime minister again on 2 August 1960, and remained in office until 31 October 1961.

Saeb Salam held the office of defense minister three times, last time in 1961.

Saeb Salam broke with President Chehab over what he saw as the granting of undue powers to the police.

Saeb Salam declared that he would not accept the post of prime minister again.

In 1985, Saeb Salam went into exile in Geneva, Switzerland, after surviving two assassination attempts.

Saeb Salam had angered the Syrian government and hardline Muslim groups with the conciliatory stands he had taken at peace conferences held at Geneva and Lausanne the year before, and he did not feel safe to return to Lebanon until 1994.

Saeb Salam died of a heart attack on 21 January 2000,4 days after his 95th birthday.