During 15 years of brutal civil war among religious and political clans, fought mainly by Christian and Muslim militiamen, Beirut became a synonym for savagery. Last week for the first time authorities put out an official estimate of the rivers of blood spilled through Lebanon and its 3.4 million population. The casualty toll, largely civilian: 144,240 people slain, 197,506 wounded and 17,415 missing. Most of the missing persons were abducted by rival militias, and are now presumed dead.
The report also counted 3,641 car bombs, which killed 4,386 people. The toll includes 241 U.S. Marines and 58 French paratroopers who died...
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