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Biography: Fixed typo

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{{short description|Lebanese intelligence official}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Assaad Chaftari
أسعد الشفتري
| birth_date = 1955
| nationality = [[Lebanon|Lebanese]]
| occupation = [[Military intelligence|Military Intelligence Official]], [[Author]]
| notable_works = La vérité même si ma voix tremble ([[book]])
| party = [[Kataeb Party|Kataeb]], [[Lebanese Forces]]
}}
'''Assaad Chaftari''' (also spelled Assad Shaftari, [[Arabic]]: أسعد شفتري) served as a senior intelligence officier of the [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] [[Christianity|Christian]] militia [[Lebanese Forces]] during the [[Lebanese Civil War]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.prestigemag.co/2016/02/assaad-chaftari/|title=Assaad Chaftari - Prestige Magazine|date=2016-02-05|language=en-US|access-date=2016-09-15}}</ref> Chaftari was a close associate of [[Elie Hobeika]]. He published a letter of apology to the [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] people in February 2000, in the national newspapers, for his war actions, he is now dedicated to promote personal change, peace building and reconciliation.<ref>[https://www.equaltimes.org/don-t-reach-for-the-gun-warn-ex#.XWcLLFB7n6Y Medina, Alicia. (2019, May 28). ““Don’t reach for the gun,” ex-combatants warn Lebanese youths”. ''Equal Times''.] Retrieved August 28, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/05/31/once-christian-militant-lebanons-civil-war-now-he-builds-peace-where-he Anderson, Brooke. (2017, May 31). “Once a Christian militant in Lebanon's civil war, now he builds peace where he fought”. ''America, The Jesuit Review''.] Retrieved August 28, 2019.</ref>

Chaftari was a subject in [[Eliane Raheb]]'s 2012 documentary, ''Sleepless Nights''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=assaad chaftari sleepless nights - Google Search|url=https://www.google.com/search?q=assaad+chaftari+sleepless+nights|access-date=2021-03-06|website=www.google.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-11-12|title=Sleepless Nights: Confessing Without The Confession|url=https://hummusforthought.com/2018/11/13/sleepless-nights-confessing-without-the-confession/|access-date=2021-03-06|website=hummus for thought|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Assaad Chaftari">{{Cite web|date=2016-02-05|title=Assaad Chaftari|url=http://www.prestigemag.co/2016/02/assaad-chaftari/|access-date=2021-03-06|website=Prestige Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref>

Chaftari wrote a book titled "La vérité même si ma voix tremble" in [[French language|French]], translated to [[Arabic]] as " الحقيقة و لو بصوت يرتجف", in November 2015.<ref>[https://dergham.com/book--157 Title on publisher's website, in French] Retrieved October 3, 2019.</ref>

== Biography ==
Born in 1955, Chaftari grew up in a [[French language|French]]-speaking home in [[Beirut]]’s [[Christians|Christian]] [[Gemmayzeh|Gemmayze]] district.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Lucas|first=Ryan|title=In Lebanon, a war apology remains a rare light|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-lebanon-a-war-apology-remains-a-rare-light/|access-date=2021-03-06|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1974, he joined the [[Kataeb Party]] while he was in his fourth-year as an [[Engineering education|engineering]] student, one year before the [[Lebanese Civil War|civil war]] started, when he received military training and helped to create the Kataeb's intelligence service.<ref name=":0" />

While in his 20s, he rose in the party to become the deputy to [[Elie Hobeika]].
In 1985 He was one of the negotiators of negotiations which led to was called the Tripartite Agreement between the Christian Lebanese Forces, The PSP party of Jumblat and Amal of Berri under Syrians auspices.

In 1988 he participated in a meeting held by the [[Initiatives of Change]] movement. Although he had initially been suspecting a hidden agenda, the meeting initiated a deep change in him. Asked to look back over his life, he saw "a path full of blood".<ref>[https://www.theforgivenessproject.com/stories-library/assaad-emile-chaftari/ Assaad Emile Chaftari], website of The Forgiveness Project, last accessed on 12 December 2021.</ref>

He is currently an activist, member of movements and NGOs, including the coalition Wahdatouna khalasouna.<ref name="Assaad Chaftari"/> and The Global Peace-builders Network.
In 2012 during the clashes between the Sunni and Alawi communities in Tripoli,northern Lebanon he was one of 5 ex-fighters who organised a press conference addressing the new fighters and their politicians.They founded 2 years later an NGO called "Fighters for Peace".
In 2019 he represented Fighters for peace in the founding of a Lebanese gathering called "Forum for Memory and Future".

== See also ==

* [[Elie Hobeika]]
* [[Massoud Achkar]]
* [[Jocelyne Khoueiry]]
* [[Joud el Bayeh|Joud El Bayeh]]
* [[Sabra and Shatila massacre|Sabra and Chatilla]]
* [[Lebanese Civil War]]

==External links==
* [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/21/AR2005042101454.html Washington Post article]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaftari, Assaad}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:Lebanese military leaders]]
[[Category:People of the Lebanese Civil War]]
[[Category:Lebanese Christians]]
[[Category:Lebanese Forces members]]
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{{lebanon-bio-stub}}

Assaad Chaftari - Revision history

imported>Karanjit Michael Dutt: /* Biography */ Fixed typo