with Frangieh and resigned as prime minister in the wake of an Israeli commando raid in Beirut, which killed three Palestinian leaders, in protest against Frangieh's refusal to dismiss the army commander, General Iskandar Ghanem, for negligence. Salam declared that he would not accept the post of prime minister again. During the civil war Salam's motto was "One Lebanon, not two." Out of office, Salam remained influential. In the wake of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, he mediated between the United States envoy, Philip Habib and the PLO chairman Yasser Arafat, securing the removal of the Palestinian military presence in Lebanon. He opposed the election to the Presidency of Bachir Gemayel, but was reconciled to him after the election and began working with him on a number of reform proposals. When Gemayel was assassinated on 14 September of that year, without having taken office, Salam supported his brother, Amine Gemayel, for the Presidency and persuaded most Muslim National Assembly members to vote for him. Salam retired from politics in 1992. Exile and charity activities In 1985, Salam went into exile in Geneva, Switzerland, after surviving two assassination attempts. He 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. From exile, however, he played a key role in the negotiations that led to the Taif Agreement of 1989, which eventually led to the end of the civil war. A noted philanthropist, Salam headed the Makassed foundation, an educational and healthcare charity, from 1957 to 1982, when he was succeeded by his son Tammam. Personal life In addition to Tammam, Salam had two other sons Faisal and Amr, and two daughters with his wife, Tamima Mardam Beik, whom he married in 1941. Mardam Beik is of Syrian origin and hails from Damascus. Death Salam died of a heart attack on 21 January 2000, 4 days after his 95th birthday. See also 1958 Lebanon crisis Lebanese Civil War Lebanese Movement in Support of Fatah Mountain War (Lebanon) References External links 1905 births 2000 deaths Saeb American University of Beirut alumni Defense ministers of Lebanon Prime Ministers of Lebanon Lebanese exiles Lebanese Sunni Muslims Lebanese Arab nationalists Lebanese people from the Ottoman Empire Politicians from Beirut Interior ministers of Lebanon